Duke of Sutherland's Railway

Introduction

This line is open. Passenger services are provided by ScotRail from Inverness to Wick, Thurso, Aberdeen, Glasgow and Edinburgh Waverley. The line is supported and promoted by the Friends of the Far North Line .






Dates

19/06/1871Duke of Sutherland's Railway
Golspie (Sutherland Railway) to Dunrobin opened, Dunrobin becomes private station for the Duke of Sutherland. West Helmsdale to Helmsdale opened. Highland Railway works line.
  /  /1884Duke of Sutherland's RailwayHighland Railway
Duke of Sutherland's Railway absorbed by Highland Railway.
  /10/2006Inverness and Ross-shire Railway Dingwall and Skye Railway Sutherland Railway Duke of Sutherland's Railway Sutherland and Caithness Railway
Landslips and flood damage close the Far North and Kyle lines between Dingwall and Garve, at Helmsdale, at Ardgay and Watten .

Locations along the line

These locations are along the line.

This is a single platform station which retains its station building, 'B' listed, which is now a house after spending several years derelict and at risk. The building opened with the station, the architect was William Fowler. The building has a unique design, presumably with the Duke of Sutherland's patronage in mind.
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See also
Sutherland Railway
Approaching the station at Golspie, Sutherland, in August 2007. ...
John Furnevel 27/08/2007
Golspie goods shed still in use by the local coal merchant.16/10/06 ...
John Gray 16/10/2006
The station building at Golspie, seen from the forecourt on 27 August 2007. The date on the stone is 1868. The road bridge on the right carries the A9 ...
John Furnevel 27/08/2007
Golspie old station now a private house. 16/10/06 ...
John Gray 16/10/2006
4 of 14 images. more


This single track viaduct crosses the Golspie Burn between Golspie (in the west of the village of Golspie) and Dunrobin Castle (east of Golspie) stations. It has a single 60 ft arch crossing a drop of 68 ft.
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This is a single platform station close to Dunrobin Castle [Castle], located in the north of Golspie. It is noted for its station building (really a private waiting room). Unusually the station is not publicly owned, but by the Sutherland Estates.
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Looking north at Dunrobin Castle. ...
Ewan Crawford //2002
A fine lamp at Dunrobin Castle station with the statue of George Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 2nd Duke and 20th Earl of Sutherland. He was the father of ...
John Yellowlees 13/04/2018
Dunrobin Castle Halt looking north. The building is now a railway museum. 16/10/06 ...
John Gray 16/10/2006
Dunrobin is one of the station which still has a low Highland Railway platform. These steps are to provide access to the trains. ...
John Yellowlees 13/04/2018
4 of 16 images. more


This carriage shed was for the Duke of Sutherland's private carriage. It was located just north of Dunrobin on the east side of the line. It was accessed by reversal from the station's bay platform.
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This is a single track masonry viaduct with a main 60ft arch over the River Brora just south of Brora station. There is a girder bridge to the north and masonry arch to the south, both crossing minor roads. The southern arch crossed over the Brora Mine Waggonway on its approach to Brora Harbour.
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A southbound 158 crosses the River Brora, just south of the station, on 29 June 2019.
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Bill Roberton 29/06/2019
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This is a two platform station on the Far North Line with a passing loop and a car park.
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See also
Brora Mine Waggonway
37414 calls at Brora with a northbound service in 1989. Staff and parcels traffic are a thing of the past.
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Bill Roberton //1989
Southbound route learning 73968 waits at Brora Station for a northbound passenger to pass. 13/11/20.
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John Gray 13/11/2020
37414 leaves Brora in 1989 with a northbound service, passing the loading bank beyond which was a transfer facility for locally mined coal, served by ...
Bill Roberton //1989
Brora build date. ...
John Gray 16/10/2006
4 of 28 images. more


These were the main railway workshops for the Duke of Sutherland's Railway, opening in 1875.
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This was a single platform station on the Far North Line. The station building, partly timber, still stands and is now a private house.
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Another outing for 73968 as a driver route learner from Inverness to Georgemas Junction, in preparation for engineering work. Pictured just south of ...
John Gray 13/11/2020
Looking south towards the closed Loth station. ...
Ewan Crawford //
158710 powers up the gradient approaching Loth Station on 17 September on the 2H57 1400 Inverness to Wick service. ...
John Gray 17/09/2013
North of Brora, The Far North Line runs along the east coast until it reaches Helmsdale then turns inland to follow the Strath of Kildonan. Black 5 ...
John Gray 01/05/2016
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This was the very short lived terminus of the line before extension to Helmsdale station. It was 3/4 of a mile south of Helmsdale at Gartymore. There are no known remains.
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Former site of West Helmsdale station at Gartymore. View looks north towards Helmsdale. ...
Ewan Crawford //
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This is a two platform station with a passing loop on the Far North Line. The main station building, of two storeys, is on the southbound platform. This has similarities to that at Golspie, by the same architect William Fowler. Platforms are linked by a typical Highland Railway lattice footbridge.
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See also
Sutherland and Caithness Railway
Helmsdale 30 September 2017. ...
John Yellowlees 30/09/2017
WRVS poster at Helmsdale. This poster has a quote from Geordie Adams, the fireman from the Jellicoe Express who today unveiled the plaque. ...
John Yellowlees 29/09/2017
This new plaque was unveiled today at Helmsdale by Geordie Adams, who was a fireman on the Jellicoe Express during the Second World War. ...
John Yellowlees 30/09/2017
A new plaque and poster were unveiled today at Helmsdale by Geordie Adams, who was a fireman on the Jellicoe Express during the Second World War. ...
John Yellowlees 30/09/2017
4 of 42 images. more


This two road shed was located just north of Helmsdale station to the west side of the line. Its turntable was to the west alongside the approach lines. A pair of short sidings were a little further north alongside the turntable line.
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See also
Sutherland and Caithness Railway
View looking south over the site of the former Helmsdale engine shed towards Helmsdale station. ...
Ewan Crawford //
Helmsdale Turntable Pit, 1994. ...
John Gray //
The abandoned turntable pit at Helmsdale in 1988, looking north. ...
Ewan Crawford //1998
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