The Transport Game

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Wishing to see even more of the area extremeties, we next board the 1540 Stagecoach Highlands service 77 to Gills Bay (Gills Bay End Road) that arrives there at 1610 on Wednesday afternoon.

 

[High Dyke]

Continuing our omnibus tour of the highlands we find ouselves catching the 16:23 Stagecoach Highlands service 80 to Dunnet Corner arriving 16:57 on Wednesday.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Time now to visit the settlement known so well, so we board the 1812 Stagecoach Highlands service 80 to John O'Groats that arrives there at 1856 on Wednesday evening.

 

[High Dyke]

We take a bracing walk around the settlement to pass the time until the bus arrives. We then settle down for a journey on Stagecoach Highlands service 80 departing at 20:05 and alighting at Thurso Railway Station at 21:04 on Wednesday night.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Time to seek overnight accommodation, as the last train of the day has gone, which ensures that we recover from the omnibus journeys then after a long restful sleep and a very early cooked breakfast, we return to the railway station where we board the 0648 First ScotRail service to Tain that arrives there at 0926 on Thursday morning.

 

[Manchester77]

We then take the 11:07 First Scot Rail service to Inverness arriving at 12:13, Thursday Lunch Time

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Deciding to continue with rail as our chosen mode, we board the 1253 First ScotRail service to Aviemore that arrives there at 1331 on Thursday afternoon.

 

[CallySleeper]

Outside Aviemore station we wait in the sun for the 14:20 Stagecoach Highlands service 34 to Grantown-on-Spey town square, arriving at 14:54 on Thursday

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

We look around the town centre for a few minutes, before returning to board the 1510 Stagecoach Highlands service 34 to Boat of Garten (Deshar Road post office) that arrives there at 1533 on Thursday afternoon.

 

[High Dyke]

It's only a few yards from the post office to the Strathspey Railway Station so we decide to have a look whilst we are here. We're in luck as well because Thursday is one of the few days that trains are running. We depart on the 16:00 train to Aviemore Station arriving 16:15 on Thursday afternoon

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

That arrival gives us time to have tea and cake at the Cairngorm Hotel, then we go to the bus stop outside the hotel and board the 1652 Scottish Citylink service M91 to Inverness bus station that arrives there at 1735 on Thursday afternoon.

 

[High Dyke]

Forsaking local bus departures we decide to join the 18:30 Stagecoach Highlands service 19 to Fort William bus station arriving at 20:20 on Thursday evening

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

This still leaves us time to have an evening meal, then having decided that rail still offers another westerly destination, we make our way to the railway station and board the 2214 First ScotRail service to Arisaig that arrives there at 2319 on Thursday evening.

 

[High Dyke]

After such a busy day travelling we rest in the Arisaig Hotel for the night. All too soon the alarm rouses us and it's back to the railway station to catch the 06:19 FSR service. Having advised the guard of our intention we alight at the request stop at Locheilside arriving 07:01 on Friday morning

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

We decide that a trip with a local bus operator will allow us to see much of the local scenery but we take a walk around the local area first too see matters close up, then on our return, we walk from the area of the station to the bus stop nearby and board the 0915 Shiel Buses service 500 to Mallaig (Station Road) that arrives there at 1005 on Friday morning.

 

[High Dyke]

We decide to have a break from travelling to explore the delights of Mallaig; a place we've only visited briefly on a previous occasion. We find a bustling port area where ferries depart for the outer isles; the heritage centre and the swimming pool.

All too soon though we return to our travels by catching the 12:05 Shiel Buses service 500 from Station Road to Corpach (Co-op) arriving 13:26 on Friday

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

We really are enjoying this in-depth tour of this area and we have a little time to spare before we board the 1406 Stagecoach Highlands service 45 to Upper Achintore (Perth Place) that arrives there at 1446 on Friday afternoon.

 

[High Dyke]

We now find ourselves in a housing estate. As the bus departs we consider our surroundings... Luckily the next bus is only half an hour away. However as it's a schoolday then our journey will be brief. We board the 15:18 Stagecoach Highlands service 45 and alight a few minutes later at Fort William (West End) arriving 15:24 Friday afternoon.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

This affords us an opportunity to make a west-coast to east-coast journey of Scotland to visit the home of the delicacies known as "smokies", so we are fortunate to be in the right positionto board the 1532 Fishers Tours service 226 to Arbroath bus station that arrives there at 1924 on Friday evening.

 

[High Dyke]

After finding a local restaurant and having our fill of the local delicacy we make our way to the railway station and catch the 20:41 First Scotrail service to Glasgow Queen Street arriving at 22:20 on Friday

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Time for a hot drink on the station before we board the 2248 First ScotRail service to Dundee that arrives there at 0036 on Saturday morning.

 

[CallySleeper]

Regretting the real possibility of a night in Dundee, we are grateful for the 00:45 SR service back to Perth, arriving at 01:08 on Saturday morning

Was considering a night in Invergowrie but that would probably have just been plain mean...

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Time to settle ourselves and see the rest of the night through until it is time to board the 0600 First ScotRail service to Inverurie that arrives there at 0811 on Saturday morning.

 

[Class20]

Time to settle ourselves and see the rest of the night through until it is time to board the 0600 First ScotRail service to Inverurie that arrives there at 0811 on Saturday morning.

Time for a quick bit to eat before boarding the 08:42 First Scotrail service which we take to Inverness, arriving at 10:31 Saturday morning

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

We decide that from past experience that as it is a mere four minutes walk to the bus station, we take this option to have time to have a snack and a much-needed hot drink before we board the 1120 Stagecoach Highlands service 25X to Dornoch (Cathedral Square) that arrives there at 1259 on Saturday afternoon.

 

[Class20]

We have time for lunch before catching the 13:35 Stagecoach Highlands X99 to Inverness Bus Station, arriving at 14:43 Saturday afternoon

 

[Trainfan344]

We then board the 15:15 Stagecoach Highlands number 11 Service to Inverness Airport (Terminal Road) arriving there at 15:42 Saturday afternoon

 

[CallySleeper]

Disappointed that our passport has been taken from us so we can't fly south, we trudge back to the bus stop and board the 16:12 Stagecoach Highlands service 11A to Nairn bus station arriving at 16:42 on Saturday

Interestingly the timetable for this service has a note about services to Elgin connecting at Nairn due to Drivers Hours Regs. Any ideas? The same bus operates the whole journey Inverness - Nairn - Elgin.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Some short time to pass, so after perusing the timetable, we hear the plaintive cry "You'll had your tea then" heard on entering a place of refreshment, so we do indeed hurridly do so, before boarding the 1701 Stagecoach Highlands service 11 to Elgin bus station that arrives there at 1747 on Saturday afternoon.

 

[High Dyke]

As we have already eaten we can continue onwards. Our next departure is the 17:55 Stagecoach Highlands 34 service to Kingston (Beach Road) arriving 18:32 on Saturday afternoon.