All Aboard for Whisky Month with Caledonian Sleeper 

An education in whisky was on order for guests travelling with Caledonian Sleeper as they celebrated Whisky Month on Tuesday (16 May).

As Scotland commemorates one of its most popular exports, the overnight rail service linking London and Scotland marked the annual celebration by welcoming The Whisky Shop on board.

Whisky Month honours Scotland’s national drink during May, with a host of distillery tours, whisky tasting events and other activities taking place up and down the country.

As the latest in a series of on board experiences, whisky experts from the popular drinks retailer were on hand in Caledonian Sleeper’s Inverness and Edinburgh Lounge cars to provide guests with a guide to tasting the ‘water of life’.

As well as having an opportunity to sample three very special malts from the Glenkeir Treasures Range, those on board were also gifted a goodie bag courtesy of The Whisky Shop and Caledonian Sleeper containing a whisky miniature with tasting notes showcasing The W Club whisky subscriptions, along with a copy of the retailer’s magazine, Whiskeria.

A brand known for ‘Unlocking the Mystery of Whisky’ for its customers, the sessions were well received by guests heading north to both Edinburgh and Inverness.

Ryan Flaherty, Serco’s guest experience director at Caledonian Sleeper said: “What better way to celebrate Whisky Month than with a tasting of some of the finest drams on board one of Scotland’s iconic rail services.

“We always seek to provide our guests with experiences that showcase the best of Scotland, whether it be locally sourced food or unique whiskies. We hope our guests enjoyed the experience, which was courtesy of The Whisky Shop.”

Scott Dunn, manager at The Whisky Shop in Inverness and one of the experts who joined guests on board added: “Whether it’s light and delicate or a more powerful dram, we thrive on bringing the story of whisky to life, and helping people decide which to taste next.

“We very much enjoyed sharing our knowledge with those travelling with Caledonian Sleeper from London during Whisky Month, and hope that guests enjoy continuing their whisky adventure when they get home.”

The Whisky Shop has stores across the UK, including London, Edinburgh and Inverness. For more information and to see the full range of whiskies available online, visit www.whiskyshop.com

For more information on The W Club and to sign up for a membership or whisky subscription, visit www.thewclub.co.uk

For more information and to book your journey of a night time with Caledonian Sleeper, visit www.sleeper.scot. 

Notes

Caledonian Sleeper 

• The Caledonian Sleeper service is an overnight rail journey between Scotland and London which is operated by Serco on behalf of Transport Scotland.
• Scotland’s Caledonian Sleeper service has been hailed as one of Lonely Planet’s ‘Super Sleeper Trains’ and the London to Fort William service made the world’s best-selling travel guidebook’s top ten list.
• Every night, apart from Saturday, guests are transported both north and south between Inverness, Aberdeen, Fort William, Glasgow, Edinburgh and London Euston.
• Travel bookings can be made up to 12 months in advance on www.sleeper.scot.
• The Caledonian Sleeper service currently offers a range of ways to travel – comfortable and affordable seated carriages, shared rooms and first-class private accommodation – with a dining car offering an extensive locally-sourced menu.
• Caledonian Sleeper is committed to supporting local communities and suppliers:
• 92% of food produce is sourced within 50 miles of the food production operation in Dingwall.
• All guests are provided with a Sleep Kit which includes a sleep mask and ear plugs. First and Standard Class guests also receive Arran Aromatics toiletries.
• The Head Office and Guest Services Centre are located in Inverness employing around 30 people from the locality.
• Brand new trains will be launched in 2018, which will offer innovative ways to travel in comfort on the Caledonian Sleeper service with double and en-suite rooms as well as a redesigned Lounge Car for dining, serving the best of Scottish produce in the on board menu.

The Whisky Shop 

The Whisky Shop constantly searches for the different and the special, whether it is a personal treat or a gift for someone else. At the Whisky Shop they stock a vast range of different whiskies covering all mainstream brands as well as independent bottling.