Sleep your way to the golf course from central London
Travel to Scotland for golf on the overnight Caledonian Sleeper service. A perfect way to arrive for a short golf break at the home of golf.
Why not avoid both flying and driving if visiting Scotland for a short golf break from the south of England. Make the journey more relaxing by sleeping your way north on the Caledonian Sleeper overnight train.
The Sleeper is known for serving Scotland's major cities - Inverness, Aberdeen, Glasgow and Edinburgh – but these are just the end of the routes. There are a whole host of stops that bring you close to historic, challenging links as well as picturesque inland golf courses. Ok, so you may have to get up fairly early, but even with that proviso, travelling in bed, in your private berth, has to be a pretty relaxing way to get to the course.
With the recent refurbishment of the sleeper service rolling stock there are Club Rooms with private facilities, including showers, and even double beds. And you don't share with strangers any more if travelling alone.
Carnoustie, Dundee, Gleneagles, Leuchars (for St Andrews), Montrose, Perth and Pitlochry are just some of the many stations that are stops on the overnight service.
Below are a few of the options you might not have thought of to stop at, the arrival time from London and nearby courses that mean a car isn't necessary if you stay close to the station – perhaps just a couple of short taxi rides is all you'll need. These suggestions would make for an ideal short golfing break in Scotland, with no designated driver required after visiting the 19th hole.
| Station | Arrival Time | Nearby courses |
| Aviemore | 07:39 | Spey Valley, Boat of Garten, Carrbridge |
| Carnoustie | 06:22 | Carnoustie Championship, Burnside and Buddon. Connect by train to Panmure and Monifieth |
| Dundee | 06:05 | See our blog post on golfing in the Dundee area |
| Gleneagles | 05:24 | Gleneagles Kings, Gleneagles Queens, Gleneagles PGA Centenary, Auchterarder |
| Leuchars (for St Andrews) | 05:44 | 20 suggestions of courses to play from a St Andrews base |
| Montrose | 06:48 | Montrose 1562, Montrose Broomfield, Edzell Old Course |
| Perth | 05:40 | King James VI, North Inch, Muthill, Murrayshall |
| Pitlochry | 06:15 | Pitlochry. Connect by train to Blair Atholl and Dunkeld & Birnam |
An important consideration is that room space on the Sleeper is tight so clubs are going to get a bit in the way. There is limited secure space for oversize luggage in the seated coach, so if you have to keep your clubs with you you may have to do some careful shoogling around them, particularly if two are sharing a room.
But on the plus side, wake up with a shower and a bacon roll and coffee brought directly to your room, before disembarking and heading to a nearby course, having been transported from the centre of London the night before without having been near an airport or a motorway. And you get to play golf at the best time of the day!
Full booking details for the sleeper service are at www.sleeper.scot
Further information:
Published: 27 April 2022