How can anyone say this trip is empty and bleak? It is the most stunning train trip I've ever been on. As it was many years ago, with old trains, I got to stand in the carriage entrance, lower the window, and stick my head out. Oh, the clean, clean air, the views to infinity of nature at its best. Will never forget it.

Watched this with a lump in my throat, as a good friend of mine who is now no longer with us used to do this journey from time to time. Nice to see the country she was passing through, and a little bit of Thurso itself. Thanks Steve!

What an underrated train journey Steve. Sutherland looks stunning, even when it's dreich. You do pick the most wonderful places to visit in Scotland and even dirty train windows don't spoil the vistas too much. Magic 👍

I recently went on one of my favourite railway journeys, from Edinburgh to Inverness, spectacular in any weather but magical with snow on the mountains. Unfortunately I scored an actual agonising injury while in the toilet; I snapped a muscle in my back while coughing, don’t get beyond 50, kids. Everything breaks. When I got sat back down I could only move my arms without screaming. The conductor and an off duty driver couldn’t have been kinder. They organised the paramedics and station staff at Inverness. I was given enough medication to just about get me off the train and a wheelchair to an ambulance. So hurrah for Scotrail staff.

Oh, Steve, this was beautiful!!!! I am especially moved by the music that you choose to accompany your B-roll. Wow. As a recently retired orchestra teacher, I can say that you are truly gifted in these choices!!! I can't wait to visit Scotland, and now I'm considering making it a train-focused trip. Thank you!!!

Dirty windows notwithstanding, this was a beautifully shot video. Thanks again, Steve, for yet another experience that drew me into the land of my forefathers. Well done.

Another superb video. I always feel 'at home' up north, as my Manson ancestors came from Caithness and Sutherland. I don't think it matters where you go by train, as long as you can feel the motion of movement beneath you. I smiled when you showed Victoria Park, the home ground of Ross County. I'll be there in late March doing something totally crazy - crazier than usual! 🙂

Absolutely incredible. Your ability to transport us to the magical surroundings of Scotland is without a doubt on par with professional level videography. I thoroughly enjoy your videos and how it makes me feel so much present in your surroundings.

Caithness and Sutherland is stunning, and well worth the trip. Also, to avoid the silliness and chaos of the NC500 during the summer, it's still great to visit during the winter.

To anyone who is interested in the “Far North Line”, I can heartily recommend getting a copy of “Highland Railway, People and Places”. It is an utterly fantastic book, detailing the construction of the Highland Railway from nothing. It details the lines and the inspirational people who brought about those lines, against all the odds.

Beautiful Steve. Another amazing line that I think is a bit underrated is the one between Ayr and Stranraer - feels like a proper adventure onboard going past seaside and then through the middle of woodland and then out to the middle of nowhere - another amazing line where you wonder how they built it in the first place!

Loved this, Steve. The Far North Line is a hidden gem with all sorts of surprises. The views of the sea, Flow Country, some of Scotland’s greatest distilleries, the oil industry structures, beautiful villages and absolutel desolation. Good idea on doing something on Brora. The Duke of Sutherland: now he really was something.

Your videos have encouraged me to visit Scotland and plan to do this journey in May. We'll done again.

Last time I did that journey was over 30 years ago, loved every minute of it. We took the coach from Wick to Thurso as an added ride. At least we can say that it doesn't look as though its changed much due to that spectacular scenery. Maybe one day I'll do it again.

I used to live in the very far NW up near Kinlochbervie back in the 90's. The train met up with the post bus, but if the weather was bad and connections didn't meet up, you were screwed. I once got out at Lairg in -10c and had to start the 57 mile journey on foot as I was a broke student who'd just hitchhiked from Aberdeen. I had a few snacks, but jogged and walked in the black dark for 20+ miles until I got a lift to home from a fishing crew bus at 2'00 am in the morning. They had come from Buckie and gave me some food and a packet of rolling tobacco ( I smoked a bit back then :( ) I used to hitchhike all the time and enjoyed every second of it .

Fantastic! What a great documentary, even while sitting on a train and filming through dirty windows, you're still able to make me want to go on this trip. I don't think any Scottish national organization has ambassadors better than you. And by the way, ScotRail management, you should consider installing some of those train cleaning rotary brushes at your depots if you haven't yet.

Hi Steve. I agree with you, it's an amazing feat to build a train line that's safe, across an 8000 year old peat bog ! Thankyou for another amazingly relaxing video, great for a Saturday evening.! The stone walls the train passed on many of the farms, reminded me of my childhood, back in the 1960's, when my mum and I would holiday with friends on their farm in the Western District of Victoria, Australia ❤😊

Wonderful scenery, especially when there's a bit of sunlight. Fascinating trip - thanks, as always, Steve!

