Dalwhinnie: On the way from Edinburgh to Inverness,Black 5 No.44871 passes through the bleak landscape north of Dalwhinnie with The Great Britain IX.
John Gray 30/04/2016

Dalwhinnie

Location type

Station

Name and dates

Dalwhinnie (1863-)

Station code: DLW National Rail ScotRail
Where: Highland, Scotland
Opened on the Inverness and Perth Junction Railway.
Opened on the Dalwhinnie Distillery Branch.
Open on the Highland Main Line.

Description

This two platform station still has a station building, signal box and footbridge. It is located at the north end of the double track section from Blair Atholl. The main building is on the southbound platform. The station is at 1174 ft above sea level.

The station had, from 1885, two signal boxes. Both boxes were on the west side of the line at either end of the station. They were replaced in 1909, with a new box occupying the site of the north box, when the line from Balsporan Box to south was doubled.

The line south reverted to a single track in 1966 and was redoubled in 1978.

Today the line south remains double track and the route north is single.

North of the station is the signal box, and base of a water tank, on the west side. Both platforms had a water column. Opposite the tank and box was the goods yard, now a permanent way siding, on the east side of the line.

Dalwhinnie Turntable was on the west side, just north of the water tank. The turntable was approached from the north. The turntable was gone by the 1920s.

Dalwhinnie Distillery, north of the station on the east side, was served by a siding.

The name arose from the meeting of drove roads at this location, Dail-coinneeamh in Gaelic. The famous Thieves' Road runs south from here by Loch Ericht to Corrour. The other routes are roads today.

The line is supported and promoted by the Highland Main Line Community Partnership .

Local

Dalwhinnie Distillery is north of the station.

Dalwhinnie Distillery

Opposite the station is 2 Station Cottage .

Tags

Station
06/04/2022

Facilities

Gaelic name: Dail-coinneeamh




Chronology Dates

09/09/1863Inverness and Perth Junction Railway
Line opened from Pitlochry to Aviemore, thus throughout from Inverness to Perth. Additional stations opened at Blair Athole (original spelling), Struan, Dalwhinnie, Newtonmore, Kingussie and Boat of Insh.
  /  /1960Inverness and Perth Junction Railway
The double track between Blair Atholl and Dalwhinnie was singled with passing places at Dalnacardoch and Dalnaspidal.
  /  /1970Inverness and Perth Junction Railway
Line between Blair Atholl and Dalwhinnie re-doubled. This was done in connection with the oil industry and anticipated extra traffic. The traffic did not increase as much as expected but the double track has been retained.
04/03/1998Sutherland Railway
Station building at Golspie sold at auction in Glasgow (as was a former railway cottage at Dalwhinnie).
  /11/2001Inverness and Perth Junction Railway
Dalwhinnie signal box repainted.

News items

04/06/2023Signalling fault fixed but ScotRail warns of knock-on 'delays and cancellations' on Inverness-Perth line [Inverness Courier]
19/04/2023Campaigners urge Network Rail to meet them to find solution to Dalwhinnie level crossing row [Press and Journal]
27/01/2023Dalwhinnie campaigners fighting for their right of way [Strathspey and Badenoch Herald]
22/01/2023Rights of Way group pose questions for Network Rail over Dalwhinnie gates [Strathspey and Badenoch Herald]
08/01/2023Your views: Cairngorms National Park Authority chiefs must take action over Dalwhinnie crossing closure [Strathspey Herald]
30/12/2022More than 1000 cases of 'trespassing' at controversial Ben Alder rail crossing [Strathspey and Badenoch Herald]
26/09/2022Wiring error in signalling system caused Dalwhinnie train derailment, probe finds [STV]
26/09/2022Report 10/2022: Wrong side signalling failure and derailment at Dalwhinnie, Badenoch and Strathspey [RAIB]
23/05/2022ScotWays calls on public for help with Dalwhinnie crossing evidence [WalkHighlands]
15/05/2022Ramblers Scotland step up pressure on reopening of Ben Alder level-crossing in Dalwhinnie [Strathspey Herald]

Books


Bradshaw's Guides Scotlands Railways West Coast - Carlisle to Inverness: 5

Highland Railway Album: No. 1

Highland Railway Album: No. 2

Highland Railway Carriages and Wagons

Highland Railway: People and Places - From the Inverness and Nairn Railway to Scotrail

The Highland Railway

The Highland Railway : The History of the Railways of the Scottish Highlands - Vol 2