Inverness area - 19th/20th Sep - what to do, eat, drink etc

[Chapeltom]

Hi all

I've got two very good advance tickets with my 16-25 railcard booked, £27.10 I've paid in the end. On the way up I'm going from Manchester Picc to Glasgow Central, walk to Queen St then Inverness, arrive 1821. The way back booked on the 1050 from Inverness on the Sunday morning (21st), change at Haymarket and back home via Manchester Picc.

Is the Highland Mainline scenic and what stock is used? Plug sockets is all I'm after knowing about really!

Any recommendations where to eat/drink in Inverness or in any other town in that area, I'm flexible

I am planning to visit Elgin City v Montrose on the Saturday, so any advise on eating/drinking there is recommended. Anything in Inverness that goes by the way of tourist attractions?

Finally, I could actually head to Wick instead of Elgin. I know I'd have to get train there, bus back. Is there a cheap way of doing this, i.e. under 25 pound or so? It looks as if I'd have to pay 19 pounds on the bus from Wick to Inverness alone!

Ta

 

[Kite159]

IIRC Glasgow/Inverness will either be a 158 or 170, so the only plug sockets available will be in first class. It's quite scenic that part of the country.

So arrival into the Ness at around 18:21 on the Friday, departing at 10:50 on the Sunday?

 

[Chapeltom]

Yeah that's spot on. By the time I came to book the tickets, the cheapest advances had gone on a train around 3pm ish leaving Inverness on the Sunday.

 

[Drsatan]

With regards to places to eat/drink, there's a McDonalds on the high street, and quite a few restaurants, including a Pizza Express in the Eastgate shopping centre next to the station. There's also a Wetherspoons called the King's Highway on Church street.

If you're staying on the other side of the river Ness, there's a good pub next door to the Tesco Metro on Young Street, the name of which I've forgotten. I went there last month and it serves traditional pub grub.

As for tourist attractions, St Andrew's cathedral is worth a look round.

 

[Searle]

Hootananny is a really nice and relaxed pub, with some open mic nights on as well, which is on church street, a street down from the station.

Up a side street near hootananny is an Indian called Rajah, supposedly the nicest curry in Inverness by some locals, we had to wait for about 15-20 minutes for a table (for 2), but orders were taken and food was served swiftly and was very nice too. Hope you have a nice journey!

Oh and the journey up the highland is lovely. Very stunning!

 

[Kite159]

There be a nice Italian restaurant as well

Shame you have that football match on the Saturday as you could have done the Far North for £12.40 each way, although it would take pretty much the entire day (leaving on the 10:37 arriving at Wick for 14:52 before a return at 16:00 for 20:10), although it is only 90p extra for an Anytime return. Those 158s have a first class section which you can sit in and use the power-sockets

 

[PHILIPE]

There is a Wetherspoon in Elgin called "The Muckle Cross".

 

[Chapeltom]

There be a nice Italian restaurant as well

Shame you have that football match on the Saturday as you could have done the Far North for £12.40 each way, although it would take pretty much the entire day (leaving on the 10:37 arriving at Wick for 14:52 before a return at 16:00 for 20:10), although it is only 90p extra for an Anytime return. Those 158s have a first class section which you can sit in and use the power-sockets

Yeah my hobby is watching football, and I've not done many in Scotland. Kilmarnock and Stranraer, the only two. I thought I'd get a lengthy trip done early in the season.

I can always leave the Far North for another time, was hoping I'd get a cheap train ticket there and cheap bus ticket back, apparently the coach journey to Wick is actually quite nice.


Is it worth doing Inverness to Aberdeen line in full? I doubt I'll ever fully do it. Can't see myself ever ticking off the Highland League grounds

 

[Greenback]

I found the Aberdeen to inverness line quite interesting. I did a loop up the east coast to Aberdeen and then across to Inverness before going down the Highland Main Line back to Edinburgh. That was a good few years ago now, though!

There are some great places to eat in Inverness. The Filling Station used to be good, massive portions but I'm not so keen on their menu now. The greasy spoon by the bus station gave me good fish and chips and an excellent breakfast too. Another favourite of mine is the Blackfriars pub down Academy Street. An excellent pint, occasional live music and tasty pub grub.

 

[gord]

Albert Roux has a resturant in Inverness. We decided to treat ourselves when we went up on the Sleeper last October. the food was out of this world and very very expensive. Won't be doing that on every visit! As for more reasonable priced places to eat...there are many if you don't fancy splashing out.

We hired a car while we were there (bargin berth on sleeper, hire car while there and cheap advances home made it work out cheaper than driving up!) and drove out to Skye. The most amazing fish and chips in Portree! The most amazing hail and rain storms too though! However, it's quite a way out there and difficult without a car. A bit closer to Inverness we went to Chanonry point. Was the perfect place to blow away the cobwebs after a night on the sleeper and you can get amazingly close to dolphins.

Beautiful city though and a wonderful part of the world. And going by train really is the best way to get there! Have a good time!