The Inverness and Aberdeen Junction Railway (I&AJR) was a railway company in
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
, created to connect other railways and complete the route between
Inverness
Inverness (; from the gd, Inbhir Nis , meaning "Mouth of the River Ness"; sco, Innerness) is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for The Highland Council and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands. Histori ...
and
Aberdeen
Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...
. The
Inverness and Nairn Railway
The Inverness and Nairn Railway was a railway company that operated between the burghs in the company name. It opened its line in 1855 and its passenger business was instantly successful. At first it was not connected to any other line. However ...
had opened to the public on 7 November 1855 and the
Great North of Scotland Railway
The Great North of Scotland Railway (GNSR) was one of the two smallest of the five major Scottish railway companies prior to the 1923 Grouping, operating in the north-east of the country. Formed in 1845, it carried its first passengers the fr ...
(GNoSR) was building from Aberdeen to
Keith
Keith may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Keith (given name), includes a list of people and fictional characters
* Keith (surname)
* Keith (singer), American singer James Keefer (born 1949)
* Baron Keith, a line of Scottish barons ...
. The I&AJR opened, closing the gap, on 18 August 1856.
It found the GNoSR a difficult partner and passenger journeys from Inverness to the south via Aberdeen were inconvenient and circuitous.
Early intentions
![Inv & Abdn Jn 1858](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/58/Inv_%26_Abdn_Jn_1858.png)
In the 1840s the Scottish railway network was taking shape, chiefly at first in Central Scotland. Connecting Aberdeen to the central area was feasible, and a line was completed to Aberdeen in 1850.
[John Thomas and David Turnock, ''A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain: volume 15: North of Scotland'', David St John Thomas (publisher), Newton Abbot, 1989, ISBN 0946537 03 8, page 154] The commercial and social advantages of a railway connection were by this time well-known, and a town or community that was not so connected was destined to decline. Accordingly interests in Inverness sought their own railway connection.
The massive physical obstacle of the
Monadhliath Mountains
The Monadhliath Mountains , or Monadh Liath, are a range of mountains in Scotland. Monadh Liath is Scottish Gaelic, and means "grey mountain range". Running in a northeast to southwest direction, it lies on the western side of Strathspey, to the we ...
lies between Inverness and
Perth
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...
, and the limited power of locomotives of the day ruled out any route that might have to climb over the mountain passes, so that a connection to Aberdeen seemed, for the time being, to be the only solution.
[Thomas and Turnock, pages 217 and 218]
It was financial interests in Aberdeen who put forward a line from there to Inverness, and in 1846 the Great North of Scotland Railway (GNoSR) was given its authorising Act of Parliament. However this was for a line from Aberdeen to
Huntly
Huntly ( gd, Srath Bhalgaidh or ''Hunndaidh'') is a town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, formerly known as Milton of Strathbogie or simply Strathbogie. It had a population of 4,460 in 2004 and is the site of Huntly Castle. Its neighbouring settlemen ...
only. The GNoSR intended to extend on to Inverness later, when circumstances might be more favourable. However investors were reluctant to put money into the scheme, and of the £1.1 million of authorised capital, only £400,000 had been subscribed by 1852. Despite the deficient capital, the line was tentatively opened for traffic in 1854.
[Thomas and Turnock, page 164] Having taken stock, the GNoSR decided to extend as far as Keith, but no further.
[Thomas and Turnock, pages 168 and 169]
Inverness and Nairn Railway
![Joseph mitchell](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/63/Joseph_mitchell.jpg)
Commercial interests in Inverness were dismayed at this turn of events, but they were encouraged to consider that a railway connection was realistic by the engineer
Joseph Mitchell, who persistently advocated the necessary construction. However it was clear that the huge financial outlay was not going to be available for some time, and he proposed a more modest scheme, the 15 miles to Nairn only. Mitchell was insistent that this was the first stage in a connection to the Central Scotland railway network. The project got its authorising Act on 24 July 1854.
[H A Vallance et al, ''The Highland Railway'', David & Charles, Newton Abbot, 1938, extended edition 1985, ISBN 0-946537--24-0, pages 17 to 19] The line opened for traffic on 7 November 1855.
[Thomas and Turnock, pages 225 and 226]
Nairn to Keith: Inverness and Aberdeen Junction Railway
While the Inverness and Nairn Railway was under construction, Joseph Mitchell set about fostering the formation of a company to close the gap between Nairn and Huntly. He encouraged the Great North of Scotland Railway to engage financially in a new company, called the Inverness and Elgin Junction Railway. However the Great North company began to see that its heavy financial commitment would not be rewarded, and it decided instead to build independently as far as Keith. This would now leave a gap between Nairn and Keith, and Mitchell contrived to divert the Inverness and Elgin Junction to continue to Keith.
[ David Ross, ''The Highland Railway'', Tempus Publishing Limited, Stroud, 2005, ISBN 0 7524 3479 9, pages 24 to 27]
In 1854 proposals had been put forward for a line from Nairn to Huntly, jointly built, the GNoSR and the I&AJR building their own half of the line, and meeting at the crossing of the River Spey near Rothes. In fact the GNoSR put a number of obstacles in the way of this scheme, chiefly because of their own inability to fund the railway, and it did not proceed.
After some discussion, a new prospectus was issued in Inverness, and the name of the concern was now to be the Inverness and Aberdeen Junction Railway; the first meeting was held on 21 August 1855.The capital was to be £300,000 in £10 shares, and the GNoSR was invited to invest £50,000 and have two seats on the board of the new company. The Inverness group also undertook in a letter that they would abide by the agreement with the Great North for running powers all the way to Inverness.
[
In the face of considerable local prevarication, the I&AJR got its authorising Act of Parliament on 21 July 1856. Share capital was £325,000.][Thomas and Turnock, pages 169 and 170][ Agreement with the Inverness and Nairn Railway to take over their line was finalised on 17 March 1857.][Ross, page 29]
The first part of the construction was rapid, and on 22 December 1857[Thomas gives September on page 169, but December in the table on page 316.] a section was opened from Nairn to Dalvey. Dalvey was on the approach to Forres
Forres (; gd, Farrais) is a town and former royal burgh in the north of Scotland on the Moray coast, approximately northeast of Inverness and west of Elgin. Forres has been a winner of the Scotland in Bloom award on several occasions. There ...
, but on the west side of the River Findhorn
The River Findhorn (Scottish Gaelic: Uisge Fionn Èireann) is one of the longest rivers in Scotland. Located in the north east, it flows into the Moray Firth on the north coast. It has one of the largest non-firth estuaries in Scotland.
The riv ...
; the bridging of the river was a major engineering work. That was accomplished and the railway opened as far as Elgin on 25 or 28 (Ross) March 1858, and the line was complete and opened to Keith on 18 August 1858. The Great North Company had opened its line from the east to Keith on 11 October 1856. The I&AJR company took over the working of the Inverness and Nairn Railway, but that company retained its independent existence until amalgamation on 17 May 1861.[Thomas and Turnock, pages 315 and 316][Ross, pages 31 and 32]
There were no through trains between Inverness and Aberdeen: passengers changed at Keith. There were four trains daily on the I&AJR, of which three made the necessary connection.[
]
Running powers and co-operation
So Inverness now had its through connection to Aberdeen, to Central Scotland, and to England. This communication channel relied on co-operation between the Inverness and Aberdeen Junction Railway and the Great North of Scotland Railway. But the GNoSR was described as "Bristling with fight and notoriously cantankerous."[Thomas and Turnock, pages 166 and 167] The GNoSR had understood that it would have running powers throughout to Inverness, but now these were refused, leading to friction between the two companies. In addition there was personal animosity between the respective general managers.[Thomas and Turnock, pages 171 and 172]
Moreover the GNoSR failed to make friends with the Aberdeen Railway at Aberdeen; for many years the two companies had separate stations there. Passengers from Inverness to the south needed to get between the stations, and the Aberdeen Railway trains departed on time, irrespective of a delayed arrival at the other station by the Great North train.[Vallance et al, pages 23 to 25]
A direct route to Perth
Interests in Inverness had long harboured the intention of getting a direct route to Perth and the South; they were encouraged y the engineer Joseph Mitchell. The Inverness and Nairn Railway had always been seen as a first step towards that.[Thomas and Turnock, page 219] Now on 22 July 1861 an Act was passed for the Inverness and Perth Junction Railway. The starting point for its southward path would be Forres, not Nairn, in order better to serve the important fishing communities further east. It was to run to Dunkeld
Dunkeld (, sco, Dunkell, from gd, Dùn Chailleann, "fort of the Caledonians") is a town in Perth and Kinross, Scotland. The location of a historic cathedral, it lies on the north bank of the River Tay, opposite Birnam. Dunkeld lies close to t ...
