I keep looking at trips in Scotland but the thought of driving for hours puts me off. Reading about the rubbish cycle provision on the mainline trains is hardly inviting. The Caledonian sleeper seems a bit more welcoming?
Anything else I've missed? Coaches for example?

Not much information here but might be worth a look
https://sendbike.com/collections/packaging-supplies

In fact I am not sure if they are just selling boxes or actually shipping.

Unless you box your bike coach providers won’t take them as luggage.
The only way is by train * Whilst far from ideal taking your bike on the train isn’t too bad. Provided that you book ahead for a seat and bike reservation the hassle is limited.
Know your route and read up about where bikes go on the trains you will be using - information available on National Rail website. Allow reasonable time at connections. Take something to read and relax.

* I’m automatically discounting flying as a means of domestic travel in the UK.

The Caledonian Sleeper is expensive but it's a great way to do it. If you can plan ahead and get a discounted ticket somehow I'd recommend it. Waking up and seeing the hills outside is a way of travelling that adds to the whole experience.

I've also done it from King's Cross with a couple of changes. Booked the bikes in advance. Booking itself was a minor faff but the trip itself was easy.

Never had a problem booking bikes on Avanti West Coast and very easy to put them on and get them off. Obviously try not to book at the last minute.

Can book with Avanti or at local ticket office. Do the bike booking at the same time as the ticket or beforehand. On the day, tell station staff you want to put the bike on and meet them at the northern end of the train ('quiet' coach). There's even two seats permanently reserved for cyclists in the quiet coach right next to the bike store. You can access the bike during the journey. Tell the train staff where you want to get off.Sometimes a bit nervewracking waiting for them to come down the platform to open the door for you from the outside .

Big fan here.

Will leave it to our Scottish correspondents to describe onwards from Glasgow. Obviously as James says the sleeper removes that problem.

RIP wrote: ↑Sun Jul 25, 2021 9:46 am Tell the train staff where you want to get off.Sometimes a bit nervewracking waiting for them to come down the platform to open the door for you from the outside

I did once have to pull the alarm on the train in order to get off at Oxenholme. No one arrived to let me off and the train started to pull away… as I had a booked ticket and had told the staff I felt justified in doing so and didn’t get in trouble. I do prefer the trains where you put your bike on yourself as a result!

lune ranger wrote: ↑Sun Jul 25, 2021 9:37 am Unless you box your bike coach providers won’t take them as luggage.

This isn't true. I recently got our bikes on a coach by wrapping them in plastic sheeting, a friend then got away with bubble wrap on her bike. Someone on here since shared a link showing that coach operators will take a bike if it's in one of these stretchy sock things people use to stop their bike making hotel rooms dirty and so on. As long as the chain and other dirty bits are covered they are fine with it.
This was my experience recently in Scotland any way. The coach was also cheaper and more convenient than a train.

Borderer wrote: ↑Sun Jul 25, 2021 6:37 pm

lune ranger wrote: ↑Sun Jul 25, 2021 9:37 am Unless you box your bike coach providers won’t take them as luggage.

This isn't true. I recently got our bikes on a coach by wrapping them in plastic sheeting, a friend then got away with bubble wrap on her bike. Someone on here since shared a link showing that coach operators will take a bike if it's in one of these stretchy sock things people use to stop their bike making hotel rooms dirty and so on. As long as the chain and other dirty bits are covered they are fine with it.
This was my experience recently in Scotland any way. The coach was also cheaper and more convenient than a train.

I stand corrected. It’s been a while since I looked at it. Some form of packing is still required. A coach to Scotland from London would be an excruciating experience. Exeter to Birmingham was hard enough

I don't mind the coach tbh. It took us ten hours from ullapool to Hawick with changes at Inverness and Edinburgh. The seats were comfy and we had a table and charger plugs plus a toilet. We were both quite happy to sit and watch videos and play cards.

The sleeper can be quite reasonable, I looked a while back and you could book a reclining seat for £74 each way to Inverness.
When I did my Jogle I got a courier to deliver my bike at a specific time and the flew from Birmingham international to Wick, and it was still cheaper than the standard train fare.

Fair enough. You’d be looking at 20 hours at least from London to Ullapool in that case.
In that time you can get the train from Exeter to the Dolomites - all be it for a considerable sum of money.

Assuming you can sleep, the sleeper train also cuts the cost (and bypasses the current unavailability issue) of accommodation.

Depending on destination you may or may not have to move your bike in the middle of the night at Edinburgh.
The train splits here with the smaller Fort Willian section having its own goods van added.
It is a very sureal experence to be riding your bike down Waverley platform at 02.00 am with guards shouting 'no riding'.

RIP wrote: ↑Sun Jul 25, 2021 9:46 am There's even two seats permanently reserved for cyclists in the quiet coach right next to the bike store.

I wonder which rocket scientist came up with that idea? Perhaps LNER could employ him on a lucrative consultancy contract since every single time I've made a bike reservation my seat reservation has been at the opposite end of the train, usually resulting in me walking through 8 carriages, including the buffet car and first class, to get to my seat, and repeating at the other end.

This used to happen when you could make a bike reservation online whilst buying a ticket, which you haven't been able to do for the last few years, presumably because the technology to do so has been un-invented.

Deep breath.

This used to happen when you could make a bike reservation online whilst buying a ticket, which you haven't been able to do for the last few years, presumably because the technology to do so has been un-invented.

ScotRail still use that technology.

ScotRoutes wrote: ↑Mon Jul 26, 2021 10:45 am

This used to happen when you could make a bike reservation online whilst buying a ticket, which you haven't been able to do for the last few years, presumably because the technology to do so has been un-invented.

ScotRail still use that technology.

I had a nice surprise recently and found to my shock that you could actually reserve a bike online whilst buying a ticket with GWR… no more pointless hour to the station to buy a ticket for me (subject to only travelling on GWR I presume)

Evil option obvs but flights are available as a last resort. I've flown to Inverness with the bike for a JoGLE. Easyjet go from Gatwick and Luton.

There is another option which seems more and more attractive and that's to not bother with the bike and just hike instead. Still get to explore and can pick out more gnarly routes. Nice thing is that my uber expensive bikepacking gear is just as great for backpacking. As long as I get out there then that's a win.