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Orkney to Mansfield

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pitdiver

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At the end of November my wife and I are going up to Orkney. We are being driven up by friends of ours. However we are making our own way back. What routes can fellow forum members suggest/recommend to get us back to Mansfield using public transport. Time is not an issue neither is cost of train tickets as we have priv tickets. Will also consider staying in a Premier Inn type establishment.
 
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DarloRich

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Fly Edinburgh/Glasgow> East Midlands > Bus/taxi to Parkway > train home

OR

overnight ferry to Aberdeen > train home. My GF swears by the overnight ferry to both Orkney & Shetland. She doesn't even pay for a cabin. I would!

I have used both the Scrabster and the Pentland Ferries but I am unsure how they interact with public transport on the islands. I think I might fancy the far north line if it was 37 hauled.......................
 
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30907

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No idea about this particular ferry, but I find a 7-hour crossing (or sleeper journey) a bit short for a decent night's sleep, and it's only twice weekly in November. OTOH the weekday departures from Stromness appear to be 0630 and 1645 - so a crack of dawn departure which would get you to Inverness for tea, or an evening trip with an overnight in Thurso. The Pentland ferry at least has a midday trip....

Once you're past Inverness/Aberdeen there's the usual choice of routes - which one/s have you already done, if any?

In November remember it'll be getting dark early, too.
 

pitdiver

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Up to now we have flown Luton-Aberdeen-Kirkwall. We moved to Mansfield so the next time drove to Edinburgh then EDI-KOI.
 
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DarloRich

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i have only ever driven that way in the camper. The boss is up there fairly often for diving so has been most routes!
 

davetheguard

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The only time I've visited Orkney back in 2013, I used the train+ferry all the way; no flights required.

The return journey was Stagecoach bus from Kirkwall to Stromness; ferry to Scrabster; taxi to Thurso station; train to Inverness. We then stayed a few nights in Inverness while exploring the local area. But you could stay one night in a local hotel, before coming south on the Highland Chieftain to York. This is the sort of journey to take if you want to celebrate travel; and the travel is part of the holiday.

Fascinating views out of the train window all the way, and it really gives you a feel of how far Caithness & Orkney are from London - or even Edinburgh!
 

pitdiver

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The only time I've visited Orkney back in 2013, I used the train+ferry all the way; no flights required.

The return journey was Stagecoach bus from Kirkwall to Stromness; ferry to Scrabster; taxi to Thurso station; train to Inverness. We then stayed a few nights in Inverness while exploring the local area. But you could stay one night in a local hotel, before coming south on the Highland Chieftain to York. This is the sort of journey to take if you want to celebrate travel; and the travel is part of the holiday.

Fascinating views out of the train window all the way, and it really gives you a feel of how far Caithness & Orkney are from London - or even Edinburgh!
I like your suggestion, may well go for that. Then get the train to Retford and get picked up there. Will have to wait until LNER publishes their new timetable though.
 

ChrisC

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Three years ago I stayed for 7 nights in the Inverness Centre River Ness Premier Inn and I thought it was one of the better Premier Inns I have stayed in. It’s only a few minutes walk from the station and is just over the bridge right on the side of the river. Hotel in lovely location and well worth staying more than one night there if possible. Accommodation in Inverness can be expensive but it shouldn’t be too bad in November. You would have no problem getting a good breakfast there before getting the Highland Chieftain at 0755. I hope you manage to do the journey from Thurso down to Inverness in the light. The deserted wild flow country in Caithness is amazing and the coast is also nice south of Helmsdale.
 

pitdiver

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Three years ago I stayed for 7 nights in the Inverness Centre River Ness Premier Inn and I thought it was one of the better Premier Inns I have stayed in. It’s only a few minutes walk from the station and is just over the bridge right on the side of the river. Hotel in lovely location and well worth staying more than one night there if possible. Accommodation in Inverness can be expensive but it shouldn’t be too bad in November. You would have no problem getting a good breakfast there before getting the Highland Chieftain at 0755. I hope you manage to do the journey from Thurso down to Inverness in the light. The deserted wild flow country in Caithness is amazing and the coast is also nice south of Helmsdale.
I would also like to do the journey from Thurso to Inverness. Not quite sure of the train times from Thurso and how they fit in with the Stromness-Scrabster ferry
 
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30907

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I would also like to do the journey from Thurso to Inverness. Not quite sure of the train times from Thurso and ha=ow they fit in with the Stromness-Scrabster ferry
Not brilliantly, with a train at 1306 from Thurso - which is at least in daylight.
 

