rogerfarnworth
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In April/May 2025 we had a holiday on Skye and as part of that started finding out about the history of industrial railways on Skye and immediately adjacent islands.
The first we investigated was a line used to carry Diatomite from Loch Cuithir to Lealt on Skye the linked article below looks at that industry and follows the line. ...
rogerfarnworth.com
Other articles will follow in due course. ....
The first we investigated was a line used to carry Diatomite from Loch Cuithir to Lealt on Skye the linked article below looks at that industry and follows the line. ...

The Railways of Skye & Adjacent Islands – Part 1 – Loch Cuithir to Lealt
Derived from the remains of microscopic fossilized sea or freshwater algaes, diatomite is a naturally occurring, versatile mineral used in an array of applications from cosmetics to filtration. [4]…
Derived from the remains of microscopic fossilized sea or freshwater algaes, diatomite is a naturally occurring, versatile mineral used in an array of applications from cosmetics to filtration. [4] It was harvested by drag line from Loch Cuithir in the late 19th century and the first half of the 20th century.
“This unique form of silica has an elaborate honeycomb structure, peppered with thousands of tiny holes ranging from a few microns to submicron diameters. No other silica source, be it mined or artificially produced, presents such a structure. Some diatomite deposits are saltwater but most are from freshwater sources. … When ground, this profusion of shapes results in an extremely low-density powder known as ‘diatomaceous earth’ (DE) which has excellent absorption properties that are highly prized for filtration, agriculture, paints, plastics, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals application.” [4]
Diatomite was also used in the production of dynamite. [2][3]
Other articles will follow in due course. ....