Caledonian Sleeper raises £6090 for Give A Dog A Bone

Caledonian Sleeper has provided a significant contribution to the Scottish loneliness charity Give a Dog a Bone. Through generous donations, £6,090 has successfully been raised to support the charity’s ongoing work.

Managing Director Caledonian Sleeper and Louise Russell – Founder, Trustee and Chief Executive of Give a Dog a Bone with Cooper with two digs at Glasgow Central

The donations allowed Give a Dog a Bone to hold two separate raffle competitions, each contributing to the impressive total raised. One raffle featured a bottle of limited-edition single cask single malt whisky, a creation in collaboration with Annandale Distillery to commemorate Caledonian Sleeper’s 150th anniversary. The second raffle offered a pair of return tickets on board the iconic Caledonian Sleeper train.

Managing Director Caledonian Sleeper and Louise Russell – Founder, Trustee and Chief Executive of Give a Dog a Bone with Cooper with two digs at Glasgow Central

The funds raised will be channelled into Give a Dog a Bone’s community space project, which allows older adults to socialise in a safe space, learn new skills, and alleviate loneliness through animal companionship. The charity currently provides community spaces in Shawlands, Troon and Alloa where adults over 60 are welcomed each day to relax and enjoy the company of dogs, staff and volunteers. Many of the individuals who engage with the charity live alone and the community spaces therefore provide much needed social interaction and companionship to help tackle the adverse effects of loneliness.

Kathryn Darbandi, Managing Director for Caledonian Sleeper, commented: “Caledonian Sleeper is proud to have supported Give a Dog a Bone for the past four years. It’s heartening to see the positive impact our contributions have on the charity’s vital work in alleviating loneliness.”

Louise Russell, Founder and Chief Executive at Give a Dog a Bone, said: “We are incredibly grateful to have the continued support of Caledonian Sleeper. Donations such as this allow us to continue welcoming people into our community spaces each day, as well as caring for our companion dogs who provide happiness to the lives of so many people.”

Millburn Academy students visit Parliament

A group of high school students from Millburn Academy in Inverness took the Caledonian Sleeper service to London during a Politics field trip to visit the Houses of Parliament.

Drew Hendry MP, their local representative for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey, met them off the train ahead of a guided tour of Parliament

Millburn Academy has opted to reduce their carbon footprint by travelling with Caledonian Sleeper as part of their desire to embrace greener travel options.

Millburn Academy students standing next to Caledonian Sleeper at Euston

Jason McClurg, Teacher of Modern Studies, Politics and History at Millburn Academy, said: “We were thrilled to have the opportunity to make this memorable journey from Inverness to London with Caledonian Sleeper, and for some of the pupils, it was their first time travelling on Caledonian Sleeper.

“They work extremely hard in class, and they were excellent ambassadors for our school and our area whilst on this trip. I am very proud of each of them.

“The service provides a direct link from the Scottish Highlands to our UK capital, and being able to hop on the train at Inverness is not only convenient but also a much greener option than flying.”

Drew Hendry MP added: “It was great to welcome students and staff from Millburn Academy to Parliament this week, as part of their ongoing studies into democracy.

“How fantastic is it that they were able to use the Sleeper to travel down!

“Young people are leading the way when it comes to climate change and making environmentally friendly decisions, and I am sure this played a big part in the organisation of their trip.

“The Caledonian Sleeper truly is a fantastic service, offering accessibility to and from the Highlands creating a welcome travel link with London.”

Steven Marshall, Head of Sales & Marketing for Caledonian Sleeper, added: ” We were so pleased to hear that Millburn Academy chose Caledonian Sleeper as their mode of transport. We hope more schools will be inspired by their approach and I hope the pupils enjoyed their journey and have a fantastic time in London.”

Win a return journey onboard the Caledonian Sleeper with Give a Dog a Bone

We are delighted to be supporting Give a Dog a Bone, one of our official charity partners once again, giving one lucky person the chance to win a return journey for two in a Club en-suite room onboard the Caledonian Sleeper.

Give a dog a bone logo

Give a Dog a Bone is one of Caledonian Sleeper’s official charity partners and do great work tackling loneliness and animal rehoming by supporting the over 60s to afford a rescue pet companion. As part of its fundraising activities the charity will raffle the return journey onboard the Caledonian Sleeper with tickets available for sale for £10 each on their website from 1st November until the 12th November.

Club Room

Buy your raffle ticket here.

To find out more about how you can purchase your ticket and be in with a chance of winning this amazing prize, visit the Give a Dog a Bone website.

The lucky winner will be drawn on Thursday 16th November 2023. Good Luck!

5 Scottish Autumn Walks

Autumn is a time of year when Scotland is at its most beautiful. The constantly changing colours make the scenery come alive with all shades of oranges, reds and browns. We love the autumn colours and we have picked out 5 easily accessible short walks along our route that allow our guests to enjoy the autumnal landscape.

The Hermitage, Dunkeld

Bridge at Hermitage, Dunkeld

Created for John Murray, the Third Duke of Atholl, as a pleasure ground in the 18th Century, The Hermitage sits on the banks of the River Braan in Craigvinean Forest. The site is home to Giant Douglas firs – some of the tallest in the UK – which tower up to 200ft (61m) in height.

Take the path to the Black Linn Waterfall, where the River Braan crashes into pools below. Ossian’s Hall of Mirrors is also located nearby, built in 1757 and restored in 2007, designed as a focal point in the designed landscape.

The area is populated with Red Squirrels who can be seen in the treetops. Salmon can be seen jumping up the river in autumn as they return to their spawning grounds.

