Lairg, looking south.

Local area

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This railway runs through a sparsely populated district to the north of Inverness. Much of the neighbouring land is hill farm. At Lairg there is the famous cattle market which was once heavily involved in the droving of cattle. The line was originally intended to terminate at Brora but stopped short at Golspie due to lack of funds.

Chronology

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Description of route

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From Bonar Bridge to Golspie. 

Ardgay

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This station was formerly known as Bonar Bridge. This station was the northern terminus of the former Inverness and Ross-shire Railway (by then part of the Inverness and Aberdeen Junction Railway) the Sutherland Railway extended it north and east to Golspie. The station has two platforms, a passing loop and a disused good-yard with sidings. The original station building still stands.

The name is pronounced "ard-guy".

This station originally had one platform. It was re-built with two and a passing loop. Today the loop has been lifted and the southbound platform is out of use. 'Culrain' signalbox has been demolished. To the north is the Oykel Viaduct (61.27 miles from Inverness). There is a walkway from Culrain station to Invershin which has a footway on the side of the viaduct. The name is pronounced "Coo-rain".

This impressive viaduct now has a walkway on the side of it which allows pedestrians to walk from Invershin to Culrain.

This station has one platform and a derelict station building. 'Invershin' signalbox has been demolished. There is a footway from here to Culrain which uses the Oykel viaduct.

This station has a passing loop and two platforms. The station building stil stands. Both 'Lairg North' and 'Lairg South' signalboxes have been demolished. There is a goods yard and siding for oil. At the time of writing the oil sidings are in use. The station formerly served Lairg quarry. The name is pronounced "Lurg".

This is one of the summits on the line at 488 feet.

The crossing loop is now closed and the 'Acheildh Crossing' signalbox removed.

This is a two platform station with a passing loop. The northbound platform building still stands and there are railway camping coaches in the former goods yard on a section of track which is not connected to the main line. The 'Rogart South' signalbox has been recently re-located slightly further north, the 'Rogart North' signalbox has been demolished.

This was a junction station. There were two platforms (one on the main line and one on the branch line), and a loop on both routes. This was the junction for the Dornoch Light Railway. The station building remains in use as a house but the 'The Mound Junction' signalbox has been demolished.

This station formerly had two platforms and a passing loop. One platform remains in use and the loop has been lifted. The station building is in a good state of repair and the former goods yard is to the south of the station. This was the northern extent of the Sutherland Railway. The line was extended north by the Duke of Sutherland's Railway. The 'Golspie North' and 'Golspie South' signalboxes are demolished. The Duke of Sutherland had an engine shed for his engine 'Dunrobin' (and replacement with the same name) here.