I remember the All the Stations run with Geoff and Vicki ended at Wick, and it was pretty empty then too. Great scenery, and I imagine the train line is a bit of a lifeline for goods and people too.

A very underrated line - just as good as the West Highland or Kyle lines. Should be promoted more.

The scenery was incredible! Thank you young fella for such a beautiful video!

Oh how nice it is to see Thurso on the channel, I went across a few weeks ago from Stromness in Orkney and walked all the way to the train station to see if there were any trains to see, but no, at least i got a nice trip on the Hamnavoe! Thurso really is a nice place to go for a day especially when it's only a 90 minute ferry from home, i'd love to see more of Caithness on the channel!

I know this line well. My gran lived around 30 miles past Helmsdale, in Strathnaver. I’d get off at Kinbrace and take the postie van to her house. Either that or Uncle would pick me up at Lairg. Greetings from USA!

One of the loveliest videos l ever saw was the funeral procession of the late Queen through Scotland, l was moved to tears

A very beautiful journey, Steve. Thanks for taking us along, it is certainly a place to visit! Great job!

Great video Steve. Getting so many ideas for when we get over to the UK one day. Thanks for sharing, and for not getting off at the wrong station and stressing my wife out. .

Lovely 🎉video Steve Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 is a beautiful place. Paul In Kent

Ahoy there, Steve - really enjoying your videos - I've been all over Scandinavia and I have to say that Scotland is just as beautiful as anything I have seen there - you are blessed

Another great video Steve, I really didn't know the train went that far north and great that the line was kept open, so many were closed in Ireland in the 60s and 70s. Thanks for the insight, I think you'll need Windolene and a cloth with you the next time. Fair play you still captured the scenery. Thanks for sharing

The station at Forsinard is also a RSPB reserve visitor centre and from there you can do a walk out onto the peat bog and see the incredible plant species and wildlife. Been there many times but never by train. Looks as though I am going to have to give it a try someday as the rail route beats the road for scenery.

What a special train trip. Thank you again for showing off Scotland!

Another interesting video, I know that part of the country quite well. What you didn’t notice or comment on was the garden / field fences in the area. The fences are made of large slates. Once you notice them they are everywhere. You passed the north end of the Caledonian Canal. That would make a fantastic vlog. Use the van and free camp. From Corpach to the outlet at Inverness is a magical place. If you research what days to go you can see Lord of the Glens passing through Fort Augustus locks. If you catch it on a sunny summers day it will look fantastic in a vlog. The whole Canal has great stories, views and sounds. If you catch the haunting sounds of the piper at dusk at Lagan lochs …..you won’t see him but you will hear him……..another magical moment.

In my youth while living in Inverness I drove up north all the way to John O'Groats. Once on the car ferry over to the Black Isle (no bridge then) and once to end of Cromarty Firth via Dingwall. The road trip is scenic. Interesting to see the train view. Pity you missed Wick. A pretty vibrant town way back in my day

Made this journey on my way back from Orkney in 2019. Really enjoyed it - and I don't recall having dirty windows. Loved the stations. I'd gone up from Inverness to Thurso on the bus (I think that's the grey route on your phone map at 3:05) - an entirely different experience and closer to the coast but also well worth doing. I highly recommend going bus one way and train the other.

I'm Canadian who loves the small communities of Scotland, especially the north, thanks for the awesome review of the train trip, my favorite mode of transportation ever.

Your lovely films keep my memories of visiting Scotland good and fresh so thanks for that!

I have travelled that route in both directions many many times when I lived on Orkney. Whatever the weather, and particularly snow the scenery is beautiful. I have to tell you, Sunday morning on Thurso station is one of the coldest places in Scotland !

This is absolutely beautiful Steve. My favourite KZfaqr doing what he does best!! I love Scotland, shame ScotRail can't clean their trains but still great content and my highlight of the weekend 😀

Thanks for taking me along :) What a lovely countryside.

You consistently produce great videos Steve - and yes this is a line that is criminally underrated. I can think of no other that passes through so many different types of landscape. Pity about the filthy windows, maybe that's why you couldn't capture the flagstone fences. Btw, Dunrobin isn't private, it's seasonal. Trains stop in season when the castle is open to visitors. And no, you'd never get off at the wrong station in the dark (🙂at least not in Scotland!). Thanks, well done.

I travelled to Helmsdale in May 2019. Wonderful trip. Certainly far more interesting than my old daily commute into Sydney. Kyle gets all the accolades, but this line is pretty too. Maybe you could return in different seasons to see the changes.

