Altnabreac

Location type

Station

Name and dates

Altnabreac (1874-)

Station code: ABC National Rail ScotRail
Where: Highland, Scotland
Opened on the Sutherland and Caithness Railway.
Open on the Far North Line.

Description

This is a one platform station on the Far North Line with a permanent way siding to the south on the east side of the line, the former goods yard.

The local population was very low when the station opened. It was largely developed as a passing place equipped with a water tank for locomotives. The Lochdhu Lodge was built a mile to the south in 1895.

This was a two platform station with a passing loop. The main station building was on the southbound platform with a waiting room on the northbound platform.

In addition to the goods siding there were gravel sidings to the south, on the west side, and a short siding at the north end on the west side. Both were approached from the north and the goods yard from the south.

There were two signal boxes, both opened in 1894. The south box was on the west side of the south end of the loop with the gravel sidings to the west. The north box was on the east side at the north end of the loop. Due to possible drifting snow in Winter, this being a very exposed location on high moorland, this was a location where signal wires were mounted on poles.

The northbound loop was removed in 1966 and the boxes closed. The northbound platform remains but is out of use, although it still features the base of the water tank at the north end, west side. There were water columns on both platforms.

A station building/stationmaster's house exists on the southbound platform, in use as a house. A felled water column lies at the south end and there are remains of tablet catchers. There is a short permanent way siding.

County March Summit [Sutherland and Caithness] is to the south west on the line south. Going south west from the station the land grows more remote with few roads, even dirt roads. The line crosses moorland, the Flow Country, to reach Forsinard.

Local

Lochdhu Lodge is to the south east of the station. For a time this was a (somewhat remote) hotel but has reverted to private ownership. Building materials for the lodge were transported by rail.

Tags

Station

External links

Canmore site record
NLS Collection OS map of 1892-1914
NLS Collection OS map of 1944-67

Facilities

Gaelic name: Allt nam Breac




Nearby stations
Forsinard
Scotscalder
Halkirk
Kinbrace
Georgemas Junction
Hoy
Borrobol
Bower
Thurso
Kildonan
Lybster
Parkside Halt
Watten
Salzcraggie
Occumster
Claiseag Railway Cottage
County March Summit [Sutherland and Caithness]
Limeside Railway Cottage
Balloch Railway Cottage
Olgrinbeg Peat Powerstation (here?)
River Thurso Viaduct [Halkirk]
Spittal Mains Quarry
Georgemas Snowblower
Georgemas Trolley Shed
Kinbrace Timber Loading
Dounreay Power Station
Old Kinbrace Railway Cottage
Tourist/other
Lochdhu Lodge
Loch an Ruathair
Cnoc Freiceadain Long Cairns
Location names in dark blue are on the same original line.


Chronology Dates

28/07/1874Sutherland and Caithness Railway
Line opened from Helmsdale (Duke of Sutherland's Railway) to Wick with stations at Salzcraggie (Private), Kildonan, Kinbrace, Forsinard, Altnabreac, Scotscalder, Halkirk, Georgemas Junction, Hoy, Thurso, Bower, Watten, Bilbster and Wick.

News items

29/11/2023'No question' over reopening of Altnabreac station, says Far North Line group [John O Groat Journal]
27/11/2023Oidhirp a' dol gus stèisean-rèile fhosgladh a-rithist [BBC Alba]
11/11/2023ScotRail withdraws stops at Altnabreac following station access challenges [John O Groat Journal]
22/03/2023Stand-off at Altnabreac as Network Rail staff blocked from accessing railway [John O Groat Journal]
01/08/2022Derailment between Forsinard and Altnabreac replacement buses in operation [John O Groat Journal]
28/12/2021Waving good-bye to hand-signal stops on Far North Line [Network Rail]
28/12/2021Wave goodbye to quirky hand signal stops across Scottish Highland stations [Scotsman]
27/12/2021Highland Council approves plan to take 9000 tonnes of timber off Caithness roads and on to rail network [John O Groat Journal]
17/02/2021Battle to clear railway snow drifts could be won today, ScotRail hopes [Inverness Courier]
16/02/2021Snow drifts continue to bring railway misery on Highland routes [Inverness Courier]

Books


Highland Survivor