It was raining as we left the house and made our way to the bus stop.
The bus was due at 9.20am and our train from Chepstow station was due to leave at 10.16am
The bus was late.
But just as Jo was thinking of putting plan B into action – using the car to drive to the station and hunting for an elusive parking spot – the C1 Thornwell to Chepstow Bus Station bus, came into view over the hill. Phew!
A quick dash into Chepstow M&S for some provisions for the nine-hour train trip and a short walk to the station.
A passenger train runs under rolling green hills beside the Gloucester-Newport railway line alongside the River Severn (Image: Joe Dunckley)
Minutes later our CrossCountry train pulled in, we were on board and heading to Birmingham.
I don’t use the train as much as I would like but will most certainly do more so in future now that A: I’ve realised that ticket prices are not as extortionate as some would have us believe and B: I now have a Senior Rail card offering a third off ticket prices which, added to various deals, makes train travel very attractive indeed.
The train was actually going all the way to Edinburgh (which surprised us) but we were changing at Birmingham to get a faster one to make our connection with the Inverness train.
The first train carriage was snug to say the least. We were travelling light but the bag, ruck sack, coat and suit bag I had, were up to my chin once a young student grabbed her booked seat next to me.
It was a smooth, comfortable if slightly cramped journey through absolutely gorgeous countryside first along the banks of the River Severn and then through the Midlands to bustling Birmingham.
The connection at England’s second city was seamless and we were soon ensconced in our booked table seat for the next part of our journey to magical Edinburgh with Avanti West Coast.
As smooth as silk and now with considerably more room, the miles slid by effortlessly.
Although we tucked in to our aforementioned cheese rolls, crisps and apple, there was a full buffet service available on board serving all sorts of goodies.
We normally, in fact almost always, travel north in the car.
There are no time constraints. We can stop at glorious Gloucester and terrific Tebay services, can go as fast or slow as we want, pack more things that we’re never going to need and go off track, Withnail and I fashion, to explore the countryside.
We often visit National Trust properties along the way for a quick nosey and a cup of tea.
The downside, and it’s a big one, are the alarmingly common snarl-ups around Spaghetti Junction and frequent road closures on the M6.
The upside is it’s just us and it’s fun driving the sports car – especially roof down when it’s sunny!
It was getting chillier the further north we travelled and so the coats, hats and gloves I just knew that we’d need, came in handy when we arrived in Edinburgh for our final change.
We have driven alongside parts of this track on our frequent trips to the Highlands over the years and wondered at the scenery to be encountered by those travelling on board the train.
Now was our chance. Only it wasn’t as it was dark and dreich and the only thing to see out of the window as we travelled through such awe-inspiring places was our own reflections and the occasional railway station platform.
But, as with most train trips of any length, the entertainment was inside the compartment.
First we had to rise above the looks of utter disdain as we struggled through the first class compartment to our standard class seats.
There was a lady feeding her dog carrot slices in our booked seat who half-heartedly offered to move.
We said: “Oh no, that’s quite OK” and sat across the aisle, which was just as well as ear-wigging her conversation with a fellow Highland dweller (they were both ‘artistic’ and distinctly from south of the border) was worth the ticket price in itself.
And then we were joined by a “well-refreshed” lady of a certain age and disposition who proceeded to have a rambling one-way conversation with her friend at the other end of her phone the whole way from Falkirk to Pitlochry.
She regaled her friend, and the rest of the carriage, with her story of having met up with random and arranged people at a series of bars and the trials and tribulations of arranging to have her windows replaced. We knew all about it, a few times over, by the time she got off.
Both got off at the same stop and it was all quiet on the LNER express.
It takes three hours to travel by train from Edinburgh to Inverness on a line which passes through some of the most majestic, evocative and memorable scenery anywhere in the UK. We didn’t see any of it this time but we’ll be back in the summer to have a better look.
Once in Inverness, the capital of the Highlands, it was just a short stroll to our River Ness bank hotel, The Glen Mhor where we’d booked a two-night B&B stay (£145 B&B).
With literally a minute to spare we were in the hotel restaurant (it stops serving at 8.30pm) and tucking in to some delicious Highland fayre and locally brewed ale. Heaven!
The hotel overlooking the Ness Bank conservation area in the city centre, set below the castle and opposite both The Eden Court Theatre and Inverness Cathedral, is attached to the Uile Bheist beer and whisky brewdistillery.
It consists of a stretch of what were once Victorian town houses sympathetically converted into rooms and apartments overlooking the River Ness.
I was hopeful of a river view but sadly our comfortable, compact double, with ensuite shower, looked out over the carpark replete with work vehicles, diggers and cars. Had we had a car, it would have cost us £12 for 24 hours to park.
But the Scottish breakfast, complete with haggis, certainly made up for that!
Our full day in the city saw us attend our family gathering, explore crofted Highland villages, visit sacred places and then have a skin full at the Black Isle Brewery bar in the city to wash down with delicious home-cooked pizza.
Had we opted to return on the train we’d have had to be at the station for 8am the following morning. Not wishing to get up so early, wanting to enjoy another full Scottish breakfast and a day in this beautiful part of the world, we decided to take the plane.
Inverness airport, well off season at least, is quiet and there are no outrageous charges for drop off.
The plane was delayed for just under two hours (the flight was just an hour) but no one, least of all us, seemed the least bit concerned.
We always buy bits and pieces were we come back from a trip, where ever we go. It’s a bit of a family tradition but this time what with one thing and another we’d left it to do at the airport shop which, in the event, didn’t disappoint.
The shop even has a bottle of 40-year-old Macallan malt on display in a glass cabinet at the princely sum of £49,999 (yes!).
I passed on that one but did get other goodies including a cuddly Scottie dog and a small Nessie for the grandchildren – well you’ve got to haven’t you?
Once on the Easyjet flight we were landing in Bristol in what seemed like the blink of an eye.
As we had no luggage to reclaim, we were outside and walking briskly to meet our son parked at a nearby pub.
So, which way is best?
Car:
Pros: Flexibility, cost, comfort, privacy, stop and start at will, take as much luggage as you want
Cons: Parking, traffic jams, pollution, the M6, some motorway services
Train:
Pros: Flexibility, cost, comfort, conviviality, saving the planet, views
Cons: Might be cramped, need to be on time, proximity health concerns, fear of sitting next to ‘that’ passenger, toilets and bus replacement service.
Aeroplane:
Pros: Efficient, fast, clean, modern
Cons: Pollution, cramped, embarking and disembarking, apprehension, health fears, costly if need to take luggage, queuing, parking/pick up costs, toilets.
Conclusion: I love the train for the fun and romance of it, the plane is quick, modern, efficient but it is rather functional.
The car is the best option for the flexibility and independence. It really does take the biscuit especially if it’s a buttery Highland shortbread!
FACTFILE
Train:
Journey time: 9 hr 52 minutes on the route we chose
Cost £62 one way using Senior Rail Card
Aeroplane:
Journey time: 1 hr 10 mins not counting the time spent checking in and checking out before and after
Cost £51 one way; £28 for additional luggage
Bus:
Two miles. Journey time 10 minutes
Cost: Free using our TfW bus pass
If we’d driven:
It’s 528 miles direct from Chepstow to Inverness using the M6 and A9. It takes nine hours nonstop by car.
Cost: A 2l petrol sports car is roughly £108 excluding wear and tear and insurance costs.
