Far North Line

The Far North Line is a rural railway line entirely within the Highland area of Scotland, extending from Inverness to Thurso and Wick. As the name suggests, it is the northernmost railway in the United Kingdom. The line is entirely single-track, with only passing loops at some intermediate stations allowing trains to pass each other. In common with other railway lines in the Highlands and northern Lowlands, it is not electrified and all trains are diesel-powered. The line links the city of Inverness, the largest city in the Scottish Highlands, with the towns of Wick and Thurso at the northeastern tip of Britain. Like the A9 trunk road north of Inverness, the Far North Line broadly follows the east-facing coastline of the Moray Firth, with all three termini located on the coast. As such, the railway links many of the same places as the road. Many more places were served by both the railway and the road before three new road bridges were built: across the Beauly Firth (between Inverness and the Black Isle), the Cromarty Firth and the Dornoch Firth. As a result, at some locations the railway is now a long way inland from the modern route of the A9. The railway also loops a long way inland between Tain and Golspie, running via Lairg, which has never been on the A9; it was envisaged at the time of construction that this diversion would open the centre of Sutherland to trade. It also takes a large inland detour north of Helmsdale, running via the Flow Country, which the A9 also never passed through; this diversion was dictated by the unfavourable terrain of the Caithness coastline. The railway line begins at Inverness station, where passenger connections are available for the Highland Main Line (to Perth, Glasgow, Edinburgh and London) and the Aberdeen–Inverness line (to Inverness Airport, Elgin and Aberdeen), as well as for bus services to destinations throughout the Scottish Highlands. While the A9 leaves Inverness by crossing the Beauly Firth on the Kessock Bridge, the Far North Line instead heads west and runs alongside the Firth.