ALMOST FULL CIRCLE

 Leaving Inverness behind, we follow the Great Glen and Loch Ness, to Drumnadrochit and the Benleva Hotel.

We're travelling along the shores of Loch Ness, looking across to the east side.

At the far end of Loch Ness is Fort Augustus. The paddle steamer 'Gondolier' passes through the lock.

Here's the railway pier and Loch Ness at Fort Augustus.

Fort Augustus was at the end of a branch line from Fort William, first operated with Highland Railway locomotives.

The LNER later took over, though the line was an early casualty. C15 No. 9155 is seen here in 1931.

We now head across the moors to the Spey Valley, which we meet at Kingussie station, with its fine mechanical signal box.

A Scotrail 170 calls. (Photo by Joshua Brown - Creative Commons License).

Let's go into town (Creative Commons License).

The Ruthven Barracks overlook Kingussie (Iain Hinchcliffe - Creative Commons License).

The Royal Hotel in Kingussie was once a decent place, brewing its own Iris Rose beers. Later, the building became derelict and has been demolished.

 

A few miles to the north is Aviemore, once home to Aviemore Brewery.

The Winking Owl in Aviemore is effectively the brewery tap for Cairngorm Brewery.

Another decent real ale outlet is the Old Bridge Inn.

The Cairngorm Hotel is handy for bus and rail departures.

Stagecoach are regular callers at Aviemore.

Highland Omnibuses had a depot here.

Highland Omnibuses once used this Leyland Royal Tiger to carry skiers and their equipment up into the mountains. It's seen at the railway station in 1970 (Les Flint).

Here's the railway station in 2008, with 170 395 calling.

The Highland Railway had a loco shed at Aviemore, later passing to the LMS.

Aviemore shed was closed by BR and it passed to the Strathspey Railway.

26003 passes Aviemore in 1986. The ex Highland Railway signal box was still in use then.

We take the Strathspey Railway up to Boat of Garten, seen here in BR times - 1961 (Ben Brooksbank).

Boat of Garten in preservation days.

Hopefully, the Strathspey Railway will soon reach Grantown-on-Spey. An ex Great North of Scotland Railway 4-4-0 is seen there in LNER livery.

Back to the Highland Railway main line and here is a LMS double-header on the impressive Slochd Viaduct.

In more modern tmes, 1981, a southbound class 47 is tackling the climb to Slochd Summit.

Earlier it woud have crossed Tomatin Viaduct.

We conclude this page at the site of the 1745 Culloden Battlefield. Here's an old postcard.

The National Trust for Scotland can tell you more. The next post will see us heading vaguely eastwards. You can follow the route here.