Train Travel

A Scottish sleeper that goes to the land of nod

Would you believe that the best way to see Sutherland is from a train stuck at a station?

It was the kind of thing we did back then,: travelling by rail and waking up in a railway carriage and experiencing the uncertainty of where we were. Is it Cologne or Innsbruck? No, you are not on Eurostar.These days, students are more likely to opt for a job at an international bank than slum it around on train travel around Europe, but they are missing out on the joys of saving on the hotel expenses by sleeping on the move.Make sure your train ticket covers your sleeping accomodation. ]l

A little of that sense of freedom can be captured in the relative calm and tranqulity of the Sutherland countryside. Rogart station, on the way to Scotland’s northern end of the line, was never one of Europe’s busiest train junctions. In fact, as a sleepy little halt that it was the obvious place to convert into a place to rest bed down for the night.

The "Sleeperzzz" is a hostel with a seductive difference in that rail carriages have been converted into sleeping quarters, with room for 22 "passengers" in separate compartments.

In terms of creature comforts it’s obviously falls way short of the train travel on the Orient Express or even the Trans Siberian rail journey, but it’s the perfect stopover en route to the north coast and Orkney, with a visitor book that praises it in several languages the idea. You may find children who are railway enthusiasts, are difficult to drag away when it’s time to move on, especially when they find the kitchen area is at their disposal to cook their own meals.

A few hundred yards away, in the village of Rogart , the Pittentrail Inn provides basic fare for those in the vicinity who want to dine out in a more traditional manner. A grocery store in the village provides al that is necessary to make up picnic lunches for when you want to explore the hills and coastline.

The three trains that travel in either direction from Rogart each day are unlikely to disturb your rest at Sleeperzzz. Bicycles are available on free loan to guests which affords the opportunity of exploring the local countryside. Or you could carefully scrutinise the rail timetables to explore the immediate area. Rogart is a request stop, so you have to wave down the train as it trundles by at five miles an hour. Don’t try Agutter’s trick in The Railway Children and wave your underwear, or you could end up infamous in these parts for decades to come.

The peace and quiet of these parts, are partly to do with east Sutherland’s neglect by tourists They pass through quickly in their desire to reach John O’Groats. If there are no outstanding attractions to detain the impatient here, then there is considerable charm to be had from walking in the open air untroubled by traffic or hiking crowds.

Take a refreshing walk along the leafy coastal path to the sizeable village of Golspie, with views out to the Moray Firth. Golspie has a charm of its own, with most of its social life seeming to focus around the charity shop. Adequate-to-excellent pub grub is on offer at the Sutherland Arms or the Ben Bhraggie Hotel, each offering "home cooking". Vegetarians might even find dishes more adventurous than the orthodox "broccoli pasta bake" that is the standard meat-free offering in most kitchens north of Perth.

The walks around Golspie give up many opportunities for spotting birdlife. Just south of the village, the national nature reserve around Loch Fleet enjoys visits from seals and wildfowl, and ospreys in the summer. Less than an hour’s round trip from the main road, pne of the most attractive routes takes you up the gorge of the Big Burn to a hidden waterfall,.

Inland, the striking monument at the top of Ben Bhraggie commemorates the Highland Clearances, There is a tangible atmosphere of a region that has had part of its identity permanently removed. Also you cannot help noticing that in the hotels, bars and restaurants, the proprietors’ accents are invariably English.

To broaden your knowledge of the area’s history, it is rewarding to make a little circuit of Clearance mementoes in the area, taking in the Badbea Clearance Village just north of Helmsdale, with a hiking trail around a cleared settlement; and the Croick kirk near Ardgay, where evicted Highlanders scratched messages into the window panes.

It might be another country now, but it is one that is worth alighting from the train to discover.

Details: FirstScotrail (www.firstscotrail.com, 08457 550033) has SuperSaver returns from Edinburgh or Glasgow to Rogart for £53.90.

Sleeperzzz (www.sleeperzzz.com, e-mail , 01408 641343) has beds in restored railway carriages from £11 per person per night.

There is a 10% discount for rail users and cyclists, 25% discount for children.