Murdoch Paterson (September 1826 – 9 August 1898) was an engineer and architect based in
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 ...
,
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 ...
, who was chief engineer 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 ...
.
Background
He was born in September 1826, one of five sons of Donald Paterson (1778-1851), farmer, at Dell of Inshes, Inverness, and Elizabeth Munro(1789–1847).
He was educated at
Inverness Royal Academy
Inverness Royal Academy is a comprehensive secondary school in the city of Inverness in the Highland area of Scotland.
A former grammar school with a history dating back to the 13th century, the Academy became a comprehensive in the mid-1970 ...
, and initially worked as a wine merchant in Inverness.
His elder brother, William Paterson, was also an engineer.
Career
In 1846, he became articled to
Joseph Mitchell, the Inspector of Highland Roads and Bridges, and surveyor of railways in the Highlands. In 1851 he worked on expanding the
Port of Inverness
The Port of Inverness (Scottish Gaelic: Port Inbhir Nis) is a port on the east coast of Scotland, at Inverness, Highland council area, at the mouth of the River Ness. It is one of Scotland's most sheltered and deep natural ports. The port is ...
, and from 1854 worked with Joseph Mitchell on the construction of new lines for the Highland Railway, including Inverness to Keith.
In 1862, Joseph Mitchell set up a partnership with William and Murdoch Paterson, as ''Joseph Mitchell and Company''. Mitchell retired in 1867, and Murdoch became chief engineer of the Highland Railway on 6 November 1874.
As well as engineering the construction of new lines for the Highland Railway, he also prepared the designs of many new stations.
He died on 9 August 1898 whilst still in post, just three months before the opening of the new line from Inverness to Aviemore. His estate was valued at £10,611
().
Wives and children
He married Jane MacCallum (1826 - 1868) in January 1852. They had two children:
*Elizabeth Paterson (1853 - 1933)
*Donald Paterson (1854 - 1885).
He married Frances Wiles (1837 - 1906) in London in 1870 and they also had two children:
*Violet Mary J Paterson (b. 1875)
*Murdoch William Paterson (1877 - 1880).
Main works
Gallery
Tain railway station in 1991.jpg, Tain railway station
Dunkeld & Birnam station geograph-3870417-by-Ben-Brooksbank.jpg, Dunkeld & Birnam station
Blair Atholl Station 1828415 9ca9a92c.jpg, Blair Atholl Station
Nairn railway station, August 2013.JPG, Nairn railway station
The Old Station Strathpeffer.jpg, Strathpeffer station
Dingwall station - geograph.org.uk - 869066.jpg, Dingwall station
Redcastle Old Railway Station - geograph.org.uk - 363097.jpg, Redcastle Railway Station
Burghead railway station 1939712 15041401.jpg, Burghead railway station
Viaduct at Clava - geograph.org.uk - 13951.jpg, Culloden Viaduct
The Culloden Viaduct is a railway viaduct on the Highland Main Line, to the east of the city of Inverness, in the Highland council area of Scotland.
It was designed by Murdoch Paterson and opened in 1898 as part of the Inverness and Aviemore D ...
View of Tomatin railway viaduct - geograph.org.uk - 1546308.jpg, Tomatin railway viaduct
Aultnaslanach Railway Viaduct Moy Inverness Scotland (4592476065).jpg, Aultnaslanach Railway Viaduct
Plockton Station - geograph.org.uk - 1020459.jpg, Plockton Station
Slochd Viaduct - geograph.org.uk - 663720.jpg, Slochd Mhuic Railway Viaduct
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Paterson, Murdoch
19th-century Scottish architects
Scottish civil engineers
Highland Railway
People educated at Inverness Royal Academy
1826 births
1898 deaths
British railway architects