Caledonian Sleeper

The Sleeper at Euston Station in London

The Caledonian Sleeper is one of two sleeper services which run in the UK. I had been wanting to try out the sleeper train for a long time, so when I finally did, I wasn't disappointed. 

Our journey started at Euston Station where we were met by a member of staff who showed us to our cabin. The cabin is quite small with a top and lower bunk, complimentary water, a wash basin, a mirror, some coat hooks and storage space to place your bags. Toilets are at the end of the carriage. 

As we were travelling in December the weather was pretty cold but thankfully the cabin was warm. After settling down, we made our way to the bar. The bar itself was pretty expensive so I would strongly suggest bringing your own drinks.

After an hour or so we made our way back to the cabin to sleep. The journey is pretty smooth but I found it hard to sleep so it took a while to nod off. 

The First Class Cabin

Once we hit Pitlochry we were told the train couldn't travel any further due to the bad weather so we had to take a coach for the remainder of the journey to Inverness. But before we did we were served with complimentary coffee, courtesy of Starbucks and some shortbread. After a stormy ride through the Highlands we finally made it to Inverness, and only an hour later than scheduled.

Overall I would thoroughly recommend the sleeper service. And do it as soon as possible because from March 2015 the franchise will be run by Serco, who replace ScotRail and will run new trains - part of the beauty of the current sleeper is the 1970s retro feel to it.

You can book tickets for the Sleeper on the ScotRail website. Bargain Berthas start at £39.00.