and adopt the Perth and Dunkeld Railway
The Perth and Dunkeld Railway was a Scottish railway company. It was built from a junction with the Scottish Midland Junction Railway at Stanley, north of Perth, to a terminus at Birnam, on the south bank of the River Tay opposite Dunkeld.
It ...
route there to Stanley
Stanley may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
Film and television
* ''Stanley'' (1972 film), an American horror film
* ''Stanley'' (1984 film), an Australian comedy
* ''Stanley'' (1999 film), an animated short
* ''Stanley'' (1956 TV series) ...
, there joining the Scottish North Eastern Railway
The Scottish North Eastern Railway was a railway company in Scotland operating a main line from Perth to Aberdeen, with branches to Kirriemuir, Brechin and Montrose. It was created when the Aberdeen Railway amalgamated with the Scottish Midland ...
for the final run into Perth. The Perth and Dunkeld Railway was taken over on 28 February 1864.[
Operationally the route was to be challenging, with a high summit at Dava, 1,052 feet above sea level and another at Druimuachdar at 1,484 feet.][ However despite the mountainous terrain, the engineering proved to be remarkably benign; only two large masonry viaducts and two short tunnels were needed, although a total of 245 underbridges were required. The terrain was very thinly populated.][Thomas and Turnock, pages 233 to 236] The line opened from Forres to Perth
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...
via Aviemore
Aviemore (; gd, An Aghaidh Mhòr ) is a town and tourist resort, situated within the Cairngorms National Park in the Highlands of Scotland. It is in the Badenoch and Strathspey committee area, within the Highland council area. The town is popul ...
in 1863. Trains using the new route from Inverness ran over the I&AJR line as far as Forres.[
A new station layout was provided at Forres. Hitherto the route had run straight through, but now a new triangular track layout was constructed on the south side, the original main line becoming goods by-pass lines. Passenger platforms were provided on all three double-track chords of the new triangle.][Vallance et al, page 26]
Formation of the Highland Railway
The Inverness and Aberdeen Junction Railway and the Inverness and Perth Junction Railway amalgamated on 1 February 1865, and on 29 June 1865 a change of name was authorised: the enlarged company was to be called the Highland Railway company.[Vallance et al, pages 28 and 29][Ross, page 44]
Inverness and Aviemore direct
A direct line was constructed by the Highland Railway, opening in stages, but throughout on 1 November 1898.[
The majority, but not all, of the southward traffic was diverted over the new direct line, not travelling over the I&AJR route at all, except for a short distance of the former Nairn Railway at Inverness.
]
Later relations with the GNoSR
The uneasy relations at Aberdeen eased towards the end of the nineteenth century, to such an extent that by 1905 an amalgamation was proposed. It was however turned down by Highland Railway shareholders. In 1908 trains ran through between Aberdeen and Inverness without change of locomotive for the first time.[
]
Findhorn Railway
When the line between Elgin and Keith was opened in August 1858, its route ran inland, away from the coast, between Elgin and Nairn, and many small coastal settlements were remote from the new railway.
Local interests in Findhorn
Findhorn ( gd, Inbhir Èir or ''Inbhir Èireann'') is a village in Moray, Scotland. It is located on the eastern shore of Findhorn Bay and immediately south of the Moray Firth. Findhorn is 3 miles (5 km) northwest of Kinloss, and about 5 ...
