Aberfeldy

Location type

Station

Name and dates

Aberfeldy (1865-1965)

Opened on the Aberfeldy Branch (Inverness and Perth Junction Railway).

Description

This was a two platform terminus in the east of Aberfeldy. It served not just the village but was also the closest to Taymouth Castle seat of the various Marquess of Breadalbanes, major landowners with interests in the Highland Railway, Callander and Oban Railway and others. The main platform could accommodate a long train alongside the station building and had a run-round loop and the short platform could take a few coaches and was at the east end of the station.

The station building had something of the style of Pitlochry's main building; two crow steps gables but with a building length canopy. The original timber building was a reconstruction of the building which had been erected at the abortive Rafford station. The timber building was replaced in 1878 following a fire.

There was a goods yard at the east end of the station and on the north side of the line. A single ended one road locomotive shed, Aberfeldy Shed, was reached from the platform's loop line. An aerial ropeway connected a rock hopper/crusher, to the south of the shed, to Gatehouse Quarry to the south.

The signal box was east of the station, on the south side of the platform lines with the engine shed to its south.

Until 1904 there were through coaches from Aberfeldy to Glasgow.

The station, box and line closed in 1965. At the end the branch train was reduced to a locomotive and single carriage for all the traffic, often a handful of passengers.

The station site is now a car park.

To the east is Aberfeldy Distillery, which was formerly served by the railway.

Local

South west of Aberfeldy is Taymouth Castle, on the south bank of the River Tay, the castle being the seat of the Campbells, Marquesses of Breadalbane.

A little further south west is Kenmore Pier on Loch Tay, which had steamers running south west to Loch Tay station pier on the Killin Railway.

Tags

Terminus Aerial ropeway

External links

Canmore site record
NLS Collection OS map of 1892-1914
NLS Collection OS map of 1944-67
06/04/2023




Chronology Dates

22/07/1861Inverness and Perth Junction Railway
Aberfeldy Branch (Inverness and Perth Junction Railway)
Act obtained for a line between Dunkeld and Forres, and Ballinluig to Aberfeldy. Engineer: Joseph Mitchell. Running power from Stanley Junction to Perth General over the Scottish Midland Junction Railway.
03/07/1865Aberfeldy Branch (Inverness and Perth Junction Railway)
Aberfeldy branch opened. Stations opened at Grandtully and Aberfeldy, and a new platform opened at the existing Ballinluig station at the junction with the main line.
01/03/1965Aberfeldy Branch (Inverness and Perth Junction Railway)
Aberfeldy to Ballinluig closed to freight.
03/05/1965Aberfeldy Branch (Inverness and Perth Junction Railway)
Inverness and Perth Junction Railway
Aberfeldy branch closed, along with the closure of stations on the Highland Main Line with the withdrawal of local trains. On the branch Aberfeldy, Grandtully, Balnaguard Halt closed along with the junction station Ballinluig. South of the junction, on the main line, Dalguise and Murthly closed. To the north Killiecrankie, Struan, Dalnaspidal, Tomatin, Moy, Daviot, and Culloden Moor closed.

News items

17/06/2021New article: The TV Train [Railscot]