Hey guys I'm currently at garve station in the highlands waiting to get a train to Inverness and then onwards home to Stirling (after a cracking week touring). The problem is that once I get to Inverness there are no bike spaces on any train to Stirling for the next 4 days(all taken, any talk of a Scottish integrated transport policy is bollocks).

What are the chances of taking my bike on anyway? I know there's not much space at the best of times(it's a touring bike too so a bit wide with panniers). Will I just get thrown off? Shall I try and chance it anyway? Does the 'buy some bin liners and put my wheels and frame in them' really work?

Try it – often the bookings are not fully taken up. You might get a sympathetic guard. Some of the trains are not scotrail anyway – the ones to london.

Your allowed 2 cases/bags and hand luggage so no reason you couldn't take the wheels off and bin bag them and the frame separately as long as they are not longer than 1 metre. Get on the train early and dump the bags – then sit fairly far away in the carriage. I doubt they will care TBH…..

What luggage can I take on the train?
Each customer can carry, free of charge, three items of personal luggage – two large items (such as a suitcase or rucksack), plus one item of hand luggage. You can also take up to two dogs, or cats, or other domestic animals, folded prams, non-folding prams and carrycots, wheelchairs, including battery operated models where wheels are no larger than those on self-propelled wheelchairs, or any article which does not exceed 1 metre in any dimension and which can be carried by one person.

Items for which charges are payable: each additional item of luggage over the free allowance, each additional dog, cat or other small animal above the free allowance, each article exceeding 1 metre in any dimension but which must be capable of being carried by one person.

The charge for any item outlined above (except cycles) is half the adult fare appropriate to the type of ticket held for the journey per item – subject to a maximum charge (presently £5 single, £10 return). No further discounts will be available for Railcard or Season Ticket holders. Excess luggage charges do not apply to Caledonian Sleeper Services.

http://www.scotrail.co.uk/travelinfo/faqs.html

You would get a bike broken down in binbags in the luggage spaces between the seats I think

Cheers guys i Think I've only got 5 mins to change for the Stirling train when I arrive at Inverness so I will first just chance it by going straight to the train. If I'm not allowed on I will double check in the ticket office to make sure there are definitely no free bike spaces and then buy some bin bags. Wheels in one, frame with tent on rack in other, then just carry the two pannier bags as luggage.

Depends on the train and the guard, but the only issue really is if it's in the carriage whether people can get past, and whether they can get the drinks trolley round you.

I've taken an Xtracycle on Scotrail without a reservation. The guard bitched and whined a bit, but I told him it wasn't going to be a problem, loosedned the stem etc to get the bars out of the way and stayed with it. All fine.

Good luck.

Good luck – If all else fails some Stagecoach coaches take bikes.

I've got on plenty of trains where they ask for a reservation and I haven't had one. Virgin in particular, out of London Euston, where you have to have a ticket for your bike.
If you get there early enough and talk to someone at the station, they might have a bit of a moan at you about policy, but I've found that the drivers/ guards don't really care, it's usually the 'train manager' who has issues. Jobsworth.

Home now! All was fine, managed to get on the train from Garve ok without a booking, and there was only one bike on(but train was full for Localsh).

When I got to Inverness, there was only 5 minutes spare to make the connection for the stirling train, so just went straight onto it(the ticket checkers at the gate just told me to buy a ticket on the train). Even though it was fully booked for bikes, there wasn't any on the bike rack(and none turned up further down the line!), seems a bit of a weird system where people can book bikes on then not turn up.

Only problem was some moody people who had dumped all their luggage in the bike area and were a bit arsey when i asked if I could move it(and then move it back in front of the bike once i had put it on the rack).