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What a wonderful trip it must
have been travelling up over the top from Spean Bridge, down to Loch
Lochy, over strong bridges, running close to the water's edge,
perhaps stopping at Laggan Station, steaming by burns cascading from
the hillside and along to Fort Augustus at the south end of Loch
Ness. What a shame this most scenic of railways, which only opened
in April 1903, saw the last train running in 1946.
The intention of this line was
to connect Glasgow with Inverness. The competition was between the
Highland Railway based in Inverness and the North British Railway.
As we now know the Highland Railway Company reached Inverness first and so came the first connection
from the south direct to Inverness via Aviemore, the way the train
travels from Inverness to London today.
It never actually made a profit though managed
to keep going partly due to public funding. The section between the
canal and the Fort Augustus pier, less than 2 miles, cost as much as
the rest of the track to Spean Bridge. It was used during the first
and second world war to move troops from various training points in
the area.
Starting from the pier by Loch Ness in Fort
Augustus it crossed the River Oich just above the current road
bridge - you can still see the pillars from the new bridge. It then
crossed the canal by a swing bridge and into Fort Augusts Station,
now the playing field of Kilchuimen Academy, the local school.
From there it ran along the Great Glen down past Aberchalder and
Loch Oich, through South Laggan all the way to join up with
the current Fort William - Glasgow line at Spean Bridge.
You can still walk some of the old track (the rails of course being removed and sold). From Aberchalder Bridge take the east side of Loch Oich where you will
spend much of the time walking on the old line. This takes you up to
South Laggan which is
easily walkable for about 2 miles. It then gets a
little more awkward since you leave the Forestry Commission part of
the path and here and the track is not maintained at all - lots or
gorse, thistles etc. If you're enthusiastic it's a pleasant walk for
quite a while still. Some interesting bridges to be seen on the way
- a tribute to railway builders. Some very nice views too.
The only bit of the old track which resembles
what it used to be is at the old South Laggan Station. This is found
at the back of the Great Glen Waterpark on the south end of Loch
Oich. Yew trees have taken over the remaining old platform; the
subway, not really accessible, is still there to add to the
atmosphere. If you stand very still you can almost hear the train
pulling in, steam releasing, smoke billowing as she comes to a
graceful standstill. It is said that King Edward had a special 'hut'
into which he disembarked leaving through a door in the opposite side
of the 'hut' to his waiting carriage. He loved this area and enjoyed
hunting in nearby Glen Garry.
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