A stunning example of Steve's work ! Expertly edited with an atmospheric soundtrack (the melancholic music captures the winter scenery perfectly). I commented recently that Steve's output was of broadcast quality- but this is one that any broadcaster would be proud of !

thanks for the video Steve. Brought back a few memories. My first job was at Dounreay. I arrived in Thurso train station late one Saturday night in Sepember 1980. I’d travelled from Newcastle. It was a bit of a shock to the system walking out of a dark station into Ormlie Road, not a soul about then having to find my accomodation. Got up early Sunday and went to find a newspaper. “The papers will be in at 2pm” I was informed! I really did feel I was at the end of the world, never mind the end of the line. Beautiful part of the country to explore though. A trip along the north coast to Durness is well worth it. Looking forward to your next video.

The music chosen for this was lovely...very appropriate for the stunning countryside. As always, an excellent and fascinating video!

On my mind I hear you sing: "If I was not a youtuber, a window cleaner I'd be! 😄" This was so beautiful! 🤗 I hope the people living there remember every day what privilege it is to get to see these landscape just outside the door!

Scotland is always beautiful! X Thanks Steve! X

Great video Steve, thanks. Good to see lesser known journeys.

I’ll watch this with interest Steve (I’m doing it at the end of the month!). Look forward to getting a few tips 😊👍

Another winner Steve, thank you.

Your doing a great job Steve 👏

This video is amazing! Caithness has been my home for the last 16 years, Thurso to be specific. I never get bored of the scenery on the Far North Line. The Flow Country truly is magical. I wish more people who traveled the NC500 would use the railway because the scenery is absolutely spectacular!! No matter the season or weather, I absolutely love it!

Thank you for explaining the train ride I took several years ago on my way to the Castle Mey, and then onto Orkney. ScotRail was wonderful! They arranged a cab and Thurso Cab was sepectular. Thurso and the Caitness area was a favorite portion of my trip. Although, I have to admit I became a little concerned when we reached the peat boggs.❤️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

🚂 It's amazing how the train tracks can go through such beautiful yet challenging terrain. 🏞 Thank you for taking us on this journey and showing us the stunning views of Scotland. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

The class 158 is by far my best second generation DMU, from the whining of the engine to the unique sound of the two tone . Love em.

Just found this one today; it's my favourite of all your train films I've watched - thankyou :)

Thank you for the informative film, we are looking to do this journey in September 23 and are really excited to see the scenery.

I love your train journeys Steve. Thanks so much for sharing them with us!

Aaaawwweeeee. That was lovely! I thoroughly enjoyed myself ....thanks Steve.

Went on this trip in 2000 while in the uk it was beautiful a great journey 👍😎🇦🇺

Another awesome video Steve! I look forward to my Saturday mornings to watch your latest video Steve and this one didn't disappoint. I makes me want to take that train trip myself. 👍👍

You captured some stunning scenery mate amazing. Thank you again 😊

We just love your vids a lot of thought went into them thank-you,,,,,,x

Well, you’ve done it again. 😊 Thanks for taking us along on the simple yet stunning adventure.

Thanks for the beautiful scenery and beautiful music and the (mostly) clean 🙃 windows. Seriously, though, very enjoyable.

Wonderful! I love train journeys and I think the scenery was enchanting. Great video - thanks so much!

Another fantastic video. Look forward to every one that you post and look forward to visiting them myself. Great work as always. Loved it.

Enjoyed another Northern Rail trip with you, Steve!

Made the journey to Wick almost 40 years ago. Glad to see that the passenger service still exists - as it should! It must have taken a mountain of crushed stone and assorted timber to build that line through the bog. In a sense that line is "floating" in places, with submerged timbers giving the lateral support. They'll never rot because there is no oxygen down below. Nature in harmony!

In November 1987 when I was a student I spent a week laid up with a sick bug in my room in Halls of Residence in Edinburgh and nothing to do to pass the time except listen to the radio. Every afternoon at 3pm on BBC Radio Scotland was the Art Sutter show, and to mark "Children in Need" week, he presented each day's programme from a different railway station, beginning the programme with his keyboard rendition of Duke Ellington's "Take the A Train". On the day he was at Inverness, he had just started the song when the station announcer announced the departure of the train to Thurso and Wick and read out all 21 stations!

Wonderful video and trip Steve, and it brought back memories. I lived in the UK for nearly 4 years from 2008 onwards and for the first year of that I lived in Thurso. Much to my surprise there were a number of Americans living there! A few times I would take the train between there down to Inverness, my mother has relatives there, but Inverness was where real shopping was and more importantly, a real cinema! The train ride was 3 hours and 45 minutes, versus 2 hours on the A9, but the drive scared me a wee bit because of the Berridale Braes hairpin turn which sits on the edge of a drop down to the North Sea, not a drive one should take in bad weather! I believe in the years gone by since then the road has been improved! The one highlight I recall from one of my train rides down from Thurso just before arriving in Helmsdale I saw a stag sitting off to the side of the tracks, looking very majestic. He casually looked at the train passing by, I wasn’t quick enough to grab my camera, but one thought popped in my head watching the stag, truly this is the Monarch of the Glen! Another great adventure from you, and for me nice memories! Thank you very much Steve!!

