- A TRIP FROM KYLE TO INVERNESS -
Joining our shiny, new 158 at Kyle, we travel the length of THE KYLE LINE to Inverness, the Highland capital.

The single line meanders along the lochside past the village of Badicaul - a favourite spot with photographers. This is a great place to view the Skye bridge.

The line passes the village of Erbusaig on a sweeping causeway over a tidal inlet.
Recently, Network Rail spent a lot of time and money strengthening the seaward side of the line with vast amounts of rock.

The first request stop is Duirinish.
Unstaffed, like all the stations between Kyle and Dingwall, this little halt serves the crofting townships of Duirinish and Drumbuie.

Plockton is the first booked stop.
The original station building still stands, usually leased as a restaurant. Opposite the station, a bunkhouse was built a few years ago in the style of a signal box.

The second request stop is Duncraig. The small, single platform serves Duncraig Castle(now a private residence) and still retains it's original waiting shelter.
The platform lights work particularly well - the station is lit up like Hampden Park at night.

About a mile East of Duncraig, the line sweeps over a tidal inlet at Craig Highland Farm. The vista across Loch Carron is one of the finest on the whole route. The native wildlife here can be seen rubbing shoulders with llamas! The adjacent islet, Creige Duibhe, is a heron sanctuary.

Stromeferry station really is a bit of an eyesore nowadays. Looking at what remains, it's hard to believe that, until 1897, this was the terminus of the line. The ferries are long gone and just one overgrown platform remains in use. Even the hotel has gone, following a fire.

Approaching Attadale, the railway and the A890 run side-by-side. This section is notorious for rockfalls and, at one point, is protected from falling debris by a concrete shelter, covering both the road and the railway. The tiny request stop is at the water's edge and the views of the loch are magnificent.

Strathcarron is the first passing loop. Like the others on the line, the loop here was designed to allow trains carrying fishing vessels to pass each other - resulting in the platforms, and running lines, being farther apart than usual. The adjacent hotel can provide a log fire and a pint on a cold day.

The crossing at Blackwood is about a mile NE of Strathcarron.

The A890 crosses the line at Balnacra LC. After the new, open, automatic crossing replaced the gates, Railtrack decided the adjacent cottage was dangerous and had to come down.
The story at the bottom of the page makes you wonder......

Achnashellach station is about 2 miles uphill from the crossing at Balnacra.
Surrounded by forest, this wee request stop is popular with hikers AND MIDGES !!
Worth a visit in June when the rhododendrons are in bloom.

Although Achnasheen retains it's crossing loop, not much else remains. The hotel, once a very convenient watering hole, burnt down in 1994. This results in a long walk for a dram and only a duck pond for entertainment.

The request stop at Achanalt has been reduced to a single platform with a basic shelter. A couple of miles past the station, towards Garve, is Achanalt Viaduct. This is a lovely location and well worth the walk on a decent day.
Be warned - this is MIDGE country!!

Lochluichart is the last request stop as we head East. This is really a 'new' station, replacing the original in 1954. The line was diverted and the station re-sited in connection with a hydro-electric scheme which saw the level of Loch Luichart rise and cover the old trackbed and station.

Apart from the station building (now a private dwelling & cottage industry making cigarette papers), very little of Garve's original infrastructure remains intact.
An automatic LC has replaced the old road bridge and just one small engineers' siding remains.

Dingwall is where the Kyle line and the Far North line (from Wick/Thurso) join, for the remaining 18 miles to Inverness.
Another great spot for a refreshment, with the 'Mallard' right on the Down platform.

Opened in 1862, Muir of Ord station became a junction when the Fortrose branch opened in 1894. When the branch closed completely in 1960, the station at Muir of Ord closed too, not re-opening until 1976. Because the pointwork is operated automatically, trains use the 'wrong' platforms.

The last stop before Inverness is at Beauly. The station closed in June 1960 but the full-length platform remained in place. When it re-opened in April 2002, the platform was raised but lack of joined-up thinking meant that the new part of the platform could only accomodate ONE coach.

Closed in June 1960, the station building still stands, beside the level crossing, and is in use as a private dwelling. The platforms are still visible, although the single line has been slewed into a more central path.

Clachnaharry station closed as early as 1913 but the swing bridge is still operational, carrying the line over Thomas Telford's Caledonian Canal.
The beer garden of the adjacent inn provides an unrivalled view of the line - and a pretty good pint too !!

And so we reach the end of the line - the Highland Capital. This is a charming, welcoming station !! (or something)
Platform 7, which handled a lot of the Kyle trains in the past, seldom sees one nowadays, with most services to & from Kyle using platform 5 or 6.

1H80 - 10:00 Keith - Kyle
1H81 - 08:45 Kyle - Carrbridge

06 October 2009
1H80 - 10:00 Keith - Strathcarron
07 October 2009
1H81 - 09:32 Strathcarron - Carrbridge

1H80 - 0645 Keith - Kyle
1H81 - 0845 Kyle - Carrbridge

This luxury charter train visits Plockton and Kyle during the summer months. Usually nine coaches powered by a class 47 or 57601, it is one of very few locomotive-hauled services to use the Kyle line.
THIS REALLY IS THE WAY TO TRAVEL - BUT AT A PRICE.

While working 2H75, the 17:15 Inverness - Ardgay, 158701 came to grief at the South end of Dingwall station.
By Monday 25/01/2010, the unit had been rerailed and removed. Services returned to normal on Tuesday 26/01/2010.

