Inverness and Ross-shire Railway

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     Inverness and Ross-shire Railway
Locale Scotland
Dates of operation 11 June 1862 – 30 June 1862
Successor Inverness and Aberdeen Junction Railway
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 12 in)
Length 57.5 miles
Sutherland Railway
Ardgay
Mid Fearn Halt
Edderton
Meikle Ferry
Tain
Fearn
Nigg
Kildary
Delny
Invergordon
Alness
Evanton
Foulis
Dingwall and Skye Railway
Dingwall
Conon
Cromarty and Dingwall Light Railway
partially built
Fortrose Branch
Muir of Ord
Beauly
Clunes
Lentran
Bunchrew
Clachnaharry
Caledonian Canal
River Ness Viaduct
Inverness
Rose Street Junction
Welsh's Bridge Junction
Millburn Junction
Inverness and Nairn Railway
Inverness and Aviemore Direct Railway

The Inverness and Ross-shire Railway was incorporated on 3 July 1860 with the aim to build a line to Invergordon. The line opened in stages - from Inverness to Dingwall on 11 June 1862 and from Dingwall to Invergordon on 23 March 1863.

Mergers

On 30 June 1862 the railway was incorporated into the Inverness and Aberdeen Junction Railway, which had previously absorbed the Inverness and Nairn Railway. Ultimately the line became part of the Highland Railway on 1 February 1865.

Extension

The extension to Bonar Bridge (latterly Ardgay) was authorised as the Ross-shire Extension Act on 11 May 1863, opening to Meikle Ferry on 1 June 1864 and Bonar Bridge on 1 October 1864.

Closed stations

The former terminus at Meikle Ferry on the southern side of the Dornoch Firth is today the Dornoch Bridge Inn. Here mail was transferred from the train to cross the ferry (today replaced by Dornoch Firth Bridge) to continue its journey northwards to Sutherland, Caithness and the Orkney and Shetland Islands. It remained a station for only three years in the mid-1860s until the line was completed to Golspie. Beyond Meikle Ferry, the closed station at Edderton still exists as a private house next to the Balblair Distillery.

The route today

The line is still open, being part of the Far North Line.

Connections

References