Steve I really loved video what a wonderful amazing quit location and all the small station. Wish to spend few days in that peaceful beautiful places. Thanks for sharing .

Absolutely amazing train journey, Steve, beautifully captured, and as always fabulous commentary. 🎉

I’m so much looking forward to my next visit to Scotland❤️

Hi Steve, my family and I run the campsite in Thurso and are big fans of the channel. Just want to say it’s another great video and we hope you make it back up in summer when the weather truly does the area justice.

Look at the rainbow at 20:13!!!! This planet is sooo beautiful and even in a place that seems "bleak" it's still incredibly beautiful. Thank you for this video! Hello from northeast Tennessee, USA!

Finally caught up with your journey north...Great journey steve.thanks for sharing.. look forward to the next one.👍

Love ❤️ this part of Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Another great video Steve. Just thought I would let you know I've never subscribed to any channel before so your obviously doing something right !. I got plenty of ideas for this year's adventures!! Last time we spent time on mull and Skye both amazing places. Probably the most memorable one tho has to be a few years back snowed in for days in a remote cabin on rannoch moor wow what a place that was :) Thanks for sharing mate and keep doing what your doing !

I am new to your channel. I started with DFDS mini cruise and got hooked. Done about a dozen so far. Compulsive viewing. You go a long way to give us the best content. As a mark of thanks some coffee money went to your PayPal ac. I shall take my time to watch most past videos.

First holiday in Scotland in 1987, the brakes on my car failed on day 2 of a fortnight's holiday. So we limped from Ft William to Inverness & bought a week's Rover ticket. Took the train up to Thurso , across to Kyle of Lochalsh & a couple of hours on Skye, down to Aberdeen. Lovely way to see the country, if unplanned. Managed to drive from Inverness to Durham in pouring rain only using the brakes about 3 times (mechanic friend in Durham fixed them for free). Wouldn't like to do that again.

Thank you. First time I've watched any of your videos loved every second. Will most definitely return.

Wonderful Steve and your music is so soothing. I have been on that train trip . Great holiday memory sent to you from Tasmania.

Very relaxing and informative , I like your style of reporting- thanks!

I did that trip years ago and it was great, thanks for bringing back those memories. A lovely video Steve and I agree with you, massively underrrated.

What a wonderfully peaceful video. The music just worked so well with the journey. Thank you for sharing!

The journey to Thurso and Wick was the highlight of my 2019 UK trip from Lands End to John O Groats. Scotrail Trains and Staff were amazing. It's a pity you didn't get some video of Invergordon Station, The Artwork was so incredible.I agree with your comments about the scenery, it's so spectacular up there, A bit like the South Island of my home country. (NZ).

I like watching your videos with Google maps open in another window; really gives me a sense for joining your commentary dots. I did not realise that it was quite so far from Inverness to Thurso

Very enjoyable video, thank you Steve. I know this line well, having lived near Thurso for 15 years up to 2011. I had a house right next to Scotscalder station, about 9 miles from Thurso, just 20yds from the platform, and could wave to the passengers when the train (3 a day) stopped at Scotscalder (rarely!). Sotscalder is a request stop, and you have to flag the train down if you want to jump on, or tell the guard if you want to get off. By the way Dunrobin Castle station is no longer private, so anyone can use it. It's beautiful in the far north, and this must be the most scenic rail journeys in the UK.

Once again beautiful scenery. I have been told when I go to the UK make sure to spend so time in Scotland. I can see why. Thanks for the sneak peek.

Really interesting journey to the northernmost railway station, thanks to some excellent photography, great editing, soothing music and just the right level of commentary along the way. Such varied and stunning scenery surely makes this a must-do scenic journey! Thank you Steve!

Muhahahaaaa!...that remark about getting off wrong in the dark was golden!..i'm sure my neighbours heard me hollering haha 😆👍

Loved watching this as my bedtime wind down a journey I would love to undertake x

Really enjoyed this video Steve, put my head into a different space and I loved it

Just watched this again. I did the journey in May, and also the walk from Wick you videoed. I have to say this is video is beautiful, and especially your shots of the Flow Country. It is the highlight of the route. It was a pleasure to rekindle those experiences tonight..

THANK YOU for sharing this video! Appreciated!

Just another magic video. Never stop posting. Something magical about your presentation and humour. Easy watching. Perfect

Great trip, it is a beautiful part of the country. Well worth a visit any time of the year!

Another brill video Steve. Keep up the hugely enjoyable work 😊.. ( I chuckled at the train station in the dark bit 😅)

Beautiful train journey . Never been on the train north , but toured by car . In spite of the dirty windows it was an enjoyable scenic route. Thank you .

Always enjoy the vids keep ‘em coming!