A recent few days in Scotland -- objective, some of its very northerly parts, never visited by me before (this including a short sojourn in Orkney) -- featured travel on the Far North line: new track for me north of Dingwall -- had "bagged" the Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh route, more than half a century ago ! South of Inverness: lack of affluence caused me as a railway enthusiast -- by the way, I don't drive -- to "commit treason" -- all travel between my home in Birmingham; and Inverness; was on public road coaches. Other factors led me to travel one way between Inverness and the top of the Scottish mainland; not by rail, but by the line's Stagecoach bus semi-counterpart: seemingly two buses each way per day, as opposed to the railway's four return services -- but, for one thing, the second northbound bus of the day suited me better journey-scheduling-wise, than its rail alternative a couple of hours later. Also: ways as taken by the bus, and rail, routes between Inverness and the "Top End", differ very considerably -- especially in modern times, with various inlets of the sea having been bridged for the A9 road's transit. Plus -- the road route's following the coast for appreciably longer than the rail ditto. With my being aged 76 -- soon to turn 77 -- and not possessing great wealth; realistically, this recent trip will have been my only time ever, up in those parts: wished to maximise variety of scenes experienced, even at the cost of less time on Far North rails, than would also have been agreeable.
Found the bus journey Inverness -- Thurso (where I spent the night) fascinating; and in beautiful weather, and up in these latitudes at this time of year it stays light very late. A rather pleasing curiosity in the "like, and yet unlike" ballpark, which I discovered as things unfolded: is that rail and bus (timings very similar -- roughly four and a half hours) handle things in opposite ways at the very top of the map. Per rail -- Thurso is served first, up the branch and down again -- Wick is the terminus; whereas the bus follows the sea-coast from Golspie, by the coast road all the way to Wick -- thence by the most direct route to Thurso, terminating there. (Taking Senior Railcard into account, single fares are similar: rail a little under £20, bus -- no reduction -- a little over.)
I was pleased to discover the bus route's initially taking in Wick (had imagined previously, that we would leave the coast road at Latheron and go directly to Thurso); having always felt intrigued by the ill-fated Wick to Lybster branch: closely following its route was an unexpected bonus. This admittedly "in the head" more than in reality -- with this line (one understands, lightly constructed in the first place) having been abandoned in 1944, there would seem little likelihood of anything much, physically remaining (Thrumster station is, I gather, preserved -- a private-initiative job). One stretch of the more-southerly half of Lybster-to-Wick had, a little way to the east of the road, what might be suspected to be a length of abandoned rail roadbed -- but what with railway enthusiasts being somewhat inclined to "pareidolia" of this kind; and with complete closure eight decades ago... Names / identities of places: Lybster village was unmistakably signed-and-served; otherwise, a bit disappointing -- a number of tiny hamlets were passed through; settlement-indicating signs (mostly on the wrong side of the road from my point of view here) vouchsafed East Clyth (not Mid Clyth of the one-time station) and a sign and village which could have been Ulbster, or Thrumster -- deduced to be more likely the latter. Not hide-nor-hair of poor Occumster.
My real-present-day rail experience was on Fri. 30th and Sat. 31st May, 2025. Intervening night spent at Wick: after disembarking Friday, from the ferry ex Stromness, Orkney, at Scrabster just west of Thurso; I caught the 1427 departure from Thurso station (ex Inverness 1041) -- this route's standard two-car Class 156 SuperSprinter: travelling thereon across basically unexciting flat farmland (with a stretch right alongside the quite sizeable Loch Watten) arriving Wick at 1455.
