The sleeper train that’s a wild ride to another world
Story by Maureen O’Hare and video by Max Burnell, CNN
Fort William, Scotland (CNN) — It’s a Tuesday night on the Caledonian Sleeper, which runs six days a week from London to Scotland, and the Club Car is in full swing.
Having feasted on fare such as Scottish haggis, neeps and tatties, passengers are sampling malt whiskies and Edinburgh gins as they make new friends across the swivel seats and cozy booths, smartly upholstered in burnt orange and teal blue.
We left behind the congested bustle of London’s Euston station at 8 p.m. and in just over 12 hours we’ll be at Fort William, dubbed the “outdoor capital of the UK” and home to the highest mountains in the country, including the 4,413-foot Ben Nevis.
This 500-mile journey from Britain’s south to north is nicknamed the Deerstalker – a White Stag is the Caledonian Sleeper’s logo – and it’s considered the most scenic of the train’s five routes, which cover both Scottish cities and the deepest Highlands.
The train got a $200 million makeover in 2019, and continues a 150-year legacy of sleeper train services between London and Scotland.
It’s one of only two sleeper train services in Britain, the other being the Night Riveria Sleeper, which heads west from London Paddington to the Cornish seaside town of Penzance).
It’s a prestige train with prices to match. Fares are dynamic, so if you want to take your chances in the seated carriage, with its plush first-class feel and adjustable lighting, headrests, seat pads and footrests, you can typically pick an advance one up one-way for around £55 ($72).
That’s about £20 more than what you might pay for an hour-long return flight to Edinburgh, the Scottish capital, making the Caledonian Sleeper the more glamorous, luxurious and environmentally sustainable option, but also the slowest and most expensive by far.
The most high-end option, the double ensuite with a proper bed, breakfast delivered to your room and station lounge access, typically runs to about $325 per person one way – although it’s usually sold out well in advance.
Value for money
So is it worth it? Simon Butterworth, traveling with his partner Elizabeth Coppard to the Outer Hebrides, says that “as daft as it seems,” it’s the economical choice when going from one rural location to another.
When airport transfers, taxis, car hire, parking and overnight accommodation are all factored in, a Classic Room (with bunk beds, washbasin and shared bathroom) is a smart and convenient option at around $166 per person.
They estimate it’s their fourth time traveling on the sleeper. Several of the passengers in the 30-seat Club Car, open only to passengers staying in the sleeping berth, say they are repeat customers.
Railway enthusiast Will Swain travels on the train at least once a year and planned to propose to his girlfriend Chloe Beckett on this trip. However, as Beckett explains, happy to tell the tale of their romance, “he kind of let the cat out of the bag early” and tonight they’re celebrating their engagement instead.
Leaving the Club Car behind and retiring to the Club En-Suite, a private room with bunk beds and a toilet-slash-shower room, there’s no denying it’s a tight squeeze.
Even as single occupancy, there is little turning room. If you’re traveling as a pair then you’ll undoubtedly need to use the toilet-slash-shower room as a changing room too.
Luggage can be stored under the bunk beds, although there might be a little bit of suitcase Jenga involved in getting it in there.
However, the room design is delightfully welcoming and cozy, with warm Replin by Hainsworth fabrics inspired by traditional tweed and plenty of smart touches, from the full-length mirror behind the door to the array of plug and USB sockets.
It’s also impeccably pristine and the surprisingly comfortable mattresses make for a very respectable night’s rest.
Dropping off to sleep is a remarkably soothing experience, as the carriage rocks customers in their private cradles, the engine and wheels chugging a rhythmic lullaby – albeit one interrupted by the occasional metallic screech.
The big reveal
Waking at 7 a.m., I look out through my rain-globbed window at dense thickets of Scottish pine, hills rising out of the gleaming mist and the faint glisten of loch waters.
Even though the weather has not been on our side on this September trip, the Scottish Highlands have a unique splendor come rain or, occasionally, shine.
The rain lifts and I see three deer shoot off across the heather, while peat-rich streams gush nut-brown water.
The price of the trip might be similar to a five-star hotel, but waking up to Highland landscapes is a six-star experience and utterly unique.
The shower – with Arran toiletries – acts as a well-sealed wet room and is powerful, refreshing and surprisingly capacious.
Breakfast is included free with the en suite rooms. The options include Scottish specialties such as Lorne sausage – like regular sausage, but square! – and traditional cooked breakfasts.
You’ll likely find larger portions and more delicious fare when back on firm land, but it’s served cheerfully by friendly staff in luxury Harris tweed waistcoats with tartan ties designed by Glasgow fashion label ten30. And, of course, there are those endless rolling Highland vistas to enjoy outside the large picture windows, making everything taste that little bit sweeter.
Alighting at Fort William, we have coffee and snacks in the Caledonian Sleeper lounge and chat with train driver John Hynd, who is enjoying a well-earned break.
He’s been a driver on the service since 1979 and claims never to have had a day off sick. His father too was on the railways, working as a signalman, and moved to Fort William in the 1960s.
“It changes all the time, every day is different,” he says. His favorite part of the route is “around Loch Long, between Garelochead and Arrochar, probably one of the nicer parts of the route. I think a lot of people like the wilderness of Rannoch Moor, for me, it’s probably the lochs and the mountains.”
When the weather is good it’s “stunning,” he says. ”I’ve been doing it for 44 years and some mornings it takes your breath away.”
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