Few people would argue that watching deer bound across an unspoilt mountain wilderness is infinitely more satisfying than the offerings of Saturday-morning television.

Yet the train service that delivers passengers to the heart of the Scottish highlands the morning after departing from central London remains largely overlooked by British travellers looking to get away from it all for an adventure weekend without having to experience the stress of modern-day air travel.

However, should the Liberal Democrats get their way, this will all be a thing of the past.

This week in Edinburgh, two of the party’s leading figures, Menzies Campbell and Nicol Stephen, publicly called for greater investment in the rail infrastructure within Scotland and for quicker and cheaper rail links with the English capital to offer a serious alternative to low-cost flights.

While faster services through the London suburbs and the midlands will be welcomed by all, much of the appeal of the Caledonian Sleeper is the leisurely pace of travel which offers urban professionals the chance to escape from the hectic city life after post-work drinks on a Friday night.

With the diesel locomotive, aptly nick-named the 'Deerstalker’, struggling to reach 40 mph on some sections of the West Highland route, passengers are able to appreciate the rugged scenery as well as closely observe the region’s famous wildlife.

Once the train reaches its final destination of Fort William at just before 10 am, passengers are able to shrug off the luxuries afforded by the cruise ship-like cabins and instead reconnect with nature, with the biggest challenge of them all lying just fifteen minutes away from the station.

At 4409 feet, Ben Nevis is comfortably the highest peak in Britain, attracting thousands of climbers and mountaineers every year keen to tackle its series of 700 metre high cliffs and be rewarded with the stunning views of up to 120 miles from the summit.

For those for whom walking to the summit is too leisurely, the region offers challenging terrain for mountain biking (with bikes permitted on the sleeper train) as well as for ice climbing and hill running - the current record for reaching the summit and returning to the old post office in Fort William town stands at one hour 25 minutes for men and one hour 43 minutes for ladies.

In addition, given prior notice and the payment of a small surcharge, the train’s operators will allow passengers to bring their dog along for the ride and those wishing to participate in the grouse-hunting season may travel with their shotgun - provisions that even the most relaxed airline is unlikely to be offering anytime soon.

Most realists would argue that the Menzies Campbell has about as much chance of becoming prime minister as he does of breaking the record to the top of Ben Nevis and back.

However, the investment in the rail infrastructure will go on regardless, with Network Rail having recently announced that it has earmarked £214 million for improved services between Airdrie and Bathgate as well as for several other projects that will see many smaller, rural stations reopened.

Given this, over the next few years, taking the train from Kings Cross after work on Friday and playing 18 holes at Gleneagles or taking a tour of the whiskey distilleries of the Highlands and Islands without having to fly, will be a real possibility.