Invergarry
Location type
StationName and dates
Invergarry (1903-1933)Opened on the Invergarry and Fort Augustus Railway.
Description
This was an island platform station with a building similar to those on the West Highland Railway. The building's canopy on the west side extended over the down loop, due to the proximity of Invergarry House. The portion over the loop was cut back in later years. The signal box was north of the station building. Invergarry station was 15 miles from the junction with the West Highland Railway at Spean Bridge.
The private waiting room was due to the station being the closest to two country seats of gentlemen associated with the line. Invergarry House, just over 2.4 miles away, was owned by Edward Charles Ellice, Deputy Chairman of the line, and Glenquoich Lodge, some 25 miles to the west, was on long term lease by Michael Arthur Bass (Lord Burton), who was the Chairman of the line.
The station was not in Invergarry, which is on the west side of Loch Oich, but at Laggan, some 2.5 miles to the south.
The station was also the railhead for the road west to the west coast at Loch Duich and the Isle of Skye, the route passing west by Invergarry, Loch Garry, Glen Loyne, Loch Cluanie, Glen Shiel and Loch Duich, Skye could be reached via the Kylerhea or Kyle of Lochalsh ferries.
Access to the island platform was by subway, as with West Highland Railway stations, but this walkway was covered as it emerged onto the platform.
On the west side of the station was a goods yard with two sidings, approached from the north.
The box became in ground frame in 1933 on closure to passengers. It was replaced with an actual ground frame in 1934. The line was heavily used in the Second World War, particularly for timber traffic, but closed in 1946.
After closure the building was demolished but the island platform remained intact, albeit increasingly overgrown. A goods loading bank also remained. Both platforms are in concrete.
In 2012 work began to clear the site and develop a museum at the former station, the most complete former station on the closed line. The platform and trackbed has been cleared and a portion of track laid. Invergarry Station
Tags
Station preserved restored footpathExternal links
Canmore site recordNLS Collection OS map of 1892-1914
NLS Collection OS map of 1944-67
12/08/2021
| Nearby stations Aberchalder Invergloy Platform Fort Augustus Fort Augustus Pier Roy Bridge Gairlochy Tulloch Spean Bridge Fersit Halt Banavie Pier Banavie Corpach Fort William Fort William [1st] Loch Eil Outward Bound | Invergarry Iron Works Laggan Locks Loch Oich Tunnel Calder Burn Viaduct Letterfinlay Crossing Tourist/other Invergarry Castle Glengarry Castle Hotel Loch Oich Bridge of Oich Aberchalder Lodge Leitir Fhionnlaigh Corriegour Lodge Hotel Brae Roy Lodge Glen Turret House Loch Garry |
| Location names in dark blue are on the same original line. | |
General Wade's RoadBetween Aberchalder and Invergarry, to the south, the railway follows the route of General Wade's Military Road on the east side of Loch Oich. The modern A82 follows the west side of the loch. The approach road to Invergarry is the former Military Road. A choice of stationsBoth Invergarry and Aberchalder stations were the same distance from the village of Invergarry. Royal PatronageThe Royal Train visited the line in September 1905 when King Edward VII used Invergarry station (opened 1903) as a guest of Michael Arthur Bass (Lord Burton) at Glenquoich Lodge (rebuilt 1900). This was the King's second visit having been there in 1904. A fleet of cars took the guests from the station to the lodge. Charles William Stamper, His Majesty's Motor Expert and Engineer, recalled that a day or two later Lord Burton's car was sent to collect the King's Messenger from the station. However on arrival at the lodge it was found that a bag containing the despatch-boxes was missing. The car returned and fortunately the boxes were found where they had fallen off the car just outside Invergarry. This early use of cars, particularly by Lord Burton who was so heavily involved in the promotion and running of the line, gives pause for thought. Following several days at the lodge, with deer-stalking and a visit to Loch Hourn for fishing from Burton's steam yacht SY Rover (then new - registered 1901), the King returned to the station and was taken to Balmoral Castle via Ballater. On parting at the station both hoped to see each other at Glenquoich again - but Burton gave up his long lease of the estate and would die in 1909 and the King passed away in 1910. The SY Rover, then in use as a Grimsby fishing boat, was captured and sunk by submarine SM UB-19 in 1916. |
Chronology Dates
| 22/07/1903 | Invergarry and Fort Augustus Railway
Highland Railway Line opened by Eliza Stewart Ellice of Invergarry House. The service was operated by the Highland Railway who were keen to keep the North British Railway away from Inverness. Connecting David Hutcheson and Co steamers operating along the Caledonian Canal connecting the line to Inverness via Loch Ness and the canal. Stations opened at Gairlochy, Invergarry, Aberchalder, Fort Augustus and Fort Augustus Pier. The Lovat Arms and Station Hotel was rebuilt and reopened in connection with new line. |
| /03/1926 | Invergarry and Fort Augustus Railway Landslide at Corriegour and five landslides west of Invergarry station. A ballast train with men to clear the obstruction was caught between two of the rockfalls. |
| 01/12/1933 | Invergarry and Fort Augustus Railway Fort Augustus to Spean Bridge closed to passengers. Gairlochy, Invergarry, Invergloy Platform, Aberchalder, Fort Augustus closed. Line closed to all but a weekly coal train. (Also given as 31/12/1933). |
News items
| 15/02/2013 | New lease of life for former station [Lochaber News] |
Books
 Forgotten Railways: Scotland |
