Fort William to Euston

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 Back in the Caledonian Sleeper lounge again, with a welcome complimentary coffee and snack.


The facilities in here are very good. 


On board. Have nice seat in lounge car. 
Disaster: there's no lounge car in the morning! Have to have breakfast in the cabin. 

Depart in 15 minutes, it hasn't stopped raining all day. 


Ordered my meal. 

Double disaster: there's no cheeseboard!!! So having a whisky and marmalade pudding with chocolate. 

Triple disaster: a rather obnoxious family who were in the brown four-seater in the distance in the photo above decided to come and sit across from me, I don't know why, we never spoke. They were just too loud and forever coming and going. I ate as fast as I could.

Starter: Chicken and ham terrine


Main: Lamb

According to the chap I met on the way up , the hermit who was on TV recently lives here, 14miles from the nearest road.



Pudding: Whisky and marmalade thingummy with chocolate sauce.

This was absolutely wonderful. 

Internet here is non-existent between stations and so-so at stations so I can only settle the bill near a station. 

Rannoch Moor,  very desolate. 

Below is Corour, Landowner only permitted the line to be built across here if a station was built. There were no roads leading to it. A few years ago it was named the most remote station in the UK - it's now a thriving business.


Home tonight is E6L


It's Friday 13th, the water in the handbasin has run out, I have to have breakfast in my cabin and it arrived 20 minutes late. 

It was not good. 
Best of the food were the sausage and tomato. That cup contained just hot water. Coffee, sugar and milk were all in sachets.

Now in the First Class Lounge updating this blog while waiting for 9am so I can use the bus with the Freedom Pass.


Stats:

Stopped at 76 train stations
Travelling time 28hrs 47min
Waiting time 9hrs 48 min
Distance 1228 miles
Average speed including waiting 32mph
Total cost ~30p/mile

If I were to drive this 1086mls today, driving 6hr/day plus comfort and food breaks would take 2 days each way. Petrol and three hotels approx. £525. 
That's at least 48p/mile, take twice as long as the train and I'd be knackered! 

So: Do It By Rail

Next will be the big one :

Circular tour of UK by coastal lines, not stopping at the same station twice.

This will be a mere 2220 miles but will take me ten days using 54 trains

However: It's just been announced not only that the Elizabeth Line will open on May 24th but also that it will be fully accessible to holders of the Freedom Pass - and that includes me.  So I'm thinking of doing a tour of every station



Location: Fort William, UK

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