Tag: Rail travel

The Magic of the Sleeper

There is something magical about going to sleep in one place and waking up in another – especially if your destination is entirely different to your origin. I have always loved the romance of sleeper train travel, which takes you back to the golden age of travel; when the journey was just as important as the destination. Having experienced memorable overnight trains in Europe, Asia and South America, I was excited to sample the offering closer to home – this time from Glasgow to London via the brand-new Caledonian Sleeper trains introduced in 2019.

The late departure of the Lowlander service meant I was able to enjoy Friday night dinner and drinks with friends in Glasgow’s trendy Finnieston district before a bracing evening walk to the railway cathedral of Central Station. It felt odd to be arriving for a train to London when everyone else was starting to head home after a night on the town! I was greeted on the platform by my friendly Caledonian Sleeper host, who showed me to my Club Cabin. I was immediately struck by how great a job the designers did with such a small space. In each Club Cabin, you not only have your bed, but also luggage storage space and, crucially, an en-suite WC and shower – a game changer as it means you can avoid the awkward scuttle down the corridor to the communal loo in the middle of the night!

The Club Lounge, Caledonian Sleeper
The Club Car onboard the train

As the train slid out of Glasgow Central, I settled onto a bar stool in the Club Car to sample a ‘wee dram’ of Scotch whisky and a selection of Scottish cheeses – what a civilised way to start a journey. The menu offers a varied selection of the best of Scottish produce and is very reasonably priced when compared to other trains in the UK. As we began to chug through the Scottish Lowlands, I decided to retire for the night and sunk into my Glencraft mattress, the gentle ‘clickety-clack’ of the train soothing me to sleep.

I woke up shortly before arrival into London’s Euston Station, making sure I had time to enjoy the slightly odd feeling of showering on a moving train! After getting dressed, I made my way to the Club Car once more, this time for a tremendous breakfast of Eggs Royale with Scottish smoked salmon.  On arrival at Euston, I waved goodbye to my host and decided to take advantage of the early arrival into London. As it was a crisp Saturday morning in winter, the streets were deserted and so I ventured south walking from Euston all the way to Embankment. As I gazed at the London Eye and Houses of Parliament, I reflected on a unique travel experience I’d had – one which offers an efficient, convenient and sustainable way to travel between Scotland and the heart of London. 

Words by Tom @ McKinlay Kidd, Images by Chris @ McKinlay Kidd

If you would like to experience the Caledonian Sleeper for yourself, McKinlay Kidd’s Luxury Skye and Highlands by Sleeper holiday includes a return sleeper journey from London to Rannoch, plus four nights in small four and five-star hotels and private guided tours of Perthshire, Skye & Inverness. For more information – or for a tailor-made holiday proposal – please visit our website.

Across Ireland to the Edge of Europe: Tom’s Car-free Irish break

When I’m exploring a new part of the world car hire is usually one of the first things I book so I know how I’m getting from A to B, especially outside main cities. So it was with some trepidation that I set off for Ireland last week on a car-free trip taking in Dublin, Galway and the wonderful Aran Islands. On arrival at Dublin Airport I was met by my friendly driver and whisked into the city centre via the impressive and rejuvenated Docklands area – the sheer number of cranes on the horizon and the number of high-tech firms who have moved in was a sign of a city on the move. I used Robert’s Recommendations, which are personally researched by our Founder and Director Robert Kidd and supplied to all McKinlay Kidd clients, to navigate my way around the Irish capital and made use of taxis, buses, trams and my favourite method of transport in a new city – walking. From St. Stephen’s Green to Trinity College to Dublin Castle I managed to get a real flavour of the city, discovered some quirky off-the-beaten-track attractions and sampled amazing food and great craic in the pubs of the city.

After far too short a visit it was time to move on to the west of Ireland and the excellent service from Iarnrod Eireann (Irish Rail) really let the train take the strain as it whisked me across the country from east to west in less than three hours with great views of the countryside of the Irish Midlands. The train comes in to the heart of Galway City at Eyre Square in the heart of the Latin Quarter, a fantastic warren of narrow cobblestone streets bursting with pubs that host trad music throughout the week as well as some of the best seafood restaurants I have ever eaten at. The hotel was located just a few minutes’ walk from the station and I spent the afternoon walking the path that runs along the fast-flowing River Corrib before sampling some local oysters, which luckily go very well with a pint of Guinness!

The highlight of the trip was the crossing to Inis Mór, the largest of the Aran Islands, accessed by bus from Galway City to the ferry port an hour to the west in the Connemara region then by a 45 minute ferry crossing. The landscape of this incredible island is marked by the distinctive limestone pavements that are also found in The Burren region on the mainland as well as the remoteness of the island’s location on the very edge of Europe – we took a ride in a jeep to the very western tip of the island with nothing out ahead of us but the Atlantic Ocean all the way to Newfoundland, an amazing thought! I would recommend staying at least a couple of nights to experience the island’s amazing Irish speaking culture and rugged scenery but unfortunately my trip was only for the day. I still managed to have a browse in the Aran Sweaters shop and enjoy a pint of Guinness before taking the evening ferry back to the mainland!

The following day it was a seamless journey back to Dublin on a spacious, brand new train to connect with my short flight back home to Scotland and without realising it I had become a car-free holiday convert! So next time you travel why not consider leaving the car and travelling by public transport as the locals do – you see your destination from a whole new perspective.

By Tom @ McKinlay Kidd

Have a bit more time for your own holiday? Check out McKinlay Kidd’s Grand Tour of Ireland by Train.