My first trip of 2026 was very much about the journey, not the destination, aiming to add the air link between Wick and Aberdeen to my collection of novelty flights. Its less-than-daily schedule, the prohibitive cost (in both money and time) of train travel between the southwest of England and the northeast of Scotland, and my self-imposed requirement that I not ‘claim’ either airport earlier in my itinerary created just the kind of transport puzzle I enjoy solving.
To get to Wick, then, I took a hybrid approach: from Exeter to Bristol by rail; a quick, cheap flight to Inverness; then back onto trains once across the border. Although booked simply as a means to an end, the last leg – along the Far North Line – turned out to be a highlight in its own right. My novelty conditions satisfied, I could then weave my way home on a trio of flights – Wick to Aberdeen to Manchester to Exeter – across two days.
Whilst I’ve only covered the portions to and from Wick in posts here, you can find the whole adventure on polarsteps. That log also includes my sightseeing around town: an afternoon’s walk along the rugged coastline lead me to tidal pools, sea stacks, and a ruined castle; and my hotel turned out to be on the world’s shortest street!