Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Other subjects
Original poster

Mums in Scotland, please can you offer us some help??

29 replies

kleggie · 20/04/2006 12:50

Hello All,

My DH and I have always wanted to live in Scotland (currently in Norfolk) and have been working towards that end since we got married. DH has just been offered a job interview on the Isle of Rum (population 30!). The job is a dream come true, exactly what he is looking for.

The interview is at 11.45am on Friday 28th April and with the help of planes, buses, trains and a ferry, I think we can get him there with 5 minutes to spare. The problem is the return journey. For a flight that doesn't cost £200+ we need him to fly back at 10.50am on the Saturday (29th). I can get him as far as Fort William on the Friday night at 19.37 using ferries and trains and then we are totally stuck. He needs to fly back from Glasgow but there are no overnight trains or buses to get him into Glasgow for the Saturday morning flight. I have been on the 'net for three hours trying to juggle it. So far we have:

OUTBOUND
Thursday 27th April:
Flight 12.35-13.55 Norwich to Glasgow
Citylink bus 15.00-18.05 Glasgow to Fort William
Train 22.10-22.30 Fort William to Mallaig
SLEEP IN HOSTEL!
Friday 28th April:
Ferry 10.15-11.35 Mallaig to Rum
11.45: Interview

RETURN
Friday 28th April:
Ferry 15.20-17.50 Rum to Mallaig
Train 18.15-19.37 Mallaig to Fort William
HEREIN LIES THE PROBLEM
Saturday 29th April:
Flight 10.50 Glasgow to Norwich

He hasn't taken his driving test yet, which is the main problem. If we could hire a car, that would solve all of these transportation issues. Can any of you help? Do you know of any overnight coaches? A magic train diverting from Hogwarts (HP filmed partly at Glenfinnan is it not)?

We really want this opportunity to start our new life in Scotland. We are gutted that we might not be able to get there. We just don't have the money for a more expensive flight.

Any ideas gratefully received.

OP posts:
gscrym · 20/04/2006 12:56

Hi there.

Driving would make things tons easier. If you got delayed by the train, it'd throw all your plans out. We regularly drive from Stenhousemuir (about half way between ed and glasgow) to Fort William and we can do it in about 3 hours. It's about another hour from Fort William to Mallaig as there's soem single track road. My advice would be to hire a car in Glasgow, drive up and over then drive back. That may get you to glasgow later on the 28th but you could have a night in a travel lodge to rest up for the next day.

Does the interview not cover expenses? I'm, thinking it must be SNH as I think most people on Rhum work for them.

Gillian76 · 20/04/2006 12:57

Does he get travelling expenses reimbursed if he gets the job?

Gillian76 · 20/04/2006 12:58

gscrym, he can't drive!

"He hasn't taken his driving test yet, which is the main problem. If we could hire a car, that would solve all of these transportation issues." :o

Original poster
kleggie · 20/04/2006 12:58

There is a Citylink bus from Fort William to Glasgow, but it leaves at 19:10. Does anybody know of a way we could just get him to FW for this connection?

Sad Sad

OP posts:
Original poster
kleggie · 20/04/2006 12:59

Yes it is SNH and his driving test is in two weeks time! They will reimburse, but we have to make the initial outlay.

OP posts:
Gillian76 · 20/04/2006 13:00

Hitch a lift?

Sounds bizarre, but my DH used to live and work in Benbecula (Western Isles) and regularly got a lift from a lorry driver down to his parents house near Glasgow!

gscrym · 20/04/2006 13:00

God I'm thick. I read it as 'if we could hire a car, would that solve our issues'.

I hold my hand up, I'm dense.

Original poster
kleggie · 20/04/2006 13:01

gscrym, not dense, very hardy to have got through my initial spiel methinks!

OP posts:
Gillian76 · 20/04/2006 13:02

Not the same lorry driver, just got chatting to someone on the ferry! :)

gscrym · 20/04/2006 13:02

Is it worth asking if SNH could make his interview earlier. I know that would mean an earlier ferry to get top Rhum but you may be able to get an earlier one back.