The "big show" rail-wise was on the Saturday -- in very good time at Wick station, for the 0802 departure for Inverness. A cool morning, not sunny; but happily no rain, and clear-enough views. A different 156 SuperSprinter -- in the station, though for a fair while not accessible by passengers, way before departure time. From necessity -- I being in my seated spot at a four-seats-with-intervening-table seat, with good view from window on the left (sea-and-firths) side of the vehicle, with my luggage, and thus a disinclination to leaping-around-to-count-heads -- somewhat guessing re payload, there and throughout: but my impression was, that we left Wick with passengers in single figures. Off right on time, initially for Georgemas Junction and Thurso; the sites of Bilbster, and Bower, stations -- closed in 1960 -- thought likely-recognised en route. A reckoned dozen-to-fifteen passengers joined us at Thurso.
With the Far North line's station nameboards conscientiously rendered with names in "classic" form, plus their Gaelic equivalents: I noted that that for Georgemas Junction, is Snaidhm Georgemas. Thought prompted, of travel on Iarnrod Eireann; whereon the equivalent word, as re Limerick Junction, is Gabhal. A reminder that although Scottish, and Irish, Gaelic are linguistically akin; they are definitely different languages.
On south-westward through the splendidly empty Flow Country -- outstanding huge area of blanket peat bog, cherished by environmentalists / naturalists, much of it, visibly as we travelled along, occupied by conifer plantations: a very contentious issue on the "environment" scene. The next couple of stations, request stops -- Scotscalder and Altnabreac, neither required by passengers and neither halted at (concerning the latter, and much-publicised recent doings thereat, perhaps as well -- nothing weird noted, as we passed through). The majority of the route's request halts proved un-patronised, and were accordingly passed without stopping; in fact there was apparently for a good way southward, pretty minimal use of the working, re passengers "on or off". Seemingly "no takers" at Forsinard, a required stop. The thought occurs, that this was a Saturday; perhaps more intermediate passenger activity on working weekdays? Southward from Forsinard, through beautiful and increasingly (genuinely) wooded country: after Kildonan "request" halt -- no stop, as with preceding Kinbrace -- line pleasingly-to-the-eye closely following the Helmsdale River. Assorted wildlife was to be seen from the window, throughout the journey; probably the most striking, a small herd of red deer a little way south of Kildonan -- close by, moving essentially away from the line, but slowly and seemingly un-alarmed. Arrival at Helmsdale -- joining the coast and the thence parallel A9 road -- prompt to the minute, 0946. No visible passenger doings at Helmsdale; but, as per timetable, crossing with the 0700 from Inverness.
Before seeing these regions at first-hand: I had had from the map, the mistaken impression that the fifteen-odd close-by-coast miles between Helmsdale and Golspie were, for rail and road, exciting cliff-hugging stuff. That proved to be the case to a fair extent, re the road-only Helmsdale -- Latheron stretch; otherwise, though -- a slight "touch" just south of Helmsdale, but after that -- essentially, at sea-level in a fairly pedestrian way. Intermediate passenger action perked up a bit, from Brora onward -- seemingly three people alighted there; four joined us at Golspie -- shortly after which, near the long-defunct junction of The Mound (for Dornoch), rail and trunk road part company, the former heading westward inland. Rail in that direction for a dozen miles -- one passenger on at "request" Rogart, another on at Lairg, where the line swings sharply to the south; alongside the River Shin -- crossed on impressive bridge, between Invershin (request stop, observed -- platform wrong side for me to discern the action) and Culrain (request, no customers therefor). I am perhaps overly hard to please as regards rail routes' scenic splendours -- recall being, very long ago, a bit underwhelmed overall by the Kyle line -- but felt that apart from the delights of running closely alongside firths / sea-lochs: the Far North line southward from here is very pleasant, but not all that scenically wondrous.