, finding themselves rather isolated between Findhorn Bay and the open waters of Burghead Bay, promoted a branch line, and this received authorising powers on 19 April 1859, incorporating the Findhorn Railway with capital of £9,000.[Vallance, page 22][E F Carter, ''An Historical Geography of the Railways of the British Isles'', Cassell, London, 1959][Donald J Grant, Directory of the Railway Companies of Great Britain, Matador, Kibworth Beauchamp, 2017, ISBN 978 1785893 537, page 202] The terrain was easy, mostly running on sand, and a three-mile line was designed, making a junction a short distance east of Kinloss station on the I&AJR main line. Joseph Mitchell was the engineer and Charles Brand of Montrose was the contractor.[David Ross, The Highland Railway, Tempus Publishing Limited, Stroud, 2005, ISBN 0 7524 3479 9, page 32]
The line was inspected by Captain Tyler of the Board of Trade
The Board of Trade is a British government body concerned with commerce and industry, currently within the Department for International Trade. Its full title is The Lords of the Committee of the Privy Council appointed for the consideration of ...
on 9 April 1860 but because of a delay in furnishing signal posts at Kinloss Junction, the opening was delayed. The line opened on 18 April 1860[ and trains were worked by the company itself, although rolling stock may have been hired from the larger company. The wooden station building of Kinloss was relocated so as to be at the point of junction of the Findhorn line, a distance of about 300 yards. The company had one locomotive, an 0-4-0 saddle tank built by ]Neilson and Company
Neilson and Company was a locomotive manufacturer in Glasgow, Scotland.
The company was started in 1836 at McAlpine Street by Walter Neilson and James Mitchell to manufacture marine and stationary engines. In 1837 the firm moved to Hyde Park ...
of Glasgow in 1860.[
Once opened, the company immediately found that available traffic did not cover basic operating expenses, and it was soon in serious financial difficulty. The Findhorn Railway appealed to the I&AJR for help, and the larger company took it over, effective from 1 March 1862.][Vallance; Ross says the agreement was made 4 March and effective 30 March.] (The I&AJR became a constituent of the Highland Railway
The Highland Railway (HR) was one of the smaller United Kingdom, British railways before the Railways Act 1921, operating north of Perth railway station, Scotland, Perth railway station in Scotland and serving the farthest north of Britain. Base ...
in 1865.) The Findhorn Company's own locomotive was disposed of to the I&AJR in 1862, becoming that company's no 16.[Vallance says directly to a contractor.] The Kinloss station was relocated to its earlier position.[M E Quick, Railway Passenger Stations in England, Wales and Scotland: A Chronology, version 5.03, September 2021, Railway and Canal Historical Society, electronic download, page 262]
The I&AJR too found that it was impossible to cover operating expenses, estimated at £800 annually, and it was renegotiated with the Highland Railway in March 1867 and again in 1867. At the latter date the Findhorn Railway's directors were made responsible for the future shortfall, but they withdrew that undertaking in January 1869, and the line closed at the end of January 1869.[ Occasional goods trains ran until 1880.][Vallance says closure on 1 January; local newspapers were often careless about dates at that period; Ross says “The railway closed completely in 1881.”] In December 1886 the railway was put up for sale.
Findhorn's activity as a port was severely limited by silting and a sand bar at the entrance to the harbour, which prevented all but the smallest vessels from entering.[H A Vallance, ''The Findhorn Railway'', Journal of the Railway and Canal Historical Society, Volume 2, number 2, March 1956][Vallance, page 22]
Little remains of the track bed, chiefly because of the construction of RAF Kinloss, over its route.
