Aberdeen and Newcastle, eventually

 18 July

 

Just two trains today, both 1st class with food (a forlorn hope).

I also hope it's not too hot in Newcastle because someone I met a few days ago recommended the bar in the station which has just been refurbished to its original splendour.

The day began with the news that virtually no trains at all will be running tomorrow south of York because of the record temperatures forecast for the next two days. This could be serious trouble for this UK Tour.

I'm reasonably confident about today, after all north Scotland hasn't seen 40degC for over 10000 years. It's tomorrow's Newcastle to Doncaster leg that worries me. I'll investigate tonight or tomorrow morning when they've scheduled whatever is running.

 Over an hour to wait for the Aberdeen train. I have seat reserved

 When the platform was announced there was a mad scramble for the three open gates. I'm the only 1st class passenger, the rest is standing room only

 Our friends James and Catherine used to live in this converted schoolhouse (centre of pic) .

 Building Inverness Airport station

 Close to airport

 Nairn. A lovely seaside town. Frances ' friends Garry and Mairi both live here.

 River Soey

 My namesake station only has one platform so this is the best I can do.

 Dunnideer Castle,  remains of,  near Insch

 River Dee near Inverurie

 Kintore, not only two platforms but a passenger lift!

 River Don

 Dyce, very busy airport. Three planes in air near here , one military, plus 4 helicopters,  probably to and from oilfields

 Aberdeen station

 Travel Centre closed for refurbishment so no help with my rescheduling.

 I am on the 1452 to Newcastle but tomorrow is a lottery

 On wrong side of train for the sea

 This is my free snack. Hot meal after Edinburgh

 River North Esk

 Montrose Basin. The largest seawater basin in UK. This is where Frances grew up. On the right hand shore is SleepyHillock

 Arbroath

 All along the coast, Aberdeen to Dundee, there are golf courses.

 This road didn't exist when we were students here

 approaching the Tay Rail Bridge, about 3km long

 The Tay road bridge, about 2km long

 Wormit, across from Dundee   used to be destination of the ferry before the road bridge was built. Hugh Pincott, a fellow student, was on the very last ferry and was also the first person ever to drive across the bridge

 The two Forth road bridges from the rail bridge

 Now on the most famous rail bridge in the world  , probably

 Edinburgh Airport has major railway line at one end of the runway and a motorway at the other!

 There's some chaos here at Edinburgh. I moved to a single seat and several people are now standing in the aisle. 

Overhead line problems between Edinburgh and Morpeth. Trains advancing one at a time - and it's rush hour so lots of trains in backlog

17:30: DISASTER! All southbound trains from Edinburgh cancelled. 

19:45: Found nice seat in front of the main departure boards so I can see every station they're stopping at. The Euston train was no good

There's a Leeds train at 2100 expected 2145. I think it's diesel so might continue to Newcastle

20:05: Using my phone app I am booked on the 2100 to Leeds arr. Newcastle 2319.

  My only concern now is that all this evening's trains have platforms except Leeds

 Here I am on platform 2 for the 2100 expected 2209

 The 21:00 arrives at 22:10

 At last

 Tonight's dinner

The Leeds train departed over 70 minutes late. On the way to Almouth it lost another 4 minutes but through the section where the power lines had been down it crawled along at walking pace and lost a further 24 minutes, eventually arriving Newcastle 101 minutes late.

Room 444 is on the top floor of the Royal Station hotel: 4 floors in the lift then 3 flights of stairs! Why call it room 444 when it's on the 5th floor? Went straight to bed at 1:10am.

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