Be that as it may: passenger business started to boom from now on, plenty of people boarding. Emphatically so at Invergordon, where we crossed the 1041 ex Inverness; and where I was joined at my four-seats-with-table spot by two happily upbeat ladies "of a certain age", off to a feminine-gender "jolly" of some kind in Inverness. It was indicated that another of their number would join us at Alness, the next station: which duly happened, with my accordingly shifting my gear off adjacent seat and hugging it to me. The ladies got promptly into animated "girl talk" -- pausing to remark, in kindness, "this poor man, we're ruining things for him". I responded, "I'm a railway enthusiast -- am happily off in a world of my own, delighting in the journey -- no problem." Peaceful coexistence reigned... More folk on at Dingwall: with a two-car unit, scenario seen of all seats taken, some having to stand -- several more joined at Conon Bridge, where also, a northbound working (figured, short run Inverness -- Dingwall only) was crossed. Yet more passenger action at Beauly; followed by prompt 1226 arrival at Inverness. A splendid journey, and one to remember.
Found the bus journey Inverness -- Thurso (where I spent the night) fascinating; and in beautiful weather, and up in these latitudes at this time of year it stays light very late. A rather pleasing curiosity in the "like, and yet unlike" ballpark, which I discovered as things unfolded: is that rail and bus (timings very similar -- roughly four and a half hours) handle things in opposite ways at the very top of the map. Per rail -- Thurso is served first, up the branch and down again -- Wick is the terminus; whereas the bus follows the sea-coast from Golspie, by the coast road all the way to Wick -- thence by the most direct route to Thurso, terminating there. (Taking Senior Railcard into account, single fares are similar: rail a little under £20, bus -- no reduction -- a little over.)
I was pleased to discover the bus route's initially taking in Wick (had imagined previously, that we would leave the coast road at Latheron and go directly to Thurso); having always felt intrigued by the ill-fated Wick to Lybster branch: closely following its route was an unexpected bonus. This admittedly "in the head" more than in reality -- with this line (one understands, lightly constructed in the first place) having been abandoned in 1944, there would seem little likelihood of anything much, physically remaining (Thrumster station is, I gather, preserved -- a private-initiative job). One stretch of the more-southerly half of Lybster-to-Wick had, a little way to the east of the road, what might be suspected to be a length of abandoned rail roadbed -- but what with railway enthusiasts being somewhat inclined to "pareidolia" of this kind; and with complete closure eight decades ago... Names / identities of places: Lybster village was unmistakably signed-and-served; otherwise, a bit disappointing -- a number of tiny hamlets were passed through; settlement-indicating signs (mostly on the wrong side of the road from my point of view here) vouchsafed East Clyth (not Mid Clyth of the one-time station) and a sign and village which could have been Ulbster, or Thrumster -- deduced to be more likely the latter. Not hide-nor-hair of poor Occumster.
My real-present-day rail experience was on Fri. 30th and Sat. 31st May, 2025. Intervening night spent at Wick: after disembarking Friday, from the ferry ex Stromness, Orkney, at Scrabster just west of Thurso; I caught the 1427 departure from Thurso station (ex Inverness 1041) -- this route's standard two-car Class 156 SuperSprinter: travelling thereon across basically unexciting flat farmland (with a stretch right alongside the quite sizeable Loch Watten) arriving Wick at 1455.
The "big show" rail-wise was on the Saturday -- in very good time at Wick station, for the 0802 departure for Inverness. A cool morning, not sunny; but happily no rain, and clear-enough views. A different 156 SuperSprinter -- in the station, though for a fair while not accessible by passengers, way before departure time. From necessity -- I being in my seated spot at a four-seats-with-intervening-table seat, with good view from window on the left (sea-and-firths) side of the vehicle, with my luggage, and thus a disinclination to leaping-around-to-count-heads -- somewhat guessing re payload, there and throughout: but my impression was, that we left Wick with passengers in single figures. Off right on time, initially for Georgemas Junction and Thurso; the sites of Bilbster, and Bower, stations -- closed in 1960 -- thought likely-recognised en route. A reckoned dozen-to-fifteen passengers joined us at Thurso.
