Location type

Station

Name and dates

Dingwall (1862-)

Station code: DIN National Rail ScotRail
Where: Highland, Scotland
Opened on the Inverness and Ross-shire Railway.
Open on the Far North Line.
Open on the Kyle Line.

Description

This is a two platform station on the Far North Line which opened in 1862. It has a fine station building on the northbound platform with a large glazed canopy. There is a car park and a lattice footbridge over to the southbound platform.

The main building is similar to that at Nairn and Pitlochry. It dates from 1886 and is thought to have been designed by William Roberts. The new building dates from the increase in traffic with the opening of the Strathpeffer [2nd] branch in 1885. The original plain stone building was to the south of the replacement.

A café operates in the main station building and under the glass canopied platform. Tina's Tearoom

Also on the northbound platform, and north of the main building, is 'The Mallard' pub in a timber building.

There are several railway cottages in the station square.

This was formerly a four platform station - a bay existed at the north end on the west side. This was added in 1870 for the opening of the Dingwall and Skye Railway which runs west to Kyle of Lochalsh. This line ran directly into the bay with a crossover north of the station at Dingwall Junction making a connection between the main and Kyle routes. The bay was later used for the short branch to Strathpeffer [2nd]. Also in 1870 the southbound platform became an island platform with an extra face on the east side as traffic increased.

The platforms were equipped with water columns, water tanks were on the east side of the station, just south of the road bridge crossing the station.

To the south of the station was a goods yard, on the west side. The goods yard consisted of a goods shed served by a loop and, crossing this at the north end of the loop, a line to two sides of a loading bank.

After 1870 sidings and locomotive shed, Dingwall Shed, was added to its west, approached from the south via a headshunt. The headshunt of the goods yard and new sidings served a warehouse to the south of the station, beyond the station loop.

The station gained up (southbound) and down (north and west bound) yards. Many of these predated the Great War and a few were added to the up yard for timber traffic in the war.

The down yard, of four single ended sidings, predated the war and was west of the bay platform line at the north end of the station and approached from the north by reversal or south via a headshunt. There was also a looped siding on the east side of the railway, off the island platform's east face line and opposite this set of sidings. The down yard was lifted by the 1960s.

The up yard, four sidings (two before the war), was on the east side of the island platform's east side line. It was approached by reversal from the south or by a headshunt at its south end if approached from the north.

There were two signal boxes. The original north and south boxes opened with modifications made for the opening of the Kyle line in 1870. Both were on the east side of the line, with one at either end of the passing loop. These were replaced in 1896 with the addition of sidings and enlargement of platforms. The north box was replaced with a small shed like building after a 1963 fire. Both boxes closed in 1988 with the introduction of Radio Electric Token Block. The south box, B listed, stood for some time after its closure. Note that a third box existed in Dingwall, Dingwall Crossing Panel Box (see entry). This was on the Kyle line.

Radio Electric Token Block

With the introduction of RETB came the closure of traditional signal boxes on the Kyle and Far North lines. Dingwall became the site of a RETB control room. This was originally housed in a Portacabin on the platform by the canopy, later moving into the ststion building before relocation, in 1988, to the Inverness Signalling Centre.

Boxes taken over included:

1984

Achnasheen East and West boxes.
Garve East and West boxes.
Kyle of Lochalsh Strathcarron East and West boxes.

1985

Ardgay North and South boxes.
Brora North and South boxes.
Forsinard North and South boxes.
Georgemas Junction and Georgemas North boxes.
Helmsdale North and South boxes.
Invergordon North and South boxes.
Lairg North and South boxes.
Rogart North and South boxes.
Tain North and South boxes.

1988

Dingwall North and South boxes.
Muir of Ord North and South boxes.

Local

Dingwall Museum

Tags

Station

External links

NLS Collection OS map of 1892-1914
NLS Collection OS map of 1944-67
NLS Map
06/12/2021

Facilities

Gaelic name: Inbhir Pheofharain
Listing: B

Nearby stations Alcaig Conon Bridge Culbokie Achterneed Foulis Strathpeffer [2nd] Redcastle Allangrange Muir of Ord Muir of Ord Market Stance Platform Evanton Drumcudden Munlochy Clunes Lentran	Dingwall Shed Dingwall Junction Dingwall Canal Basin Dingwall Crossing Panel Box Dingwall Scottish Oil Siding Fodderty Junction Conon Bridge Viaduct Fodderty Junction Yard Tourist/other Dingwall Museum Sir Hector MacDonald Monument Dingwall No 1 LC Dingwall Middle LC Dingwall No 2 LC Tulloch Castle Brae House
Location names in dark blue are on the same original line.