Clickable Schematic of route
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This line runs in the south of the island of Raasay which is off the east coast of the Isle of Skye. The island has a low population and is served by a ferry from Sconser (Skye). The ferry uses a slip by the former iron ore bunkers pier at Suisnish.
This 1.5 mile line was operated by William Baird & Co, of the Gartsherrie Ironworks, to connect mines above Inverarish to a pierhead at Suisnish. The line was cable hauled due to its severe gradients. The haulage of the cable was diesel electric, although some sources suggest steam. A large concrete and girder viaduct was required - today only the concrete piers of this remain. The line terminated at its south end at a calcinating plant which was connected to the pierhead by conveyor. There were several bunkers located at the pierhead.
Bairds may have started extraction of iron ore on the island in the 1880s, but after buying the island the railway and mines were opened in 1913. During the First World War German prisoners of War were used, being barracked at Inverarish, until early 1919 when the mines and lines closed. Many of the prisoners died in an epidemic in 1919.
Bunkers on the pierhead were removed when Caledonian MacBrayne started using the pier. Today the ferries use a slipway by the pier.
