You take the high road – and I’ll take the rail road
JAYNE MIDDLEBROOK FINDS SHE’S ON THE RIGHT TRACKS FOR A JOURNEY TO DISCOVER THE HISTORY AND WILDLIFE OF SCOTLAND
AGATHA CHRISTIE once said that trains are wonderful. To travel by train is to see nature and human beings, towns and churches and rivers, in fact, to see life.
The author loved to travel by rail and set two of her most famous novels against the soundtrack of the clickity-clack of the tracks.
So it was with a sense of excitement that I boarded the Caledonian Sleeper at Euston Station for The Great Rail Journeys Castles and Wildlife of Scotland tour. Ahead of me, an 11-hour overnight journey to the Scottish Highlands. Unlike Christie’s famous novels, thankfully there was no murder – but it was an experience nonetheless.
I was travelling from London to Inverness on one of the final journeys of the ‘old style’ Caledonian sleeper trains before they make way for new, modern carriages.
For the journey north, it was the old coaches, charming, full of history but, like me on a bad day, in dire need of a makeover.
It was interesting to travel on the old-style coach on the journey north as it gave me the perfect chance to gauge what you get for a £100m investment on the journey back.
The changes are obvious. Gone is the faint scent of 150-year-old tobacco smoke, tired furnishings and washing facilities as basic as a sink in the corner of your cabin.
The new sleeper boasts a bright, airy buffet car and refurbished sleeping accommodation complete with en-suite. What it has kept are the oh-so-comfy mattresses, which, incidentally, are made by the same company that supplies the Queen. So if they are good enough for Her Majesty...
Earplugs were provided, and required as, no matter how snuggly your bed feels, the noise of the train cannot be ignored if you are a light sleeper like me.
After an early breakfast of Eggs Royale, we pulled into Inverness where we headed to the marina for a morning of dolphin watching in the Moray Firth. Sadly the dolphins decided to play hide and seek but it was still good fun and our host, Freya, kept us entertained and informed as we bobbed along.
After a brief wander around the shops and cafes of Inverness, we were whisked off to The Tulloch Castle Hotel, in the town of Dingwall, to be met by a very welcome cup of tea, homemade shortbread and a roaring fire in the reception area. It might have been June, but Highland temperatures can often dip a little below what you’d expect for the time of year. So, with fingers and toes fully defrosted, we were shown to our rooms.
Over the years, the castle has served as a family home; a hospital after the evacuation of Dunkirk, and then a hostel for the local education authority before it became a hotel.
Dinner was served in the Castle dungeon, an intimate, candlelit space. The menu boasted plenty of local produce – Scottish smoked salmon, pigeon and fresh asparagus followed by salmon fillet and oyster
mushroom risotto. I opted for a starter of Haggis bon bons in a green peppercorn sauce, followed by rump of lamb with a red wine jus. The sticky toffee pudding finished the meal off perfectly.
As you might expect from a castle dating to the 16th century, there have been lots of sightings of spirits and apparitions over the years. Pre-bedtime entertainment came in the form of a late-night ghost tour. Luckily the bar was well-stocked with a fine choice of local whiskies to aid sleep afterwards.
After a restful night (nothing went bump!) we headed to Inverness station for a trip on the Kyle of Lochalsh Railway. A single track line that traverses some of the most beautiful highland landscapes imaginable, it featured in Michael Palin’s Great Railway Journeys of the World TV series. The journey took more than two hours, but who wants to rush past scenery like that?
Next was a visit to the 13th century Eilean Donan Castle, which featured in 1986 movie Highlander. You can enjoy a guided tour, or grab a handset and explore the grounds and buildings at your own pace.
The day finished with a 90-minute transfer to our final destination – Alladale Wilderness Reserve, a 23,000-acre gem north of Inverness. Alladale’s rugged terrain, dramatic glens, stunning hills, glistening rivers, and herds of majestic red deer will take your breath away.
We stayed in the luxury Victorian lodge. The bedrooms are exquisite with each one named after a different tree – Holly, Birch etc. And all are en-suite with their own individual style.
A small and friendly team run the reserve. We were met by Pieter and Anna and it was instantly obvious that they love what they are doing and go out of their way to ensure you enjoy your time there. There are lots of activities available including salmon fishing, hiking and yoga.
Deer wander freely around the grounds and let you get close enough for Instagram-worthy pictures, while red squirrels scurry up and down the trees as you walk past. And the scenery is simply awe-inspiring. You can see for miles
with uninterrupted views of the highlands surrounding the lodge. It was a walk that will stay with me for a very long time.
Breakfast was a delicious buffet including fresh fruit salad with mint, yoghurt and granola, venison sausages, home-made baked beans, and freshly baked bread.
A good way of seeing the estate is on a 4x4 wilderness tour. A ranger took us out and shared insights in the daily management of the nature reserve as we sped along the tracks high up into the mountains. Highland cattle and calves came up close and personal (although I suspect that had something to do with the guides bringing feed along!)
We stopped for a packed lunch before visiting the historic Croick Church. It was built in 1827 on land donated by the Rosses of Balnagowan. In 1845 the church and its minister figured prominently in the Highland Clearances – a tragic event recorded by poignant messages that you can see to this day scratched into the building’s east window.
On the way back to the lodge we paused at Glencalvie Falls and watched salmon jumping.
Homemade banana bread and coffee was waiting on our return to the lodge before we said our goodbyes and headed for Inverness station.
And then it was time for my final journey back to Euston. As I drifted off on the Caledonian Sleeper, I knew Agatha would have approved “As for trains – what can beat a train?”, she famously said. I agree, well, as long as I have my earplugs.