Highland Railway - History

History

• The Inverness and Nairn Railway (INR): 15 miles (24 km) in length, was incorporated in 1854; the first train ran on 5 November 1855; it was the original part of the HR;
• A railway between Nairn and Keith opened in 1858; in 1861 this was amalgamated with the INR to become the Inverness and Aberdeen Junction Railway (I&AJR);
• Two railways were to follow:
  • the Inverness and Perth Junction Railway, opened in 1863, which connected with the I&AJR at Forres, and which in turn joined the Perth and Dunkeld Railway (opened 7 April 1856) at Dunkeld, completing the main line of the HR, which itself came into being in 1865;
• Lines to north were also being opened; all were merged with the HR by 1884:
  • 23 March 1856 the Inverness and Ross-shire Railway, Inverness to Invergordon; it was extended to Bonar Bridge in 1864;
  • 13 April 1868: the Sutherland Railway, Bonar Bridge to Golspie;
  • 19 August 1870: the Dingwall and Skye Railway, Dingwall to Stromeferry;
  • 19 June 1871: the Duke of Sutherland's Railway, Golspie to Helmsdale built by the Duke of Sutherland;
  • 28 July 1874: the Sutherland and Caithness Railway, Helmsdale to Wick and Thurso completed the line;
  • 2 November 1897: the Dingwall and Skye Railway extended from Stromeferry to Kyle of Lochalsh;
  • 1 November 1898: the "direct line" between Aviemore and Inverness opened, reducing the journey from 60 to 35 miles (97 to 56 km).
• There were also several branch lines of the HR. From the south, these were:
  • the Aberfeldy Branch;
  • the Buckie and Portessie Branch: opened 1 August 1884, closed 7 August 1915 (to passengers and central section between Aultmore and Buckie totally)
  • the Fochabers Town branch: closed 14 September 1931
  • the Hopeman branch: also closed 14 September 1931
  • the Findhorn Railway: opened 1860, closed 1869 as being a failure
  • the Fort George branch: also closed 14 September 1931
  • the Fortrose Branch: closed 1 October 1951
  • the Strathpeffer Branch: closed to passengers 23 February 1946, closed to freight 26 March 1951
• There were two light railways opened and run by the HR:
  • 2 June 1902: the Dornoch Light Railway, again under the auspices of the Duke of Sutherland, 7.5 miles (12.1 km), between The Mound and Dornoch;
  • 1 July 1903: The Wick and Lybster Light Railway, 13.5 miles (21.7 km). The line was abandoned on 3 April 1944.
• In 1921, the railway comprised 484 miles (779 km) of line and the company’s capital stood at nearly £7 million.