History of the line
At present the best sources of information on the Internet are:
Railscot
Highland Railway Society
National Railway Museum
ScotRail
Strathspey Railway

Travel the Line
Trains north from Inverness are operated by ScotRail.
For further details see the ScotRail website or phone ScoRail telesales on 08457 55 00 33.

Details of accommodation and other attractions in the Highlands are available from visitscotland, the website of the Scottish Tourist Board, or by phoning 01463 702695

Become a Friend
Highland railway enthusiasts can join the following organisations:

- Friends of the Kyle Line, The Railway Station, Kyle of Lochalsh,
Inverness-shire IV40 8AL

- Friends of the Far North Line , Norgate House, Rogart, Sutherland KW11 6UB

- The Highland Railway Society, c/o Don Massey 17 Wellyard Close Weston Stafford ST18 0JW

TOP

Books
Many books and articles on the Highland Railway have been published. The best histories are:
- H A Vallance, The Highland Railway 6th edition (House of Lochar, 1996)
- John Thomas (updated by John Farrington), The Skye Railway (Newton Abbot, 1990).
- O S Nock, The Highland Railway (London, 1973)
- David McConnell, Rails to Kyle of Lochalsh (Oxford, 1977)
- Stephenson Locomotive Society, The Highland Railway Company (London, 1955)
- John Thomas & David Turnock, Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain, Vol. 15; North of Scotland (Newton Abbot, 1989)
- Neil T. Sinclair, The Highland Main Line (Cornwall, 1998)

Other books, including collections of old photographs:
- Peter Tatlow, Highland Miscellany (Poole, 1985)
- A J Lambert, Highland Railway Album, 2 volumes (London, 1974 & 1978)
- D L G Hunter, Carriages and Wagons of the Highland Railway (Leeds, 1971)
- Peter Tatlow, Highland Locomotives (Oxford, 1979)
- J R H Cormack & J L Stevenson, Highland Railway Locomotives, 2 vols. (London, 1988 & 1990)
- C Hawkins, G Reeve & J L Stevenson, LMS Engine Sheds, Vol. 6, The Highland Railway (Pinner, 1989)
- D L G Hunter, The Highland Railway in Retrospect (Edinburgh, 1988)

The Highland Railway Society (see above under 'Become a Friend') caters for all those interested in the history of railways in ther Highlands and publishes a journal with many articles on the history of the Highland lines. Back copies of the journal should be available in most large reference libraries.

TOP

National Railway Museum
The National Railway Museum in York (European Museum of the Year 2001) is the foremost centre of excellence on the history of railways in Britain, including the Highland Railway in Scotland. The museum is open daily from 10am to 6pm, except for 24-26 December. The museum is situated 10 minutes from York Railway station. The address is National Railway Museum, Leeman Road, York YO26 4XJ. There is a 24 hour recorded information line on 01904 686286. Visit the NRM website.

Archive sources
Records of the Highland Railway Company and its predecessors and successors are held by the National Archives of Scotland. Archives and libraries throughout Scotland hold other historical records and photographs relating to the Highland Railway.

TOP