D.J. Henderson's photos

Looking uphill. towards Achnasheen, from the Down platform at Garve station. It was a lovely evening farther west, as can be seen by the sunlight on the distant hillside. Beyond the crossing, the line climbs at 1:50, past Gorstan, towards the summit at Corriemoillie(429ft).

61994 climbs towards Achnashellach station with 1Z24, the 13:30 Kyle - Inverness leg of "The Great Britain III" railtour. As usual, the loco is returning tender-first, due to the lack of a turntable at Kyle. The 60' turntable at Kyle, commissioned as recently as 1946, was removed many years ago and is now in operation at the Strathspey Railway at Aviemore.

Pray to the Moon when She is round, Luck with you will then abound, What you seek for shall be found, on the sea or solid ground. All very well but you don't expect to see it in brilliant sunshine.☺

Especially on a wet, dark night, the driver would have seen nothing amiss until the last second. In the days before RETB, he would have had a long walk to a phone.

158723 awaits recovery after hitting a landslide between Ardnarff and Stromeferry while working 1H87, the 15:23 Aberdeen - Kyle on 18/11/2008. The line reopened with the last train from Inverness on 24th November.

158723 awaits recovery after hitting a landslide between Ardnarff and Stromeferry while working 1H87, the 15:23 Aberdeen - Kyle on 18/11/2008. That front bogie took a battering and there is, at least, superficial damage to the wheelsets.

Perhaps not associated with the Scottish Highlands in the same way as Highland coos, or deer, these guys will eat out of your hand. Try getting a stag to do that.☺ Watch them though, they spit ""☺

The view along Loch Carrron is stunning, whatever the weather. A train to photograph is a bonus, but not necessary, as the llamas are happy to pose for pictures - if you have been smart enough to take some llama food from the bin at the farm.

In foul weather, 47826 runs into Plockton station, at the head of 1Z48, the 16:15 Kyle - North Berwick SRPS railtour. Passengers on these trips have a choice of Plockton or Kyle. They get a longer break in Plockton, but the village is a bit of a walk from the station. Kyle is nearer the station, but the break is half an hour shorter.

47826, top+tailing with 47760, calls at Plockton with the SRPS railtour, returning to North Berwick. The annual visit of this tour is probably as busy as Plockton station gets. Most of these hardy souls will have walked down to the village, easy enough, but the trail back up the hill ain't so much fun, especially on a day like this.

This looks like an early start, waiting at Plockton for the 07:25 Kyle - Inverness. Nowadays, however, this would be considered a long lie; for the 2009 season, the early train was re-timed, and departure is now at 06:15 from Kyle, 06:28 at Plockton.

Not a train in sight, but this one of my favourite viewpoints. Behind the bare patch, at the foot of The Crags, is Duncraig Castle, which dates from the 1860s. At the time of the railway's construction, the Mathesons of Duncraig were big supporters of the line, and a private halt was provided for their use. This survives today, open to everyone now, and can be seen in the middle of the picture. The walk along the path to Duncraig takes about half an hour and must rate as one of the loveliest strolls anywhere in the country.

Looking south from the Down platform at Dingwall and, although the station is still in a bit of sun, a thunderstorm is fast approaching. A few minutes earlier, fluffy white clouds were wafting across bright blue skies and, a few minutes later, monsoon season had arrived in style. It's often said that, in the Scottish Highlands, you can experience the four seasons in a single day - this is not an exaggeration.

After a brief stop, 158714 departs Dingwall with 2H62, the 12:34 Wick - Inverness. You wait 4½ hours and then two come along....... is that not just for buses? ☺

158714 arrives at Dingwall with 2H62, the 12:34 Wick - Inverness. Following a gap of 4½ hrs between trains from Invergordon, two have now arrived in the last 16 minutes. Despite sounding like the result of disruption, these are timetabled trains, and it happens six days a week. Sundays are different; the service is reduced but at least makes some sense.

158713 pulls into Dingwall with 2H72, the 15:50 Invergordon - Inverness.

158713 calls at Dingwall with 2H72, the 15:50 Invergordon - Inverness. The light from this angle clearly shows the state of the footbridge, covered in rust, to the extent of dripping it all over the platform. Network Rail don't have a great track record when it comes to bridges. Even if we ignore the farce at Lamington , other examples are not hard to find. The station footbridge at Shettleston had to be demolished and replaced, because of corrosion.

158713 departs Dingwall with 2H72, the 15:50 Invergordon - Inverness.