Kildonan

Location type

Station

Name and dates

Kildonan (1874-)

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

Description

This is a single platform station on the Far North Line. The platform is on the east side of the line. There is a level crossing to the immediate south of the station.

It was formerly a two platform station but the northbound line and platform are out of use. The timber building on the disused northbound platform remains standing. The main station building was on the southbound platform. The straight through line was the northbound line, the southbound the loop. At the north end of the southbound platform was a siding, approached from the south, serving a loading bank.

A water column was provided on the northbound platform.

There were two signal boxes both opened in 1894. The north box, on the east side, was on loading bank north of southbound platform. The south box, on the west side, was by the level crossing at the south end of the northbound platform. The south end of the loop was south of the level crossing.

Both boxes closed in 1966. The northbound loop and siding were taken out and the remaining line straightened.

Local

The strath experienced a brief gold rush after 1868 Suisgill - Gold panning .

Tags

Station

External links

Canmore site record
NLS Collection OS map of 1892-1914
NLS Collection OS map of 1944-67
06/08/2020


Nearby stations
Borrobol
Salzcraggie
Kinbrace
Loth
Helmsdale
West Helmsdale
Brora
Forsinard
Dunrobin Castle
Golspie
Altnabreac
Rogart
The Mound
Cambusavie Platform
Skelbo
Kildonan Gold Rush
Craggie Burn Bridge
Carbuie Railway Cottage
Kileanan Railway Cottage
River Helmsdale Bridge
Old Kinbrace Railway Cottage
Kinbrace Timber Loading
Helmsdale Shed
Tourist/other
Kilearnan Hill
Borrobol Lodge
Salscraggie Lodge
Portgower Station Level Crossing
Timespan Museum
Loch an Ruathair
Clynelish Distillery
Location names in dark blue are on the same original line.


Gold Rush


The Strath of Kildonan was the site of a gold rush in 1869, which continued until after the Sutherland and Caithness Railway opened.


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.
  /07/2018Sutherland and Caithness Railway
Consideration of closing Kildonan, third lowest use station in Scotland.

News items

19/12/2022Further request-stop kiosks added on Far North Line [Network Rail]
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]
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]
15/02/2021Snow drifts up to 50 metres long bury railway lines [Inverness Courier]
30/06/2018Kildonan Railway Station to be saved after HITRANS backs down [Press and Journal]

Books


Highland Survivor