Aberdeen station is surprisingly well lit for a UK station, at least in photos – All the white everything probably contributes, but I don’t remember other stations being this bright.
I may have travelled this way once before, when Gulo T. & I took the Sleeper to Inverness, but it was night & we were in the seated area, for reasons of cheapness. Honestly, if you have the money, don’t do that; It’s a shitty night’s non-sleep & a shitty next day.
Inverness hasn’t changed much. There’s a cafe I remember that’s no longer there, though I can’t even find the place it used to be, which makes me wonder whether my memory is playing tricks.
It started raining on my way to my accommodation (Bazpackers Backpackers), so I had to stand and drip in the entryway for a bit before going further.
It’s another kind of cozy backpackers; I chose it based on good reviews, high ratings, and the fact that the beds have curtains, because I’ve become a real fan of those things. They’re such a simple improvement to make to a dorm situation that I’m surprised more places don’t have them – Gives you some insulation from the rest of the room, some privacy, and means that people can turn the lights on without disturbing absolutely everyone.
Bazpackers is not large. The six bed dorm is a decent size, the common area could best be described as ‘cozy’, the kitchen is a pretty standard small UK kitchen, and if you want to close or open the door to the toilet cubicle you need to be standing beside the toilet or there’s not enough room. That said, it’s all well maintained & put together, just small.
I had a day to wander around in Inverness, so that’s what I did. At times the weather was very overcast, at others it was clear enough that I could see the snow on the hills further North. Mostly I was glad not to be rained on.
Most of the inhabitants of the hostel seem to be hikers, so there’s a lot of churn in the place. I’ve determined that my current cold weather gear is suitable for England, workable for Edinburgh & Aberdeen, but is hitting its limits here in Inverness; It’d be fine for urban places further North, but is absolutely not up to hiking or extended outdoor trips. That’s fine; I didn’t have any big plans to do that, and it simplifies some options to be able to say “Nope, bad idea”.
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