Pollok Country Park, Glasgow

Highland Cow in Pollok Country Park

The largest of Glasgow’s parks, Pollok Country Park sprawls over 146 acres. Home to the Burrell Collection and Pollok Country House (Closed for refurbishment from 20th November 2023 for 2 years) the park won Best Park in the UK in 2007 and Europe’s Best Park in 2008.

The park is home to a herd of around 50 Highland Cattle, who have lived on the site for over 180 years. The park is cyclist friendly and offers three mountain biking courses, opened in 2004 for varying levels of ability.

Water of Leith Walkway, Edinburgh

Antony Gormley sculpture at Water of Leith Walk

If you’re looking for a stroll that takes you away from the hustle and bustle of the city in Edinburgh, the Water of Leith Walkway is perfect. The river flows for 24 miles from the Pentland Hills down to its outflow into the Firth of Forth at Leith in the east of the city.

The Water of Leith Walkway snakes for 13 miles from Balerno passing Murrayfield Stadium, Saughton Gardens, The Scottish Gallery of Modern Art and Dean Village. On the walk you can spot a series of Anthony Gormley sculptures and wildlife including otters, kingfishers, roe deer and squirrels.

Tarbet to Inverbeg, Loch Lomond

Island in Loch Lomond in autumn

Loch Lomond is world famous for its natural beauty and this short walk along the bonnie banks gives you a great opportunity to see the loch in all its autumnal glory. Starting at Tarbet (served by the Arrochar and Tarbet station) this short walk starts at Tarbet pier and follows the pavement along the A82.

The walk then shifts onto a disused road, past pebbled beaches past Firkin Point and on towards the Inverbeg Caravan site. This short, easy walk is a great way to see loch Lomond. You can return to Arrochar and Tarbet station or jump on a bus at Inverbeg.

Ness Islands, Inverness

Ness Islands in River Ness, Inverness

Situated just a ten minute walk south of Inverness city centre, Ness Islands are a natural group of islands nestled in the River Ness. The islands are accessible via Victorian footbridges. Despite the proximity to the city centre, Ness Islands feel like you are out in the wilderness.

The islands have multiple carved benches to sit and relax, a viewpoint to the south and a sculpture of Nessie. The islands are a great place to see birds, otters, bats and occasionally deer. The perfect tranquil sanctuary to relax near the heart of Inverness.

 

Win a trip to the Silver City with Visit Aberdeenshire

We are delighted to be working in partnership with Visit Aberdeenshire to give one lucky winner and their plus one the chance to experience a unique way to travel with a trip aboard the iconic Caledonian Sleeper.

Visit Aberdeenshire logo

Prize winners will enjoy a return trip to Aberdeen in a Club En-Suite with Guest Lounge access pre and post departure, priority club car access, and breakfast of your choice.

Marischal College Aberdeen

The prize includes:

  • A return journey for two from London to Aberdeen in a Club room with En-suite, breakfast included and priority club car access.
  • A two-night stay for two at The Chester Hotel, Aberdeen including breakfast.
  • A £100 voucher for Amuse by Kevin Dalgleish

Aberdeen cityscape

To be in with a chance of winning this fantastic prize, participants must submit their entry on Visit Aberdeenshire’s website by 11.59pm GMT on Sunday 19th November 2023 and the winner will be contacted by 5pm GMT on 26 November 2023.

Aerial view of Aberdeen

Steven Marshall, Caledonian Sleeper’s Head of Sales & Marketing, said “We are delighted to be working in Partnership with Visit Aberdeenshire to promote the delights of the Silver City and the surrounding Aberdeenshire area. With over 260 castles, stately homes and ruins, Aberdeenshire is known as ‘Scotland’s Castle Country. Steeped in history and with the Royal connection that is Balmoral one lucky winner will have the chance to experience a truly memorable trip on the Caledonian Sleeper and experience the delights of Aberdeen.”

Elaine Bissett, Marketing Manager at Visit Aberdeenshire said: “We are delighted to be joining forces with Caledonian Sleeper on our Find Your Autumn Escape campaign to promote the region’s leisure tourism offering and boost visitation to Aberdeen and the wider Aberdeenshire region. What better way to celebrate our partnership than with a fun competition giving one lucky person the chance to travel to Aberdeen in style aboard the Caledonian Sleeper.”

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Caledonian Sleeper sponsorship at Highlands & Islands Food and Drink Awards

Now in its 18th year, the Highlands and Islands Food & Drink Awards showcase and celebrate excellence and achievements in the food and drink industry in the region – from world-renowned businesses to small innovative producers.

Highlands & Islands Food an Drink awards 2023 logo

A firm favourite in the industry calendar, the awards will be back to celebrate those shortlisted and reveal the winners at the awards ceremony, taking place at the Kingsmills Hotel in Inverness on Friday 27 October.

We are delighted to announce that we are sponsoring the Best Food and Drink Tourism Experience Award.

Caledonian Sleeper sponsorship of the Best Food and Drink Tourism Experience Award

The full list of award categories is below:

  • Best Drink – sponsored by Spey
  • Best Food: Retail – sponsored by Seafood Scotland
  • Best Food: Foodservice
  • Best Food: Street Food
  • Best E-Commerce
  • Best Food and Drink Tourism Experience – sponsored by Caledonian Sleeper
  • Best Start Up – sponsored by Be Personnel
  • Independent Retailer of the Year – sponsored by Aquascot
  • Primary Producer Award – sponsored by Salmon Scotland
  • Sustainability Award – sponsored by Scotland Food & Drink
  • Supply Chain Business Award
  • Best Eatery – sponsored by Highland News & Media
  • Restaurant of the Year – sponsored by Williamson Foodservice
  • Young Ambassador of the Year – sponsored by Brook Street
  • Ambassador of the Year – sponsored by Saffery Champness

 

For more information visit https://www.hifoodanddrinkawards.com/