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Fort William, Scotland CNN —
Tuesday night Club Car is a big hit on the Caledonian Sleeper, which runs from London to Scotland six days a week.
Passengers dine on Scottish cuisine including haggis, neps and tatties, before sampling malt whiskies and Edinburgh gin while making new friends in the swivel seats and cosy booths smartly decorated in burnt orange and teal.
We leave the crowded hustle and bustle of London Euston station at 8pm and arrive in just over 12 hours in Fort William, nicknamed the “outdoor capital of the UK” and home to the UK's highest mountains, including Ben Nevis, at 4,413 feet.
The 500-mile journey from south to north of England is nicknamed the “Deerstalker”. The Caledonian Sleeper's logo is a white deer. The train is considered the most scenic of the five routes, covering both Scottish cities and the remote Highlands.
The train underwent a $200 million refurbishment in 2019 and continues a 150-year tradition of sleeper train service between London and Scotland.
It is one of only two sleeper train services in the UK, the other being the Night Riviera Sleeper, which runs west from London Paddington to the Cornish seaside town of Penzance.
This is a luxury train, and the prices match: fares vary, but if you want to gamble on a seating carriage with plush first-class ambience and adjustable lighting, headrests, seat pads and footrests, you can usually buy tickets in advance for around £55 ($72) one way.
That's about £20 more than you'd pay for a one-hour return flight to Scotland's capital, Edinburgh, making the Caledonian Sleeper the more attractive, luxurious and environmentally sustainable option, but it's also the slowest and most expensive.
The most luxurious option, a double-bathroom room with a decent bed, breakfast delivered to your room, and access to the station lounge, typically costs around $325 per person one way, but they often sell out well in advance.
So, is it worth it? Simon Butterworth, who is touring the Outer Hebrides with his partner Elizabeth Coppard, says that “although it may seem silly”, it is an economical choice if you're moving from countryside to countryside.
Factoring in airport transfers, taxis, rental cars, parking, and lodging costs, a Classic Room (with bunk beds, sink, and shared bathroom) is a smart and convenient choice for about $166 per person.
He estimated this was his fourth time in the sleeper car, and several passengers in the 30-seat Club Car, reserved only for sleeper passengers, are repeat customers.
Train buff Will Swain travels by train at least once a year and was planning to propose to his girlfriend Chloe Beckett on this trip, but as Beckett happily recounts their romance, she explains, “He spilled the beans a little early” and the couple are celebrating their engagement tonight.
Leaving the club car behind and moving to the club ensuite, a private room with bunk beds and a toilet/shower room, it's undeniably cramped.
Even for one person, there's barely any space to turn around, and if you're traveling with two people, you'll have to use the toilet/shower room as a changing room as well.
You can store your luggage under the bunk beds, but it might require a bit of suitcase Jenga-esque maneuvering to get your belongings in there.
But the room's design is cosy and welcoming, with warm Replin by Hainsworth fabrics inspired by traditional tweeds, and plenty of smart touches, from a full-length mirror on the back of the door to an array of plugs and USB sockets.
You'll also enjoy a very good night's rest thanks to the immaculately clean and incredibly comfortable mattresses.
Falling asleep is a surprisingly soothing experience, as the engine and wheels rock passengers in their carriages and play a rhythmic lullaby, interrupted every now and then by a clanging metal sound.
I wake at 7am and look out the rain-drenched window at dense clumps of Scots pine, hills rising from the shimmering mist and the faint sparkle of the lake water.
Although we weren't blessed with good weather during our trip in September, the Scottish Highlands are uniquely beautiful, rain or shine.
The rain has stopped, three deer can be seen darting across the heather, and brown water gushes from the peaty stream.
The cost of the trip may be comparable to a five-star hotel, but waking up to the Highlands landscape is a six-star experience and totally unique.
The shower, fitted out with Alan toiletries, functions as an enclosed wetroom and is powerful, invigorating and surprisingly spacious.
A complimentary breakfast is included in the en suite rooms, and options include Scottish specialities such as Lorne sausages (similar to a regular sausage but square!) as well as a traditional cooked breakfast.
Back on land, the food is heartier and tastier, but it's served cheerfully by friendly staff dressed in luxurious Harris tweed vests and tartan ties designed by Glasgow fashion house ten30, and, of course, the sweeping views of the rolling Highlands outside the large windows make it all taste just a little sweeter.
We disembarked at Fort William and enjoyed coffee and snacks in the Caledonian Sleeper Lounge, chatting to the train driver, John Hinde, who was enjoying his break.
He has been a driver on the line since 1979 and says he has never had to take time off due to illness. His father also worked for the railway as a signalman and moved to Fort William in the 1960s.
“It's always changing and every day is different,” he says, and his favourite part of the route is “around Loch Long between Gareloch Head and Arrochar, which is probably one of the most stunning parts of the route. I think a lot of people prefer the wilderness of Rannoch Moor, but for me it's the lake and the mountains.”
When the weather is good, “it's fantastic,” he said. “I've been doing this for 44 years, and some mornings just take your breath away.”
