The Sussex Scot was one of a number of Named Trains introduced by the British Rail InterCity (British Rail) sector during the 1980s. The train ran between Brighton and Glasgow Central / Edinburgh Waverley via Kensington Olympia, Reading, Birmingham New Street and major stations on the West Coast Main Line to Carstairs where the train divided into portions for Glasgow Central and Edinburgh Waverley. There had been a direct train service between Brighton and Manchester Piccadilly since 14 May 1979. The first departure of the Sussex Scot was 16 May 1988. The northbound train departed Brighton at 1315 and arrived at Glasgow Central 2248 and Edinburgh Waverley 2252. Southbound the train departed Glasgow Central 1050 and Edinburgh Waverley 1044 and arrived at Brighton 2020. The train was normally formed of 10 coaches. A class 47 locomotive hauled the train between Brighton and Birmingham New Street and vice versa with usually a class 86 or class 87 electric locomotive between Birmingham New Street and Scotland. From the 15th May 1989 the departure time from Brighton was moved to the more convenient time of 0845 arriving in Glasgow Central at 1732 and Edinburgh Waverley at 1747. This is when the train acquired its 1S76 headcode.
From 14 May 1990 the departure time from Brighton was moved again to 0918 with an arrival time in Glasgow Central at 1810. The Edinburgh portion no longer ran. Southbound departure from Glasgow Central was 1133 with an arrival in Brighton at 2021. Over the following years the destination swapped between Glasgow Central and Edinburgh Waverley but the times remained largely unaltered.
The next major change was for the summer 1994 timetable. From 16 May 1994 both north and southbound trains also served Manchester Piccadilly Departure from Brighton was at 0920 arriving at Manchester Piccadilly at 1522 and at Glasgow Central 1912. Southbound the Sussex Scot departed Glasgow Central at 1040, Manchester Piccadilly at 1417 and arrived at Brighton 2028. The locomotive change from diesel to electric was now done at Preston. By this date the formation of the train had been reduced to 7 coaches. There was little change over the following years even when Virgin Trains won the franchise for the CrossCountry rail network in 1997. New Voyager trains were introduced on the service from 2001. The introduction of Virgin Trains Operation Princess saw the last run of the Sussex Scot on 28 September 2002, after that date services from Brighton whilst increased in number went no further than Manchester Piccadilly.