The station in 2011, viewed from the west end, when in use as an information office, cafe and retail shops. The railway line lay behind the bushes at right.
Strathpeffer railway station was a railway station serving the town of Strathpeffer in the county of Ross and Cromarty, (later Highland Region), Scotland. The first station was located some distance from the town, on the Dingwall and Skye Railway line, and was opened in 1870.
Seasonal visitors to Strathpeffer increased considerably in numbers, and a branch line to Strathpeffer itself was opened in 1885; the earlier station was renamed Achterneed. Tourism increased considerably, but the First World War interrupted the leisure development, and it never recovered after the war.
In 1946 the second Strathpeffer station was closed to passengers. The earlier station, now called Achterneed, continued in use, being located on a through line, but it closed in 1964.
The part of the route at the eastern end was planned to follow relatively easy terrain, passing through Strathpeffer to Contin, then turning north through the valley of the Black Water to pass Loch Garve.[1]
Sir William MacKenzie of Coul House had opposed the railway on the grounds of loss of privacy at his residence, but Parliament had not upheld his objections. He was implacably opposed to the construction of the railway nearby, and demanded that the line should be built in tunnel throughout the crossing of his lands, an arrangement that the promoters of the line thought impracticable and unaffordable. MacKenzie continued his opposition in such a way that construction could not proceed, and at length the Dingwall and Skye company obtained a second Act, on 5 July 1865,[note 1] authorising an alternative route. As the proposed line approached Strathpeffer it turned sharply northwards, at the location that later became Fodderty Junction, climbing at 1 in 50 to a local summit at the Raven's Rock (458 feet), there continuing west to meet the originally intended route. These arrangements increased the cost of construction of the line, and made operation more difficult.[2][3][4]
Strathpeffer was the largest community on the line of route, with a population of 2,247 in 1861.[5] Notwithstanding the deviation, it was given a station, although this was about two miles north of the town at the top of a steep hill. The line opened to goods traffic on 5 August 1870 and to passengers on 19 August 1870, and this Strathpeffer station opened at the same time. The line was worked by the Highland Railway. Sir William MacKenzie died before the line opened, and his heir was friendly towards railways.[2]
When the second "Strathpeffer" station opened, this first station was renamed Achterneed.
It closed on 7 December 1964, outliving the second Strathpeffer station.[6]
Achterneed station is said to have re-opened as a private unstaffed halt on 8 February 1965, and closed again in 1968.[7][8]
Second station
The second station at Strathpeffer from 1885
Strathpeffer had numerous chalybeate mineral water springs, as well as the strongest sulphur springs in the country; these were considered to be an important health aid, and the spa facilities developed in connection with taking the waters attracted considerable numbers of visitors. The inconvenient location of the station was a considerable disadvantage, and the Highland Railway were approached to build a line to the town itself.[5]
They agreed to do this, and obtained Parliamentary authority in a New Lines Act of 28 July 1884,;[1][4] they constructed a branch line from Fodderty, where a junction was made with the Skye line, continuing west to the margin of Strathpeffer along the route originally intended for that part of the Dingwall and Skye line. The branch opened on 3 June 1885;[2][3][4][5] it was a single line. The earlier Strathpeffer station remained open, but was renamed Achterneed.[note 2] A 2-2-2 locomotive dating from 1865 was allocated to work the branch; it was given a second-hand boiler to replace its own. It was formerly named Breadalbane it was renamed Strathpeffer. For the remainder of the nineteenth century the passenger rolling stock was ancient Highland Railway four-wheelers.[2]
The new Stathpeffer station was elaborately designed. Higginson describes it:
A gabled canopy, supported on cast iron columns, extended its full length while inside extensive offices and waiting rooms were to be found. A bow fronted gable, embellished with intricate bargeboards, served to relieve the otherwise plain frontage which faced onto a wide and sweeping approach.[4]
A standard goods shed was provided, and there was a stone house for the station master. A new bay platform for the Strathpeffer trains was provided at Dingwall.