WCRC/SRPS

1Z47 ~ 05:08 Paisley G.S. - Kyle
1Z94 ~ 16:13 Kyle - Paisley G.S.

47826 / 47786 t+t

WCRC/SRPS

1Z53 ~ 08:45 Aberdeen - Kyle
1Z54 ~ 16:55 Kyle - Aberdeen

47787 / 47760 t+t

DBS/Northern Belle.

1Z27 ~ 08:45 Aberdeen - Kyle
1Z28 ~ 16:57 Kyle - Aberdeen

37670 / 37401 both legs, after some serious shunting at Kyle.

Babcock Rail's tamper DR73933 in the East Siding at Kyle between overnight workings. The machine left Kyle at about 22:00, as 6T47, working briefly at Badicaul before returning to Dingwall where it stabled overnight. Disappointing to see the graffiti, still there after 12 months.

With 950001 out of action, 37218 & 37607 took charge of 2Q08, top/tailing track inspection vehicle DB999508.

7/7/09 ~ 08:02 Inverness - Thurso
8/7/09 ~ 09:40 Inverness - Aberdeen
9/7/09 ~ 06:05 Inverness - Kyle

DBS/Pathfinder Tours

1Z52 ~ 11:23 Inverness - Kyle
1Z53 ~ 18:45 Kyle - Inverness

D1015 'Western Champion'

SRPS / WCRC

1Z63 ~ 05:24 Dunbar - Kyle
1Z64 ~ 16:13 Kyle - Drem

47804 / 47826 t+t

Railtourer / WCRC
"The Highlander" railtour.

1Z48 ~ 09:00 Inverness - Kyle
1Z49 ~ 14:20 Kyle - Inverness

47804 / 47760 t+t

The Railway Touring Company.
"The Great Britain ll - Day 6"

1Z26 ~ 06:30 Inverness - Kyle
1Z27 ~ 13:32 Kyle - Inverness

LNER K4 2-6-0 61994
"The Great Marquess"

Network Rail Structure Gauging Train
1Q06 18:20 Inverness/Kyle/Inverness

31602 "Driver Dave Green"
31601 "Gauge O Guild 1956-2006"

On Sundays, the unit working 2H83 from Inverness is left in Kyle and the set lying in Kyle forms 2H84 back to Inverness.On this occasion, 158725 was failed (no auxiliary power) and both units worked back to Inverness. An empty 158 worked back to Kyle to form 2H80 on the Monday morning.

158723 hit a landslide near Stromeferry while working 1H87, the 15:23 Aberdeen - Kyle on the evening of 18/11/2008. The front bogie left the rails but the two coaches remained upright. Would a 37/4 with a train of mark IIs even have felt the bump?

UK Railtours 'Autumn Highlander'

37417/37401
1Z21 07:20 Inverness - Kyle

37401/37417
1Z22 15:55 Kyle - Inverness

37401/37417
1Z27 08:44 Aberdeen - Kyle

37417/37401
1Z28 16:26 Kyle - Aberdeen

6K16 10:30 Millerhill - Achnasheen

Kingfisher Tours
'The Grand Scottish Railtour' (Day 2)

37417/37401 ~ both legs.

1Z23 - 10:14 Aviemore - Kyle

1Z24 - 16:01 Kyle - Aviemore

Network Rail MPV 98907/98957 on a weedkilling working.

6Z06 13:25 Kyle - Inverness.

The Railway Touring Co.
'The North Briton' (Day 3)

1Z21 - 06:25 Inverness - Kyle
1Z22 - 14:05 Kyle - Inverness

Black 5 45407 'The Lancashire Fusilier'.

A rare visitor - Not many 31s make it to Kyle.

0Z31 - 12:43 Inverness - Kyle
0Z31 - 15:56 Kyle - Inverness

31601 - 'Gauge 'O' Guild 1956 - 2006'

RTC 'Autumn Highlander' (Day 2)
40145 + 50049 (t+t)
1Z21 - 12:30 Inverness - S'Carron
5Z22 - 15:00 S'Carron - Achnasheen
5Z23 - 17:59 Achnasheen - S'Carron
1Z31 - 18:55 S'Carron - Inverness

Network Rail TRU 950001 visits Kyle.

2Q08 Inverness - Kyle - Inverness.

Pathfinder Tours.
'Orcadian Landcruise'

1Z29 - 13:15 Inverness-Kyle
37410/37406

1Z30 - 18:15 Kyle-Inverness
37406/37410

SRPS Railtours.
'The Lochalsh Special'.

47245
1Z64 - 05:28 North Berwick - Kyle

47851
1Z65 - 14:55 Kyle - North Berwick

The Railway Touring Co.
'The Great Britain' railtour (Day 6)

1Z42 - 06:19 Inverness - Kyle.
1Z43 - 14:13 Kyle - Inverness.

Gresley K4 2-6-0 61994 'The Great Marquess'

Hertfordshire Rail Tours
'Easter Highlander' railtour.

1Z20 - 07:22 Inverness - Kyle
37229/47802
1Z21 - 16:00 Kyle - Inverness
37229 + 47802 (t+t)

27 MAR 2007
2Z01 - 08:04 Springburn - Kyle

28 MAR 2007
2Z02 - 08:10 Kyle - Motherwell

47854 + saloon 999506 'Amanda'

Railway Touring Co.
'Autumn Highlander' railtour.

1Z21 - 12:30 Inverness - Kyle ~ 40145
1Z22 - 18:00 Kyle - Inverness ~ 47245