Gillian76 · 20/04/2006 13:03

Yes why not phone and explain the predicament? They surely have encountered transport problems before.

tissy · 20/04/2006 13:04

kleggie,I think your outbound scedule is tight, too! Is the Citylink bus from Glasgow airport or somewhere in the city? You'd be pushing it to get a bus from the city an hour after arriving at the airport. Are there any later buses?

gscrym · 20/04/2006 13:14

Could yo ugo up for a few days amd make a holiday of it. Would take the pressure off and it'd give you some exploring time. Alos have a look to see if there are any ferries from Fort William to Rhum.

Fimbo · 20/04/2006 13:14

I would phone them too Kleggie. Perhaps they could offer the interview somewhere closer to Glasgow.

Good luck btw and I am very Envy at the thought of you moving to Scotland. I want to go home too!!

Original poster
kleggie · 20/04/2006 13:16

Yes there is a later bus tissy, still gets him in on time for his train to FW. Good point.

We are planning on phoning them and explaining the predicament. The thing is, we can get him there for the interview, I just don't think we can ever get him home again which is not their problem. How easy is it to steal a helicopter?

We could try spreading the journey out more, but he runs a large hotel, bar and restaurant and while he is allowed time off for interviews, I don't think four days is something they would agree to. Plus, his duty manager is on holiday, so he feels like he's leaving them high and dry anyway. It is just so frustrating that this seems to be the perfect job and we can't even manage an interview. I'm not sure they would put the interview back two weeks on the hope that he passes his driving test first time.

I wonder if they could give him a phone interview and then he could go over as soon as his duty manager returns to run the hotel properly... oh it's all so complicated!

OP posts:
Original poster
kleggie · 20/04/2006 13:18

Oh Fimbo, I know what you mean. We went on honeymoon to Scotland and I cried so much when we had to come back to Norfolk. It's not a bad county at all, but it's no Skye!

OP posts:
Original poster
kleggie · 20/04/2006 13:19

gscrym- I'm on the phone now trying to convince DH that we could make a holiday out of it. I could go too then! Perfick. It's just the short notice...

OP posts:
tissy · 20/04/2006 13:23

kleggie, you can get to Mallaig from Norwich by train for £130 return, leaving on the 27th and returning on the 29th. Is that too long? Surely if he is allowed leave for interviews, and you can prove it can't be done in 2 days, then they have to let him have the time off?

seb1 · 20/04/2006 13:26

Anything on here help
\link{http://www.firstgroup.com/scotrail/tt/1139320602-WEST%20HIGHLANDS.pdf\trains}

Original poster
kleggie · 20/04/2006 13:45

Ooh Seb1 there's a link there that might work, but it doesn't stop at Glasgow, it goes to Westerton and then straight on to Edinburgh. Westerton is in Glasgow isn't it? Am I being really thick?

OP posts:
Original poster
kleggie · 20/04/2006 13:49

Tissy, I've tried juggling the trains, but they don't get him in on time for the interview. And the outward journey is nearly 24hrs Sad

OP posts:
Original poster
kleggie · 20/04/2006 14:00

Thanks Tissy, your link has solved all of the problems. Grin

Now he just needs to get the job... and find somewhere to live on an island with a population of 30. I think there's a campsite on Rum. We could live there...

OP posts:
Original poster
kleggie · 20/04/2006 14:00

Thank-you for all of your suggestions and help.

Grin Grin Grin Grin

OP posts:
gscrym · 20/04/2006 14:02

My friend recently went for a job with SNH and I'm sure they can offer accomodation if needed.

Pagan · 20/04/2006 14:07

I'd go with hitching if all else fails - it's still pretty common up here and pretty safe. Fort William is one of those sorts of towns where hitchhiking would be common. He could hang around the McDonalds carpark which is near the bus station with a sign saying "Need an urgent lift to Glasgow". I'm sure he'd get a lift no problem.

Could possibly try some of the backpacking tour buses like Haggis or Timber bush - they might have a space if they were coming back down.