Location type

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Description

This is a seven platform terminus for services to and from locations to the south such as Glasgow Queen Street High Level, Edinburgh Waverley and London, and locations north and west such as Kyle of Lochalsh, Thurso and Wick.

The original fine frontage onto Union Street, and a small station square, was replaced in 1968 with a plain modern structure. The Highland Railway's offices (1873-75, architects Matthews and Lawrie) were on the north side of the square and Station Hotel (originally 1855, architect Joseph Mitchell) on the south side. In the square is a memorial statue to those soldiers of the Queen's Own Highlanders killed in the Anglo-Egyptian War of 1882 (erected 1893).

The station is essentially two terminii alongside each other, one for locations to the south and east (platforms 1 to 5) and the other for locations north (platforms 5 to 7). Lines curve out to the east and to the north west connected by a non passenger line to form a triangle. A short end-on siding at the end of platforms 1 and 2 served a car loading dock added in 1905.

The buffer ends of the platforms are covered by glazed trainsheds and there is a concourse which had direct access to the hotel and Highland Railway company offices.

The central canopy covering platforms 3 and 4 is the original trainshed of the Inverness and Nairn Railway of 1855. That covering 5 and 6 was for the [[Inverness and Ross-shire Railway in 1861 (this shed is to the west of the original). The two trainsheds covering platforms 1 and 2 were added in 1878 (more than doubling the covered area - these trainsheds are slightly longer). Platform 7 terminates before entering a shed. Platforms 1 and 2 were extended in timber in 1905.

Departure from the main line platforms for Perth and Aberdeen, platforms 1-5, was controlled by 'Locomotive' signal box, dating from 1885. This box was at the east end of platform 2 on the north side and directly to the east of the south wall of the Lochgorm Works. Despite the name it did not control the works or Inverness Shed - the entry into these was controlled from Welsh's Bridge Junction Signal Box, to the east. 'Locomotive' was replaced around 1896/97 in anticipation of the opening of the Direct Line via Slochd Summit and the resignalling which also replaced Welsh's Bridge. The box closed in 1987, replaced by the Inverness Signalling Centre.

There was also an 'Inverness Station' signal box, this was located in the 'V' of the junction at platform 5. It opened in 1898 and closed in 1917 when replaced with a ground frame. The cabin itself was relocated to Murthly to become its south box. A (then) new small cabin was erected over the ground frame, since removed.

An interesting practice, to aid transfers, had trains from the north reverse (on their arrival at Inverness) into the southbound platforms - and vice versa as trains from the south reversed into the northbound platforms. This practice ended in 1989.

Nearby the station are:
- Inverness Signalling Centre, in the 'V' of the junction at platform 5
- Lochgorm Works, now the locomotive depot, enclosed by the station lines and its bypass
- Inverness Goods, to the south of the station and approached from the east, now closed and the site cleared
- Inverness Shed, to the south of the station approach from the east and now closed and cleared
- Rose Street Junction, the junction between the northbound station platforms and station bypass
- Needlefield Carriage Sidings, to the north of the station bypass, approached from the east, the original carriage sheds now demolished
- Millburn Yard, marshalling sidings and the present goods sidings laid out north of the carriage sidings, approached from the east
- Inverness Harbour, to the north west of the station and near the River Ness quayside
- Welsh's Bridge Junction, junction between the eastern station approach, southern station approach, Inverness station, Lochgorm Works, bypass line, Needlefield Carriage Sidings - Ness Viaduct, a bridge over the River Ness carrying the Far North Line - Millburn Junction, a wartime built connection, now removed, on the Aberdeen line to give access to Millburn Yard
Inverness was at the centre of the Highland Railway, a network of largely single track line. Double track was to extend out from Inverness as far west as Clunes, east to Dalcross and south to Daviot.

Local

The Station Hotel was Highland Railway owned and ultimately became a British Transport Hotel, who sold it in 1983.

Royal Highland Hotel

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