Location type

Station

Names and dates

Birnam and Dunkeld (1856-1861)
Dunkeld (1861-1903)
Dunkeld and Birnam (1903-1981)
Dunkeld (1981-1991)
Dunkeld and Birnam (1991-)

Opened on the Perth and Dunkeld Railway.

Opened on the Inverness and Perth Junction Railway.

Description

This is a two platform station which for originally the terminus of the line from Stanley Junction before the Inverness and Perth Junction Railway extended the line north to Inverness via Forres.

The main building is on the up (southbound) platform. The building is particularly fine example of Tudor style. The architect was Andrew Heiton. The station was fitting of what was a terminus nearby some very large Highland estates.

There was a sizeable trainshed, which is given away by the long wall on the up platform side of the station building. The wall now featuring a canopy. The trainshed survived the extension of the line, there being an 'end-on' junction. After its removal a timber building, now gone, was erected on the down platform.

There was a sizeable goods yard on the north / east side of the line, approached from the south, obviously having been a terminus. On the south / west side of the line, south of the station was a single ended and single track locomotive shed. A wall of this shed survives by the signal box.

The Birnam bypass cut through the goods yard and north of the station separating the town and station which serves it. There is an underpass for access and a car park. The goods yard remains, as permanent way sidings, but much reduced. There had been a large stone goods shed.

The station has had many variations of the names Birnam and Dunkeld over the years, due to its being located on the southern edge of Birnam and close to, but slightly further away from, Dunkeld and its Cathedral on the north bank of the Tay.

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