Railway Buildings at Fortrose Station

Railway Buildings at Fortrose Station

ID: PC_BLACK_ISLE_RAILWAY_01 DESCRIPTION: The Black Isle Railway was originally a branch of the Highland Railway network. It carried passengers from 1894 until 1951 (freight until 1960) and ran from Muir of Ord to Fortrose with intermediary stations at Redcastle, Allangrange, Munlochy and Avoch. In this audio extract from 2006, Hannah Alexander, a resident of Fortrose, talks about the railway buildings.

Hannah: Oh you see we had, there was a goods shed, an engine shed and the water place where they filled the engine with water. It was just opposite the, opposite the terrace - we call that the Railway Terrace, you know the six houses. From the end of the terrace right to there, that was, this was a field. This was a field. And the line went along just opposite the terrace. It went along there and then there was another one going to the loading bank and the goods shed and that, and then they joined up there, along there, became one. Because there was the rails that went into the loading bank, and then the one that came here which was the- Oh there must - wait a minute - there must have been two. There must have been two. Because there would have been one, you know, the actual, where the actual train came to the station. And then there must have been another little rail where they came to the - where the engine got its water. And that was opposite, if I can recollect. And then the turntable was on the left of the end terrace house. It went round - there's some of the stones still there, in, I think, probably in the garden of the end house because turntables were - You know there weren't all that many turntables, I don't suppose? They would be just in, sort of at the end of the lines in the bigger stations.

Interviewer: Yes, yes. There was probably - Was there one in Strathpeffer? No, it went backwards, or something, did it? Hannah: I think it did, because that was just a little side line to Strathpeffer. That wasn't the main West Coast line, no. Interviewer: No. Hannah: No, that wasn't the main West Coast line. It was a little sort of eh, what did they call it? I forget what they called it. Interviewer: Yes, a branch, or- Hannah: Yes, a little branch line, I think. But, of course if we went, going to Inverness or Dingwall you changed at Muir of Ord.
PLACENAME: Fortrose OLD COUNTY/PARISH: ROSS: Rosemarkie CREATOR (AV): Hannah Alexander DATE OF RECORDING: 2006 PERIOD: 2000s SOURCE: Janine Donald COLLECTION: Am Baile: Memories of the Black Isle Railway Asset ID: 41294 KEYWORDS: