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Aviemore Railway Station
What a pretty station – with a view like this it is worth taking the train so that you can enjoy it! There three other ‘See the Sights’ guides offering comprehensive coverage of rural routes and lines linking cities with country places where the journey is part of the experience.
They interpret Scotland’s scenic beauty for the enlightenment of Scots and first-time visitors alike. The others cover the West Highland Lines (Glasgow-Oban/Mallaig), the North Highland Lines (Inverness-Kyle of Lochalsh/Thurso and Wick) and the Ayr-Stranraer line.
Many journeys across the ScotRail network can be completed using just one train, but there are many other possibilities by changing trains en route – for example if you want to travel from Edinburgh to Oban, you would normally need to make one simple change of train in Glasgow.
Yet more possibilities are opened up by the extensive bus and ferry network across Scotland, allowing you access to places many miles beyond the rail network. Aviemore Railway Travel Connections Guide: click here.
Strathspey Steam Railway
The Strathspey Steam Railway is based at Aviemore in the Scottish Highlands. With the Cairngorm Mountains close at hand the area is a favourite tourist attraction for its natural beauty and the wide range of outdoor pursuits that such an area can offer.
The Strathspey Steam Railway runs from Boat of Garten to Aviemore and from the Boat to Broomhill. Originally part of the Great North of Scotland railway route from Aviemore to Aberdeen and the Highland Railway’s original main line to Inverness, via Grantown on Spey, Dava Moor and Forres, the line was closed under the infamous Beeching Ax before being brought back into use by the Strathspey Railway Company.
You may remember travelling to school or work or going on holiday behind a steam engine, when you were younger. You may be too young to remember when steam ran the trains throughout the country. Whatever your age come aboard The Strathspey Railway and relive the sights and sounds of the steam age – its part of your past, your heritage. Join the train at the beautifully restored Aviemore Station, the largest on the Highland Railway system outside Inverness. Pass the large locomotive shed (not open to the public) built in 1897 which is the railway’s main workshop. It may be a trip down memory lane or a new experience for a young one, who needs an excuse. If you are lucky it may even be Thomas The Tank Engine on a ‘themed’ day or Santa Claus at Christmas.
Various special days are held through the year, and on Wednesdays from 1st July to 9th September inclusive, a special lunch service operates leaving Boat of Garten at 12.30pm and returning at 2.10pm, serving a full luncheon whilst you journey to Aviemore and back. At other times, morning coffee or afternoon tea are available.
On leaving Aviemore, relax, enjoy a snack or a dram or simply view the heather moorland and the Cairngorm Mountain range from the carriage window; scenes almost unchanged in a hundred years. Arrive at Boat of Garten, a village created by the coming of the old railway companies that served the area. See the driver and fireman tend to their engine. The Strathspey Railway is run almost entirely by volunteers and their spirit of adventure means that you can experience the magic of a steam railway today.
You could also treat yourself to an evening dining in style on the “Strathspey Highlander”, available every Wednesday between 3rd June and 26th August and every Friday between 5th June and 28th August.General Information: Picnic tables at Boat of Garten Station.
- Buffet Car on most trains (except Saturdays)
- Dogs must not sit on seats or tables and are not permitted in the buffet or dining cars
- Private charters with full catering available
Contact Aviemore Railway
First ScotRail Customer Relations
First ScotRail,
PO BOX 7030,
Fort William, PH33 6WX
Tel: 0845 601 5929
Email: scot…@firstgroup.com , scot…@firstgroup.com
Web: http://www.scotrail.co.uk
Contact Strathspey Steam Railway Company
Tel: +44 (0) 1479 810725,
Fax: +44 (0) 1479 812220
Location:
Strathspey Railway Company,
Aviemore Station Dalfaber Road, Aviemore,
Inverness-shire PH22 1PY
Scotland, UK