Locations
I&AJR main line
* Nairn; Inverness and Nairn Railway station; opened 7 November 1855; still open;
* Auldearn; opened 9 December 1895; closed 6 June 1960;
* Brodie; opened 22 December 1857; closed 3 May 1965;
* Dalvey; opened 22 December 1857; closed 25 March 1858;
* Forres; opened 25 March 1858; resited 3 August 1863 for Perth line; station is still open; Perth line was open 1863 – 1965; east to south curve opened 1867; the west to south curve closed in 1967; a short stub to Dallas Dhu siding via the east curve remained in use, closing in 1967;;
* Kinloss; opened 25 March 1858; re-sited 18 April 1860 to east as junction station for Findhorn branch; moved back to original site May 1904; closed 3 May 1965; Findhorn branch open 1860 – 1880;
* ‘’Alves Junction’’; for Burghead branch 1862 – 1966;
* Alves; opened 25 March 1858; closed 3 May 1965;
* Mosstowie; opened 15 October 1890; closed 7 March 1955;
* Elgin; opened 25 March 1858; still open; Morayshire Railway to Lossiemouth and other branches 1852 – 1968;
* Lhanbryde; opened 18 August 1858; closed 7 December 1964;
* Fochabers; opened 18 August 1858; renamed Orbliston Junction 21 October 1893; renamed Orbliston 18 June 1962; closed 7 December 1964; Fochabers branch open 1893 – 1968;
* Orton; opened 18 August 1858; relocated 1859 north of junction; closed 7 December 1964;
* Orton Junction; opened 1859; junction for Morayshire Railway 1858 – 1880;
* Mulben; opened 18 August 1858; closed 7 December 1964;
* Keith; GNoS station opened 11 October 1856; I&AJR part opened 18 August 1858; renamed Keith Junction 1952/3; reverted to Keith 12 May 1980; still open; Portessie branch open 1884 - 1966.[M E Quick, ''Railway Passenger Stations in England, Wales and Scotland: A Chronology'', version 5.03, September 2021, Railway and Canal Historical Society, electronic download, alphabetically listed]
Current operations
''Note: although this section is drafted in the present tense, much of it was written in 2007, and statements may not reflect the present-day situation.''
The main line continues in use as part of the Aberdeen to Inverness line: passenger services are provided by ScotRail
ScotRail Trains Limited, trading as ScotRail ( gd, Rèile na h-Alba), is a Scottish train operating company that is publicly owned by Scottish Rail Holdings on behalf of the Scottish Government. It has been operating the ScotRail franchise a ...
at approximately a two-hourly interval on weekdays; there is a minimal service on Sundays. Stations within the original extent of the line are open at Nairn, Forres, Elgin and Keith.
Connections to adjacent lines are also closed, with the exception of the Hopeman Branch which branched off the main line at Alves & was used for freight traffic to Burghead Maltings until 1992 - it remained intact through to Burghead but was mothballed in 1998. The junction with the main line was finally removed this century and the remains of the branch from Alves to Roseisle Maltings now lie heavily overgrown.
The old station at Forres is closed and only one platform out of the previous six at the new station at Forres is now in service. The Keith and Dufftown Railway
The Keith and Dufftown Railway ("The Whisky Line") is a heritage railway in Scotland, running for from , Keith (Ordnance Survey grid reference ) to () via () and Auchindachy.
Originally the former Great North of Scotland Railway's Kei ...
platform at Keith Junction is still in use, though the branch beyond a short stub is closed.[Network Rail, ''Sectional Appendix, Scotland'']
Freight traffic is limited to occasional trainloads of whisky & containers to/from Elgin, where the former GNoSR Elgin East station yard is still operational.
Heritage lines
The Keith and Dufftown Railway
The Keith and Dufftown Railway ("The Whisky Line") is a heritage railway in Scotland, running for from , Keith (Ordnance Survey grid reference ) to () via () and Auchindachy.
Originally the former Great North of Scotland Railway's Kei ...
heritage group reopened the Dufftown line beyond Keith Town in 2001, and they hope to reinstate the missing link back to the national network at Keith in the long term.
Notes
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Inverness And Aberdeen Junction Railway
Highland Railway
Pre-grouping British railway companies
Early Scottish railway companies
Railway companies established in 1856
Railway lines opened in 1858
Railway companies disestablished in 1865
Standard gauge railways in Scotland
British companies established in 1856
British companies disestablished in 1865