It is hailed as one of Lonely Planet’s ‘Super Sleeper Trains’ and has made the world’s best-selling travel guidebook’s top 10 list.
Six nights per week, the Caledonian Sleeper transports guests both north and south between Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Fort William, Glasgow and London Euston, calling at more than 40 stations on its journey.
Now the famous overnight rail journey has launched a photography competition aimed at encouraging everyone from onboard guests, locals, tourists, train and photography enthusiasts alike to capture views of the most scenic locations on the route.
Caledonian Sleeper is calling on participants to share images of their favourite view from their journey or indeed of scenic locations and activities that Caledonian Sleeper has whisked them away to.
READ MORE: The inside story of how The Jacobite steam train became a runaway success
Participants are invited to showcase Caledonian Sleeper with the camera of their choice, whether that is a mobile phone or something more professional.
The competition runs until the end of October, providing the opportunity to show the landscape changing from summer green to autumn orange.
The first-place prize is a return journey in an en-suite Club Room onboard the Caledonian Sleeper with dinner plus a £500 Amazon voucher to use on photography equipment.
The winner will also have their photo displayed in the Euston Guest Lounge and receive a one-to-one virtual session with renowned photographer and guest judge Tony Marsh. Over the past 30 years, Marsh has worked with media outlets such as The Guardian, BBC Countryfile and The Economist has photographed high-profile names including Keira Knightley, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex.
Runner-up prizes will also be awarded for creative and engaging shots, with second place receiving a £250 Amazon voucher and third place a £100 voucher to spend on the website.
Images will be judged by a panel from Caledonian Sleeper, including Kathryn Darbandi, Managing Director, Steven Marshall, Head of Sales & Marketing, Kayleigh Bonner, Influencer Marketing & Social Media Executive, and Derek Thompson, Head of Retail & Pricing and amateur railway photographer. Professional photographer Tony Marsh will serve as a guest judge.
Derek Thompson, Head of Retail & Pricing Caledonian Sleeper, said: “From the bright lights and towering skyscrapers of London to the vibrant cities and majestic Highlands of Scotland, Caledonian Sleeper calls at more than 40 stations on its journey from Scotland to London – with some of the country’s most breathtaking sights visible while on board the train or indeed easily accessible from one of its calling points.
"We often take for granted just how spectacular the landscape is in the UK, and rail travel is one of the best ways to discover it.
"As an amateur railway photographer myself, I love finding quirky and lesser-known beauty spots. I’m excited to see what other photography enthusiasts capture along the route."
Kathryn Darbandi, Managing Director of Caledonian Sleeper, said: “Whether you’re a budding photographer, proud local or a guest onboard the overnight train, we’re inviting everyone from amateurs to professionals to take part in our celebration of our country’s beautiful landscapes.
"From shots of Caledonian Sleeper in scenic local stations to snaps of incredible or quirky views from the train itself, we’re looking for the most creative and inspiring images that truly showcases the relationship between Caledonian Sleeper and the iconic scenery we pass through each morning and evening."
Back in February, Caledonian Sleeper opened a new guest lounge at London Euston Station. The lounge treats Caledonian Sleeper guests to a taste of Scottish produce and hospitality in the heart of central London before their departure to Scotland or on their arrival into the capital.
Located on platform 1 next to the departing Sleeper services, it offers a bespoke menu of light meals and alcoholic beverages, giving guests the opportunity to purchase Scottish classics such as haggis, neeps & tatties or choose from a selection of Scottish whiskies, gins and craft beers.
To submit your entry into Caledonian Sleeper’s photography competition, visit www.sleeper.scot/photography-competition.
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules here