History
The route was built in three sections:-
- Inverness and Ross-shire Railway between Inverness and Dingwall
- Dingwall and Skye Railway between Dingwall and Stromeferry
- Kyle of Lochalsh Extension (Highland Railway) between Stromeferry and Kyle of Lochalsh
Latterly the Strathpeffer Branch operated between 1885 and 1951.
In the 1960s the line was listed to be closed under the Reshaping of British Railways report, however it was reprieved and services continued.
In 1989 the bridge over the River Ness at Inverness was washed away, leaving both it and the Far North Line stranded, but new "Sprinter" trains were brought over by road, and a temporary yard was built to service them at Muir of Ord. The section of line along Loch Carron is particularly troublesome and prone to landslides, often closing that section.
Whilst undeniably a rural line, a historic term in the Act of Parliament for the railways here and around Inverness means that one through service per week is operated from Aberdeen, whereas all other services start and finish at Inverness.
Read more about this topic: Kyle Of Lochalsh Line
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