Great Western Coffee Shop

Before lockdown, we originally pencilled in a summer trip to Scotland, contemplating a day or two in Glasgow to see its sights, and on by train to Oban, to pick up a car and see the area, taking in a trip on the West Highland line.
As lockdown eased, we really felt the need to get away, but the continuing restrictions and the need to see my elderly mother in law in North Yorkshire meant the final plans were somewhat different. We ended up booking a hotel in Oban, driving up and down breaking the journey each way in Yorkshire. We did though get our West Highland line trip.

We selected the end of August as Scottish schools would be back by then. However Oban was busy with tourists, including many English. Both the hotel staff and railway staff commented on how busy it had been since the easing of restrictions. There were still some hotels closed, and one of the features of a Scottish summer – coachloads of tourists, were missing, and we passed a compound full of furloughed Glens and Lochs coaches near Dumbarton.

We bought our return tickets to Mallaig, £27-60 each with senior railcards the day before we travelled, and joined a socially distanced queue waiting to be let through the barrier (a chain link gate!) at Oban for the 8-57 for Crianlarich, changing for Mallaig. Our trains throughout were nicely renovated class 156s, refitted with seats that looked remarkably like those on GWR’s Electrostars. Yes, they were firm, but were comfortable throughout the long journeys (and only 4 seats across throughout!). At Crianlarich, a 6 car train comprising three of these arrived, the front set detaching and forming the onward Oban train, the rear two sets/4 cars being for Mallaig. We then sat back and enjoyed the journey. Despite some rain the cloud base was not that low, although the top of Ben Nevis was partly hidden when we went in to, and out of, Fort William.

On arrival at Mallaig, the opposite platform was occupied by a West Coast Jacobite train. A number of us went back up the platform hoping for a picture of the Balck Five at the front, but with the length of the train and curve away to the east it was not visible for photography.

Wet Mallaig was peak season packed. Eateries were turning customers for lunch away who did not want to sit under an umbrella outside to eat – we were lucky to get a place under a covered veranda to enjoy  a leisurely seafood lunch and accompanying drink that filled most of the two and a half hours before it was time to take the return train to Crianlarich, and we stocked up with food to eat during what was meant to be a 50 minute wait there for our train to Oban.

All ran well and to time until there was a scarcely audible announcement just before Tyndrum Upper that due to adverse weather at Arrochar, the line was closed there and the train would terminate at Crianlarich. We were assured that there would be a train for Oban even though our intended last leg train was one that originated at Glasgow Queen Street. Someone at Scotrail had taken the eminently sensible decision to use the train we were on for the reinstated Crianlarich to Oban leg of the journey. We did however end up leaving Crianlarich over an hour late. The train was held to enable the Glasgow bound passengers to keep dry while waiting for coaches to come to collect them, and the train crew also waited to hear if they had to wait for Oban bound passengers being bussed from Glasgow, but I fact they had been taken directly, so eventually we left – and were the only two passengers on a four car train all the way to Oban.

When we booked the staff member selling the ticket had difficulty getting reserved seats on the first outward leg, as there had been a system designed to limit numbers on each train. On the legs where we were meant to have reserved seats the seat numbering on the tickets was incomprehensible – a four figure number, not a coach number or letter and seat number. It did not matter as there was enough space for reasonable distancing. I counted about 100 off the train at Fort William from what was the front coach out of Mallaig where we sat, and it took five coaches (each limited to 20 passengers) to convey those for Glasgow onward from Crianlarich. The Fort William to Mallaig leg seemed busiest, with a number of family parties, and on the way out, music played and there was an announcement as we approached the Glenfinnan Viaduct alerting passengers to the fact that we would soon be passing over it. After Fort William there were rather more outdoors types with rucksacks and walking poles, but there was still a good mix of customers. Face mask usage was generally observed, but least well by the family parties between Mallaig and Fort William.

The Scotrail staff generally coped well with the problems on the way back. There was a scarcity of announcements, but our guard explained that the tannoy on class 156s did not work well when two or more units were coupled together. Our cheerful and helpful guard on the last leg handed us a card with details as to how we could claim our fare back under “Delay Repay”.

Conclusions? It is possible to have a day out by train now, and over the next year or so while overseas travel is so uncertain it might be a good time to explore some of our scenic routes. Oh – and I would swap the Turbos (and possibly the 769s?) on the North Downs line for a couple of 156s anytime! 
     
I might try to add some pictures later!