John Campbell 1914[13] - (afterwards station master at Aviemore)
William P. Hutton 1922 - 1932[14] (afterwards station master at Lairg)
J. Graham 1932 - 1937
Duncan Stewart from1937[15] (formerly station master at Forsinard)
The twentieth century
The Highland Railway belatedly set about building its own hotel in the town, but that did not open until 1911.[5] Strathpeffer experienced a remarkable increase in seasonal visitors, and with the Highland Railway hotel there were more than 500 hotel bedrooms in the town, more than anywhere else on the Highland Railway system except Inverness and Pitlochry. The town was named The Harrogate of the North by the Weekly Scotsman newspaper.[2]
In 1908 - 1909 a through sleeping carriage service from London to Strathpeffer had been run, going forward from Inverness on the 9:50 am Wick train, which detached a portion for Strathpeffer at Dingwall.[2]
With the opening of the Highland Railway hotel, the Company started running a Tuesdays-only train in summer, the Strathpeffer Spa Express. It ran northbound only, from Aviemore and stopped only at Dingwall, using the Rose Street spur at Inverness to avoid the station there. This train ran from 1911 until it was suspended during World War I in 1915. It left Aviemore at 2:15 pm, connecting out of a Perth to Inverness via Forres express train, and it arrived in Strathpeffer at 4:15 pm.[2][3]
Remains of station 1956.
After the Armistice in 1918, the town never resumed its former importance as a tourist centre, and the passenger train service treated the line as a simple branch line.
With the development of reliable road transport, the usage of the passenger service declined steeply in the 1930s, and on 26 March 1946[note 3] the passenger service was withdrawn. A limited goods service continued, but that too succumbed to road competition, and the branch closed completely on 26 March 1951.[2][3][16] although closure was not made official until 12 August 1951.[4][17]
Train services
1899 map showing the line to Strathpeffer from Fodderty Junction, and Achterneed station
The passenger train service to Strathpeffer was designed to connect at Dingwall with trains between Inverness and the far north, and Kyle of Lochalsh.
In December 1895, there were seven passenger trains each way over the five-mile long route from Dingwall. The journey time was ten minutes, with no intermediate stops. The first train reached Strathpeffer at 7.50 a.m. and the last at 5.42 p.m. The first departure for Dingwall was at 8.40 a.m. and the last at 8.10 p.m.[18]
In July 1922, six passenger trains were operated each way. The first train left Dingwall for Strathpeffer at 8.20 a.m. and the last at 6.15 p.m. In the other direction, the first train left Strathpeffer for Dingwall at 9.00 a.m. and the last at 6.35 p.m.[19]
The Highland Railway was a constituent of the London Midland and Scottish Railway (LMSR) from 1 January 1923, under the Railways Act 1921. The frequency of the branch line passenger train service was reduced by the LMSR during World War II, and in October 1942 four trains were operated in each direction. The first Strathpeffer train left Dingwall at 7.53 a.m. and the last at 4.00 p.m. The first train to Dingwall left Strathpeffer at 8.30 a.m. and the last left at 4.30 p.m. In 1922 and 1942, no trains were operated on Sundays.[20]
The first locomotive, Strathpeffer, was a 2-2-2[21] and was underpowered even for the easy gradients of the branch. In 1890 the Highland Railway locomotive engineer David Jones designed an 0-4-4 saddle tank design; the new Strathpeffer was given a second-hand boiler from another 2-2-2, and in 1901 it was altered to a side-tank configuration. In 1903 it was transferred to work the Wick and Lybster Light Railway. That engine was replaced by a third Strathpeffer, a similar 0-4-4 tank design built at Inverness.
Numerous other visiting engines appeared on the branch, including the elegant "Loch" class 4-4-0s designed by David Jones, which worked the Strathpeffer expresses.
