​​​​​​​

MESSAGE BOARD

THE CHALLENGE COMMUNITY, ON-LINE!

FRIENDLY ASSISTANCE AND ENCOURAGEMENT AVAILABLE FOR CHALLENGERS OLD AND NEW,

FROM FRIENDLY AND ENCOURAGING CHALLENGERS, NEW AND OLD

PLEASE USE YOUR OWN NAME WHEN POSTING. THANK YOU!

Download route sheets, admin forms, event documents here

Any queries? Email the coordinators  Sue, Ali & Mick at tgochallenge@gmail.com 

The TGO Challenge Message Board
Start a New Topic 
Author
Comment
View Entire Thread
Re: Getting to Mallaig

HMP3 Weightman
Charlie, here's my suggestion, for what it's worth. No Challengers have been harmed in this itineray, oh yea . . .

Take the 08:19 Aberdeen > Inverness train, which will get you into InverBubbly at 10:31.

Trundle across to the bus station - due west - and then catch the Scottish Citylink bus service #919, leaving at 10:45.The bus station is only an eight minute walk, so no prob making the connection. Your bus is the Inverness > Ft Bill route. Get off the bus at Lochybridge (arriving 12:30). That's just before Ft Bill, and it's a cruel and unusual locale. But there is a distillery, so you may get lucky.

Hang around Lochybridge for an hour, twisting in the wind, and then take the Shiel Bus service #500 that leaves at 13:48. This will bring you into Mallaig at 15:11. An excellent time to arrive and to aquaint yrself with the myriad fleshpots.

Total journey time is about seven hours. And substantially cheaper than taxis.

Best of luck on yr Challenge, and hope to meet you in Montrose!













That is remarkably close to my backup plan actually, staying on the bus until fort bill and getting the 1248 or 1619 train to mallaig rather than the Lochybridge leg, I really dont like travelling by bus if I can help it, but £35 seems to be a decent bus phobia treatment

Re: Getting to Mallaig

Charlie,

Old MP3 is spot on the ball except for getting off at Lochybridge- stay on until Fort Bill bus station, grab a bite to eat in Morrisons or nearby and then get the 1345 hours Shiel Bus service to Mallaig- an excellent service provided by them and time to have chat to fellow Challengers before arriving at the fleshpot of Mallaig.............to do what? -kick your heels until the 0900 hours kick off in the morning.

andd, unlike train travel, no concerns about your pack security.

Colin Tock, Oyne, Insch, Aberdeenshire... retired, 63 and a quarter, Aberdeenshire Council Bus Pass holder, and user

Re: Getting to Mallaig

Colin Tock

Colin Tock, Oyne, Insch, Aberdeenshire... retired, 63 and a quarter, Aberdeenshire Council Bus Pass holder, and user

"and user"...

It was the Oxford comma wot did for him, Guv!

Re: Getting to Mallaig

Just to clarify that was the Aberdeenshire bus pass and not the Colombian best!!!!!

cj

Re: Getting to Mallaig

Hi Charlie,

Based on some of my own train research, another rather roundabout train possibility is:

Aberdeen – Dundee: £6.90
Dundee Glasgow: £6.90
Glasgow Mallaig: 15.70
TOTAL: £29.50

I know this plan takes rather a long time, due to connections at Dundee and Glasgow, but it has the advantage of avoiding buses and you will have Challenger company from at least Dundee (if you like that sort of thing).

Just a thought – look forward to seeing you in Mallaig!

Re: Getting to Mallaig

Hi Charlie

I had also hoped for the rail/skye romantic option (coming from Sutherland would have got on at Garve) but realised it wasn't going to work so now getting the bus all the way. That will be 5 buses in total. I don't mind buses (currently writing this on a bus with free wifi) and since I recently got my shiny new Highland Council "entitlement" card (aka bus pass) it's also a lot cheaper than going over the bridge to/over the sea from Skye.

And Lochybridge is no place to wait for a bus when there is the option of an all day breakfast at Morrisons plus buying what you forgot (matches last time for me).

See you there!

Vanessa

PS Anyone who takes 8 mins to walk from the train to the bus station in Inverness will struggle to complete the Challenge in 15 days. The trick is to go through the car park adjacent to platform 7.

Re: Getting to Mallaig

Sneaky shortcut that cuts out all the mincing about with hoards of other pedestrians. You can even find a friendly Challenger to guard your pack while you nip to Craigdon Mountain Sports on the corner to pick up a gas canister or perhaps a new mattress after a gear failure the previous night on a friend's lounge floor (not me or Vanessa, I might add)