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Highland Railway
The Highland Railway (HR) was one of the two smallest of the five major Scottish railway companies prior to the 1923 Grouping, 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.
During the First World War the British Navy's base at Scapa Flow, in the Orkney Islands, was serviced from Scrabster Harbour near Thurso. The Highland Railway provided transport, including a daily Jellicoe Express passenger special, which ran between London and Thurso in about 22 hours. In 1923, the company passed on approximately 494 miles (795 km) of line as it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway. Although its shorter branches have closed, former Highland Railway lines remain open from Inverness to Wick and Thurso, Kyle of Lochalsh, Keith (as part of the Aberdeen to Inverness Line), as well as the direct main line south to Perth.
The Highland Railway was formed in 1865 by a merger of three companies centred on Inverness: the Inverness & Aberdeen Junction Railway extending to the east; the Inverness & Ross-shire Railway to the north; and the Inverness & Perth Junction Railway to the south.
The first proposals for rail links to Inverness were made in 1845. These were the Great North of Scotland Railway (GNoSR) between Inverness and Aberdeen and so link up with the railways to the south; the Perth & Inverness Railway, proposing a direct route over the Grampian Mountains to Perth; and the Aberdeen, Banff & Elgin Railway, with a route that followed the coast to better serve the Banffshire and Morayshire fishing ports. The Aberdeen, Banff & Elgin failed to raise funds and the Perth & Inverness Railway was rejected by Parliament because the railway would be at altitudes that approached 1,500 feet (460 m) and needed steep gradients. The Great North of Scotland Railway Act 1846 (9 & 10 Vict. c. ciii) received royal assent on 26 June 1846, authorizing a 108+1⁄4-mile (174.2 km) route needing few major engineering works. Two years later the railway mania bubble had burst and the necessary finances could not be raised. Construction eventually began in November 1852, albeit only 39 miles (63 km) to Huntly, and this line was officially opened on 19 September 1854. An extension to Keith, halfway between Aberdeen and Inverness, opened on 11 October 1856.
Meanwhile the 15-mile (24 km) Inverness & Nairn Railway had been given permission for a line between Inverness and Nairn, together with a 1⁄2-mile (0.80 km) branch to Inverness Harbour, on 24 July 1854. The line opened ceremonially on 5 November 1855 when a train of thirty vehicles, mainly goods wagons fitted with seats, made a return journey. Intermediate stations opened at Culloden (later Allanfearn), Dalcross, Fort George (later Gollanfield Junction) and Cawdor. Initially three trains a day ran between Inverness and Nairn, horse-drawn coaches providing a link to Keith and thereby Aberdeen via the Great North of Scotland Railway. The Inverness & Nairn planned an extension as far as Elgin; between Elgin and Keith the River Spey needed to be crossed. The GNoSR offered £40,000 towards a bridge and the Inverness and Aberdeen Junction Railway (IAJR) was given authority for a line from Nairn and Keith in July 1856. A temporary station at Dalvey, west of the River Findhorn, opened on 22 December 1857, to close when the line extended to Elgin on 25 March 1858. Keith, and the GNoSR, was reached on 18 August 1858. Three services a day ran between Inverness and Aberdeen, Aberdeen being reached in between 5 hours 55 minutes to 6 hours 30 minutes. The Spey Bridge was unfinished when the line opened, so initially passengers walked across the adjacent road bridge as the locomotive was detached and crossed before the carriages were hauled over by ropes. The Inverness and Aberdeen Junction absorbed the Inverness & Nairn in 1861.
The Morayshire Railway had opened a 5+1⁄2-mile (8.9 km) line between Lossiemouth and Elgin on 10 August 1852, public services starting the next day. Permission was granted to the Morayshire to run over the IAJR to Orton and to build a branch to Rothes. The IAJR opened the line on 18 August 1858 and the Morayshire started running services on 23 August. Conflict soon arose between the IAJR and Morayshire Railway, and the directors of the Morayshire responded with plans to build their own line between the two stations. The Great North sponsored the new line and offered to provide services after the lines had been physically connected. Permission was granted on 3 July 1860, goods were carried from 30 December 1861 and passengers from 1 January 1862. The Morayshire was operated by the Great North of Scotland from 1866 and was absorbed in 1881.
Between Forres and Elgin two branches opened, the first being from Kinloss to Findhorn; 3 miles (4.8 km) long this operated independently from 18 April 1860 before being taken over by the IAJR in 1862. The IAJR also opened a 5+1⁄2-mile (8.9 km) branch from Alves to Burghead on 22 December 1862.
The Inverness and Ross-shire Railway was given permission on 3 July 1860 to build a railway the 31 miles (50 km) from Inverness to Invergordon. After the section to Dingwall was complete and given the necessary permission by the Board of Trade on 10 June 1862, the line opened to traffic the following day. The terminus at Inverness was not situated to allow through traffic, so additional platforms were built on the west side and the layout arranged as a Y. The Rose Street curve joined the two lines, and most arriving trains would take this curve past the station and then reverse into the platforms, allowing easy interchange and through carriages. The line to Invergordon opened on 25 March 1863, delayed due to conflict over the line crossing the Ferry Road at Findon. The original plans were for a level crossing, but following protests a bridge was built.