A Sentinel steam railcar was allocated to the branch for a period; it was no 4349, built in 1927 and scrapped in 1939, but it is not known to have been on the branch throughout that time span.[4]
Highland Museum of Childhood
The old railway station building currently performs an important role in the town's tourist trade and cultural activities. It houses the Highland Museum of Childhood, several retail shops and a cafe. When it opened in 1992, this became the fourth museum of childhood in Britain.[22]:156 Initially, the museum was based on the doll and toy collection of former Strathpeffer resident, Mrs Angela Kellie but subsequently expanded to tell the story of childhood in the Scottish Highlands. It rented space in Strathpeffer's restored Victorian railway station building and by 2007 had an average of 8,500 visitors a year.[23] In 2009 a board of trustees purchased the station building from Highland Council.[24]
The museum is independent and fully accredited via Museums Galleries Scotland;[25] it operates as a company limited by guarantee with charitable status. It became a registered charity from 1 January 1992.[26]
The museum tells the story of childhood in the Highlands of Scotland, using photographic collections, interpretive displays and artefacts. The collections include dolls, toys, games, children's costumes and childhood furniture. Themes include Birth and Baptism, Homelife, Health and Nutrition, Leisure, Child Labour and Education. There is an oral-history film, "A Century of Highland Childhood";[27]
Railway restoration project
A locally based group has outlined plans for restoration of steam train services to Strathpeffer, starting with an initial one-mile length of track. It later hopes to extend the track to reach the existing main line.[28]
Related Research Articles
Highland is a council area in the Scottish Highlands and is the largest local government area in the United Kingdom. It was the 7th most populous council area in Scotland at the 2011 census. It shares borders with the council areas of Aberdeenshire, Argyll and Bute, Moray and Perth and Kinross. Their councils, and those of Angus and Stirling, also have areas of the Scottish Highlands within their administrative boundaries.
Dingwall is a town and a royal burgh in the Highland council area of Scotland. It has a population of 5,491. It was an east-coast harbour that now lies inland. Dingwall Castle was once the biggest castle north of Stirling. On the town's present-day outskirts lies Tulloch Castle, parts of which may date back to the 12th century. In 1411 the Battle of Dingwall is said to have taken place between the Clan Mackay and the Clan Donald.
The Highland Railway (HR) was one of the smaller British railways before the Railways Act 1921, operating north of Perth railway station in Scotland and serving the farthest north of Britain. Based in Inverness, the company was formed by merger in 1865, absorbing over 249 miles (401 km) of line. It continued to expand, reaching Wick and Thurso in the north and Kyle of Lochalsh in the west, eventually serving the counties of Caithness, Sutherland, Ross & Cromarty, Inverness, Perth, Nairn, Moray and Banff. Southward it connected with the Caledonian Railway at Stanley Junction, north of Perth, and eastward with the Great North of Scotland Railway at Boat of Garten, Elgin, Keith and Portessie.
Achnashellach railway station is a railway station serving Achnashellach on the Kyle of Lochalsh Line, in Wester Ross, Scotland. The station lies between Strathcarron and Achnasheen, 40 miles 34 chains (65.1 km) from Dingwall. ScotRail, who manage the station, operate all services.
The Kyle of Lochalsh line is a primarily single-track railway line in the Scottish Highlands, from Dingwall to Kyle of Lochalsh. Many of the passengers are tourists, but there are also locals visiting Inverness for shopping, and commuters. All services are provided by ScotRail and run beyond Dingwall to Inverness. In the past there were some through services to and from Glasgow, Edinburgh or Aberdeen. None of the line is electrified, and all trains on the line are diesel-powered, as are all other trains in the Scottish Highlands.
Strathpeffer is a village and spa town in Ross and Cromarty, Highland, Scotland, with a population of 1,469.
The Far North Line is a rural railway line entirely within the Highland area of Scotland, extending from Inverness to Thurso and Wick. As the name suggests, it is the northernmost railway in the United Kingdom. The line is entirely single-track, with only passing loops at some intermediate stations allowing trains to pass each other. In common with other railway lines in the Highlands and northern Lowlands, it is not electrified and all trains are diesel-powered.
Dingwall railway station serves Dingwall, Scotland. It is located just south of the junction of the Far North Line and the Kyle of Lochalsh Line, and is managed and served by ScotRail. The station is 18 miles 58 chains (30.1 km) from Inverness, and is the zero point for the Kyle of Lochalsh Line. It is sited after Conon Bridge heading northbound, with the next station being either Garve or Alness.
Inverness railway station is the railway station serving the Scottish city of Inverness. It is the terminus of the Highland Main Line, the Aberdeen–Inverness line, the Kyle of Lochalsh line and the Far North Line.
