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Far North Line’s 150-year history celebrated at special exhibition in Inverness





A train passing Scotscalder in Caithness. Picture: Network Rail.
A train passing Scotscalder in Caithness. Picture: Network Rail.

The 150-year history of one of the Highlands' vital transport links will be set out when a successful exhibition moves to Inverness next week.

A photographic exhibition marking 150 years of the Far North Line was a big success when it took place in Thurso earlier this autumn.

Featuring a treasure trove of fascinating images showing the line through history, as well as numerous panels detailing the story of the line and its expansion in stages from Inverness to Caithness, the exhibition won a lot of praise from those who visited it.

And following that success the exhibition, which is called Highland Survivor, will be making the move to Inverness for all of next week.

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It will be on display in Inverness Library in Farraline Park from Monday to Saturday next week. The library is open from 9am to 6.30pm (7pm on Thursday and 5pm on Saturday) and admission is free.

Friends of the Far North Line convener, Ian Budd, said: “[The exhibition] had great attendance in Thurso in October, and was very well received, so it's great to give people in Inverness a chance to have a look.

He added that the exhibition features a range of photographs and some text “showing how the Far North Line has changed over the years, as well as general photos of features on the railway”.

It will also include “panels of the work of two prolific local photographers, Peter Moore and Niall Laybourne”, as well as from the Scottish Association for Public Transport, and a selection of photos from the Far North Line’s centenary events.

Other pieces of interest include panels from the Highland Railway Society with some historical photos, and a panel representing the newly-formed Far North Line Community Rail Partnership.

The exhibition has been organised with the support of the Friends of the Far North Line, Highland Railway Society, HiTrans, Far North Line Community Rail Partnership and Scottish Association for Public Transport.

The exhibition is the latest in a number of events marking the anniversary of the opening of the final 67-mile stretch of the Far North Line in 1874. As well as the exhibition, a commemorative plaque marking the milestone was also unveiled in Wick Railway Station earlier this month.

There was a special 150th birthday celebration for the opening of Wick Railway Station and final section of the Far North Line earlier this month. Picture: DGS
There was a special 150th birthday celebration for the opening of Wick Railway Station and final section of the Far North Line earlier this month. Picture: DGS

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