Highland Railway
The Highland Railway (HR) was one of the two smallest of the five major Scottish railway companies prior to the 1923 Grouping, 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.
During the First World War the British Navy's base at Scapa Flow, in the Orkney Islands, was serviced from Scrabster Harbour near Thurso. The Highland Railway provided transport, including a daily Jellicoe Express passenger special, which ran between London and Thurso in about 22 hours. In 1923, the company passed on approximately 494 miles (795 km) of line as it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway. Although its shorter branches have closed, former Highland Railway lines remain open from Inverness to Wick and Thurso, Kyle of Lochalsh, Keith (as part of the Aberdeen to Inverness Line), as well as the direct main line south to Perth.
The Highland Railway was formed in 1865 by a merger of three companies centred on Inverness: the Inverness & Aberdeen Junction Railway extending to the east; the Inverness & Ross-shire Railway to the north; and the Inverness & Perth Junction Railway to the south.
The first proposals for rail links to Inverness were made in 1845. These were the Great North of Scotland Railway (GNoSR) between Inverness and Aberdeen and so link up with the railways to the south; the Perth & Inverness Railway, proposing a direct route over the Grampian Mountains to Perth; and the Aberdeen, Banff & Elgin Railway, with a route that followed the coast to better serve the Banffshire and Morayshire fishing ports. The Aberdeen, Banff & Elgin failed to raise funds and the Perth & Inverness Railway was rejected by Parliament because the railway would be at altitudes that approached 1,500 feet (460 m) and needed steep gradients. The Great North of Scotland Railway Act 1846 (9 & 10 Vict. c. ciii) received royal assent on 26 June 1846, authorizing a 108+1⁄4-mile (174.2 km) route needing few major engineering works. Two years later the railway mania bubble had burst and the necessary finances could not be raised. Construction eventually began in November 1852, albeit only 39 miles (63 km) to Huntly, and this line was officially opened on 19 September 1854. An extension to Keith, halfway between Aberdeen and Inverness, opened on 11 October 1856.
Meanwhile the 15-mile (24 km) Inverness & Nairn Railway had been given permission for a line between Inverness and Nairn, together with a 1⁄2-mile (0.80 km) branch to Inverness Harbour, on 24 July 1854. The line opened ceremonially on 5 November 1855 when a train of thirty vehicles, mainly goods wagons fitted with seats, made a return journey. Intermediate stations opened at Culloden (later Allanfearn), Dalcross, Fort George (later Gollanfield Junction) and Cawdor. Initially three trains a day ran between Inverness and Nairn, horse-drawn coaches providing a link to Keith and thereby Aberdeen via the Great North of Scotland Railway. The Inverness & Nairn planned an extension as far as Elgin; between Elgin and Keith the River Spey needed to be crossed. The GNoSR offered £40,000 towards a bridge and the Inverness and Aberdeen Junction Railway (IAJR) was given authority for a line from Nairn and Keith in July 1856. A temporary station at Dalvey, west of the River Findhorn, opened on 22 December 1857, to close when the line extended to Elgin on 25 March 1858. Keith, and the GNoSR, was reached on 18 August 1858. Three services a day ran between Inverness and Aberdeen, Aberdeen being reached in between 5 hours 55 minutes to 6 hours 30 minutes. The Spey Bridge was unfinished when the line opened, so initially passengers walked across the adjacent road bridge as the locomotive was detached and crossed before the carriages were hauled over by ropes. The Inverness and Aberdeen Junction absorbed the Inverness & Nairn in 1861.
The Morayshire Railway had opened a 5+1⁄2-mile (8.9 km) line between Lossiemouth and Elgin on 10 August 1852, public services starting the next day. Permission was granted to the Morayshire to run over the IAJR to Orton and to build a branch to Rothes. The IAJR opened the line on 18 August 1858 and the Morayshire started running services on 23 August. Conflict soon arose between the IAJR and Morayshire Railway, and the directors of the Morayshire responded with plans to build their own line between the two stations. The Great North sponsored the new line and offered to provide services after the lines had been physically connected. Permission was granted on 3 July 1860, goods were carried from 30 December 1861 and passengers from 1 January 1862. The Morayshire was operated by the Great North of Scotland from 1866 and was absorbed in 1881.
Between Forres and Elgin two branches opened, the first being from Kinloss to Findhorn; 3 miles (4.8 km) long this operated independently from 18 April 1860 before being taken over by the IAJR in 1862. The IAJR also opened a 5+1⁄2-mile (8.9 km) branch from Alves to Burghead on 22 December 1862.
The Inverness and Ross-shire Railway was given permission on 3 July 1860 to build a railway the 31 miles (50 km) from Inverness to Invergordon. After the section to Dingwall was complete and given the necessary permission by the Board of Trade on 10 June 1862, the line opened to traffic the following day. The terminus at Inverness was not situated to allow through traffic, so additional platforms were built on the west side and the layout arranged as a Y. The Rose Street curve joined the two lines, and most arriving trains would take this curve past the station and then reverse into the platforms, allowing easy interchange and through carriages. The line to Invergordon opened on 25 March 1863, delayed due to conflict over the line crossing the Ferry Road at Findon. The original plans were for a level crossing, but following protests a bridge was built.
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