Beauly railway station is a railway station in the village of Beauly, in the Highland council area of Scotland. Located on the Far North Line, it is 10 miles 12 chains (16.3 km) down the line from Inverness, and it is the first intermediate station on the line, before reaching Muir of Ord. ScotRail, who manage the station, operate all services.
Muir of Ord railway station is a railway station on the Kyle of Lochalsh Line and the Far North Line, serving the village of Muir of Ord in the Highland council area of Scotland. The station is 13 miles 4 chains from Inverness, between Beauly and Conon Bridge, and is the location of the sole remaining passing loop on the single line between Dingwall and Inverness.
Achnasheen railway station is a remote railway station on the Kyle of Lochalsh Line, serving the village of Achnasheen in the north of Scotland. The station is 27 miles 72 chains (44.9 km) from Dingwall, between Achanalt and Achnashellach. ScotRail, who manage the station, operate all services.
Kyle of Lochalsh railway station is the terminus of the Kyle of Lochalsh Line in the village of Kyle of Lochalsh in the Highlands, northern Scotland. The station is 63 miles 64 chains (102.7 km) from Dingwall. ScotRail, who manage the station, operate all of the services here.
The Invergarry and Fort Augustus Railway was a branch-line railway built in Scotland, connecting the named places with the main line at Spean Bridge. It opened in 1903.
The Inverness and Ross-shire Railway was a Scottish railway company formed in 1860 to build a line from Inverness to Invergordon. It opened in 1862 as far as Dingwall and in 1863 to Invergordon. It was extended to a Bonar Bridge station in 1864. It provided the basis for later extensions that eventually reached Thurso, forming the Far North Line. The Dingwall and Skye Railway branched off at Dingwall to reach the Kyle of Lochalsh.
The Dingwall and Skye Railway was authorised on 5 July 1865 with the aim of providing a route to Skye and the Hebrides. However, due to local objections, another Act of Parliament was required before work could commence. This was passed on 29 May 1868.
The Inverness and Aviemore Direct Railway was a section of railway built by the Highland Railway to provide a shorter and more direct route between Inverness and Aviemore, carrying its main line traffic to Perth and the south.
The Inverness and Perth Junction Railway (I&PJR) was a railway company that built a line providing a more direct route between Inverness and the south for passengers and goods. Up to the time of its opening, the only route was a circuitous way through Aberdeen. The I&PJR was built from a junction with the friendly Inverness and Aberdeen Junction Railway at Forres to the Perth and Dunkeld Railway at Dunkeld.
Achterneed railway station was a railway station serving Strathpeffer and located on the Kyle of Lochalsh Line, in Wester Ross, Scotland.
The Far North Line was built in several stages through sparsely populated and undulating terrain. Extending to 161 miles (259 km), it runs north from Inverness to Wick and Thurso in Caithness, and currently carries a regular passenger train service.
References
1 2 H A Vallance, C R Clinker, Anthony J Lambert, The Highland Railway, David and Charles, Newton Abbot, 1985, ISBN0 946537 24 0
1 2 3 4 John Thomas, Forgotten Railways: Scotland, David and Charles (Publishers) Limited, Newton Abbot, 1976, ISBN0 7153 7185 1
1 2 3 4 5 6 Mark Higginson, Rails to Strathpeffer, in Railway Magazine, March 1980
1 2 3 4 John Thomas and David Turnock, A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain: Volume 15: North of Scotland, David & Charles (Publishers), Newton Abbot, 1989, ISBN0 946537 03 8
↑ M E Quick, Railway Passenger Stations in England Scotland and Wales—A Chronology, The Railway and Canal Historical Society, 2002
↑ David McConnell, Rails to Kyle of Lochalsh: Story of the Dingwall and Skye Railway Including the Strathpeffer Branch, Oakwood Press, Usk, 1997, ISBN978-0853615132
↑ Ewan Crawford, The Kyle of Lochalsh Line, Amberley Publishing, Stroud, 2014, ISBN978-1445614113
↑ "Beauly - Presentation". Inverness Advertiser and Ross-shire Chronicle. Scotland. 24 July 1885. Retrieved 8 November 2021– via British Newspaper Archive.
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