This line is open. Passenger services are provided by ScotRail from Inverness to Aviemore, Perth, Glasgow and Edinburgh. Stations remain open at Aviemore and Carrbridge.
The line was built by the Highland Railway to counter competing plans, such as extending the Invergarry and Fort Augustus Railway north to Inverness (which would have provided a good route from Glasgow to Inverness controlled by the North British Railway). Another plan was for a line extending the Great North of Scotland Railway from Boat of Garten to Inverness by a similar route.
This new route reduced the distance to Inverness by 25.75 miles, its promotion and opening putting paid to these competing plans and ensuring that the Highland Railway retained the route to Inverness from the south.
This line is divided into a number of portions.
This line required heavy engineering, notably the Findhorn Viaduct [Tomatin] and the largest masonry viaduct in Scotland Culloden Viaduct. Other large viaducts were required, Tomatin Viaduct and Slochd Viaduct. From the south the line was single track with passing places, double from Daviot to Inverness. Today it is double from Culloden Moor to Inverness.
This is a three platform station, formerly with a bay at the north end on the west side. The station was rebuilt and enlarged when Aviemore became a junction on the opening of the Direct Line to Inverness via Carrbridge. The name Aviemore is from Gaelic, 'An Aghaidh Mhòr' - The big (mountain) face, describing the hill Craigellachie which lies to the west.
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A small marshalling yard was laid out at Aviemore in the Second World War to allow southbound trains from the Forres [2nd] and Inverness routes to be sorted into Glasgow and Edinburgh portions and merged. It was an expansion of an existing set of sidings.
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Construction of two signal boxes, a north and a south, began here in 1898 but was abandoned. The site may have been considered for a station, not just a loop.
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This is a two platform station with a passing loop. The main station building, waiting room and footbridge remain. The main building is timber and, in common with many Highland Railway stations, 'H' shaped in plan. At its north end the building is built out with a small glazed porch, a former signal box dating from the resignalling of 1957. Platforms are linked by a lattice footbridge. There ...
More detailsThis is a single track bridge just north of Carrbridge station.
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This is a 26ft single track bridge with mass concrete abutments over the Baddengorm Burn (Allt nan Ceatharnach) north of Carrbridge station and the Dulnain Viaduct [Carrbridge]. The original bridge here was a 15ft arch.
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This is an eight arch masonry viaduct carrying a single track and south of Slochd Summit. The viaduct is quite wide, possibly intended to allow doubling. Also known as Slochd Mhuic Viaduct, the line passes over the wooded course of the Allt Slochd Mhuic.
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Slochd (or Slochd Mor or The Slochd) is a summit, 1,315 ft above sea level, and passing loop between Carrbridge station and the former Tomatin station. There was no station here. The railway and road both make use of a narrow pass in the hills.
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This viaduct is south east of the former Tomatin station and Tomatin Viaduct.
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This is a 9 arch single track masonry viaduct. The viaduct is north of Findhorn Viaduct [Tomatin] and south of the former Tomatin station.
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This was a two platform station. The platforms remain, a loop, closed modern signal box and railway cottages.
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This distillery opened with the Inverness and Aviemore Direct Railway (Highland Railway) in 1897. The distillery was rail served, it is on the west side of the line.
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This was a two platform station. The station building still stands on the site of the southbound platform, there is a passing loop and much of the former platforms. The station building had a private waiting room for Alfred Donald, 28th Mackintosh of Mackintosh of Moy Hall. This room was in the southern wing of the building.
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Also known as the Moy Viaduct, this single track timber viaduct is north of Moy station. It has sufficient width for two lines, but a second was never laid. The length is roughly 132 ft.
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This was a two platform station. This was the southern extent of the double track section running south from Inverness Millburn Junction. The line remains open but station is closed.
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This is the largest structure on the Highland Main Line between Perth and Inverness. Also known as Nairn, Culloden Moor, Leanach or Clava this viaduct crosses the River Nairn just to the south of the former Culloden Moor station. The viaduct is A listed. The engineer was Murdoch Paterson.
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This was a two platform station just to the north of the large Culloden Viaduct. In addition to serving the local community the station was specifically advertised as being close to the Culloden Battlefield Memorial.
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These crossovers are about half way between Inverness and Culloden Moor and provide some flexibility should there be a problem on this double track section.
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This junction is east of Inverness station and is where the routes to Aberdeen and Perth divide. The Perth route initially travels north before swinging over the Aberdeen route to gain some height before turning south.
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A double track line ran west from Millburn Junction to west of Welsh's Bridge Junction, the alignment being to the north of the original still open line.
This junction is east of Inverness station and is where the routes to Aberdeen and Perth divide. The Perth route initially travels north before swinging over the Aberdeen route to gain some height before turning south.
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This signal cabin controlled the junction between the lines to Aberdeen and Perth (to the east) and the approach to Inverness Shed, Inverness Goods yard, Inverness station, Lochgorm Works, bypass to Rose Street Junction, carriage sidings and Millburn Yard.
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