HS2isgood

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Or if you want to do it all in one go, even though that's more of a crazy suggestion, Highlander to Crewe and from there a service via Uttoxeter to Nottingham and up the Robin Hood.
 

pitdiver

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We are considering driving all the way to Scrabster. Parking our car at the port and going over in our friends' car as they get a discount being Islanders. That way, as we we don't know when we will be coming back we can do the return journey at our leisure instead of worrying about booking train tickets at an open Booking Office. But that is only a possibility.
 

30907

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That means getting the 0630? ferry I believe.
Afraid so. I don't think I would risk a taxi from the Pentland ferry, even to Georgemas - others may know better though
We are considering driving all the way to Scrabster. Parking our car at the port and going over in our friends' car as they get a discount being Islanders. That way, as we we don't know when we will be coming back we can do the return journey at our leisure instead of worrying about booking train tickets at an open Booking Office.
I thought that if the BO was shut you were allowed to buy privs on board/at destination?
 

pitdiver

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Afraid so. I don't think I would risk a taxi from the Pentland ferry, even to Georgemas - others may know better though

I thought that if the BO was shut you were allowed to buy privs on board/at destination?
You are but I wanted to get them in advance at my local staffed ticket office. I wasn't sure if a Scotrail would recognise a TfL issued PTAC. One of the member of the Booking Office team my in my local station (Worksop) had never seen one.
 

davetheguard

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That means getting the 0630? ferry I believe.

Looks like there's a 09.00 ferry from Stromness at the weekend. Still not the well-timed connection with the train that existed when I did the journey.

There's also the Thurso to Inverness Stagecoach bus, which I've also travelled on -but in the other direction- which could be an alternative option? Looks like 09.00 from Scrabster Pier Mon - Fri (other times Sat/Sun) arriving in Inverness at 12.48.
 
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Class800

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I would suggest the driving option or flying - rail links are very challenging in the north of Scotland with long connections and only a handful of services a day on some lines
 

pitdiver

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I would suggest the driving option or flying - rail links are very challenging in the north of Scotland with long connections and only a handful of services a day on some lines
Thanks for that advice. After a lot of research we came to the same conclusion. So not only are we driving up to Scrabster but taking the car over on the ferry to Stromness. Will be stopping at Pitlochry on the way up. Then on the way back a quick overnight Premier Inn in Thurso then a slow journey back to Nottinghamshire. Probably stopping somewhere roundabout Edinburgh for an overnight.
 

Class800

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Edinburgh a good place for BoJ. There's a Premier Inn at Newcraighall with parking just south of Edinburgh for e.g. although last time I was there the breakfast situation was complex, two competing offerings (PI and the pub itself) at different partly overlapping times and the pub's much cheaper!
 

pitdiver

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Edinburgh a good place for BoJ. There's a Premier Inn at Newcraighall with parking just south of Edinburgh for e.g. although last time I was there the breakfast situation was complex, two competing offerings (PI and the pub itself) at different partly overlapping times and the pub's much cheaper!
It seem that you have had experience of driving up the A9. I have just watched a video of the journey between Inverness and Thurso.
Is the road normally "That busy?"
 

pitdiver

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Only been on A9 on a coach, but it can be quite busy - 40mph in reality for a long period of time.
My use of the term "Quite Busy" was somewhat tongue in cheek. In the vide there seems to be hardly any traffic but I don't know what time the video was done. There was hardly any traffic on the road.
This is Part I of the video

Part 2 this is where it seems very quiet
 
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Meole

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The A9 north of Perth is being dualled hence 40mph restriction, however traffic flows as there are no competing intersections, the last 30 to Inverness is already dual of course.
 

Class800

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Depends on time of day. It was actually quite busy on the coach journey I made, but was morning (counter?) peak - and we dropped 20 minutes but still just made the JOG ferry
 

92002

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Afraid so. I don't think I would risk a taxi from the Pentland ferry, even to Georgemas - others may know better though

I thought that if the BO was shut you were allowed to buy privs on board/at destination?
There's always www.Scotrail. Co.Uk. Who probably would sell the East Coast journey too.
 

92002

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Staff privilege tickets aren't available online.
That's very true, but I don't remember you mentioned it. You need to buy these at a manned ticket office or on a train from the conductor. Although going that distance you would probably not be buying a ticket in any case.
 

XAM2175

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That's very true, but I don't remember you mentioned it. You need to buy these at a manned ticket office or on a train from the conductor. Although going that distance you would probably not be buying a ticket in any case.

1) I'm not the person planning travel.
2) The post you replied to literally says "I thought that if the BO was shut you were allowed to buy privs on board/at destination?"
 
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