With the Far North line's station nameboards conscientiously rendered with names in "classic" form, plus their Gaelic equivalents: I noted that that for Georgemas Junction, is Snaidhm Georgemas. Thought prompted, of travel on Iarnrod Eireann; whereon the equivalent word, as re Limerick Junction, is Gabhal. A reminder that although Scottish, and Irish, Gaelic are linguistically akin; they are definitely different languages.
On south-westward through the splendidly empty Flow Country -- outstanding huge area of blanket peat bog, cherished by environmentalists / naturalists, much of it, visibly as we travelled along, occupied by conifer plantations: a very contentious issue on the "environment" scene. The next couple of stations, request stops -- Scotscalder and Altnabreac, neither required by passengers and neither halted at (concerning the latter, and much-publicised recent doings thereat, perhaps as well -- nothing weird noted, as we passed through). The majority of the route's request halts proved un-patronised, and were accordingly passed without stopping; in fact there was apparently for a good way southward, pretty minimal use of the working, re passengers "on or off". Seemingly "no takers" at Forsinard, a required stop. The thought occurs, that this was a Saturday; perhaps more intermediate passenger activity on working weekdays? Southward from Forsinard, through beautiful and increasingly (genuinely) wooded country: after Kildonan "request" halt -- no stop, as with preceding Kinbrace -- line pleasingly-to-the-eye closely following the Helmsdale River. Assorted wildlife was to be seen from the window, throughout the journey; probably the most striking, a small herd of red deer a little way south of Kildonan -- close by, moving essentially away from the line, but slowly and seemingly un-alarmed. Arrival at Helmsdale -- joining the coast and the thence parallel A9 road -- prompt to the minute, 0946. No visible passenger doings at Helmsdale; but, as per timetable, crossing with the 0700 from Inverness.
Before seeing these regions at first-hand: I had had from the map, the mistaken impression that the fifteen-odd close-by-coast miles between Helmsdale and Golspie were, for rail and road, exciting cliff-hugging stuff. That proved to be the case to a fair extent, re the road-only Helmsdale -- Latheron stretch; otherwise, though -- a slight "touch" just south of Helmsdale, but after that -- essentially, at sea-level in a fairly pedestrian way. Intermediate passenger action perked up a bit, from Brora onward -- seemingly three people alighted there; four joined us at Golspie -- shortly after which, near the long-defunct junction of The Mound (for Dornoch), rail and trunk road part company, the former heading westward inland. Rail in that direction for a dozen miles -- one passenger on at "request" Rogart, another on at Lairg, where the line swings sharply to the south; alongside the River Shin -- crossed on impressive bridge, between Invershin (request stop, observed -- platform wrong side for me to discern the action) and Culrain (request, no customers therefor). I am perhaps overly hard to please as regards rail routes' scenic splendours -- recall being, very long ago, a bit underwhelmed overall by the Kyle line -- but felt that apart from the delights of running closely alongside firths / sea-lochs: the Far North line southward from here is very pleasant, but not all that scenically wondrous.
Be that as it may: passenger business started to boom from now on, plenty of people boarding. Emphatically so at Invergordon, where we crossed the 1041 ex Inverness; and where I was joined at my four-seats-with-table spot by two happily upbeat ladies "of a certain age", off to a feminine-gender "jolly" of some kind in Inverness. It was indicated that another of their number would join us at Alness, the next station: which duly happened, with my accordingly shifting my gear off adjacent seat and hugging it to me. The ladies got promptly into animated "girl talk" -- pausing to remark, in kindness, "this poor man, we're ruining things for him". I responded, "I'm a railway enthusiast -- am happily off in a world of my own, delighting in the journey -- no problem." Peaceful coexistence reigned... More folk on at Dingwall: with a two-car unit, scenario seen of all seats taken, some having to stand -- several more joined at Conon Bridge, where also, a northbound working (figured, short run Inverness -- Dingwall only) was crossed. Yet more passenger action at Beauly; followed by prompt 1226 arrival at Inverness. A splendid journey, and one to remember.
