Cruise Scotland and Discover Some Railway History

If you've decided to plan a holiday on a barge cruise, Scotland has a lot to offer in terms of spectacular natural scenery and open air. But you might be surprised to learn that a cruise through the Great Glen and along Loch Ness has many other delights to offer as well – including one relating to the history of the railways.

We All Love Trains

This isn’t an advertising slogan for a railway company but almost a fact of life! Inside many of us is a little boy or girl who loves trains - and that inner child will be fully indulged at the Invergarry and Fort Augustus Railway Museum.

At the time of writing this attraction is still being built, but its development will continue for many years. But as many visitors have already found, it’s already worth a trip if you’re planning to cruise Scotland's Great Glen region – and it’s not hard to understand why.

Based around the old Invergarry Station, when finished, the museum will offer a replicated environment of the old 19-20th century station and signal box, as well as heritage train rides in original running stock and plenty of other artefacts.

It is so fascinating, in part, simply because the setting is so incongruous. You’re in the depths of the Scottish highlands, surrounded by beautiful scenery of picturesque hills and lochs, so a railway museum at first glance looks out of place. But what’s really interesting is how that station, and the line it served, came to be there in the first place.

A Major Squabble

Back in the third quarter of the 19th century, the Victorians had a mania for railway building. It certainly wasn’t altruism, however, and the builders intended to make a profit out of the carriage of goods and people. For that purpose, a line running the length of the beautiful Caledonian Canal through the heart of the highlands, linking Inverness with industrial Glasgow, seemed a great idea.

There was, though, a fairly fundamental problem with that: Inverness already had a rail link to the south provided by another rail company. Although it used a far longer route, the existing railway line owners argued, successfully, that there was insufficient passenger traffic to justify two lines, and they managed to block development of the new line.

After decades of squabbling and even argument in Parliament, a much reduced-length (24 miles) section of the line was built along the Caledonian Canal, in what some called "the middle of nowhere".

Unsurprisingly, the line (one of Britain’s smallest) could not survive financially and was in need of constant subsidies. One of its many operating companies actually made more money out of it when it was shut for two years, through the sale of grass, than they could when it was open.

The Final Legacy

The passenger service was eventually closed in 1933 and the last goods train ran in 1947 – after which, the line was permanently closed. In recent times the museum has been developed around one of the old stations and has become a wonderful attraction for visitors to the area to explore. Do remember that work is ongoing and the available attractions might vary when you visit – so enquire with the museum to see what’s open

If you're considering exploring this stunning area on a barge cruise, Scotland's most picturesque landscape is reason enough to visit, but this slice of railway history will make it even more memorable.

Paul Newman is the Marketing and E-Systems Executive for European Waterways. If you're looking for a luxury, all-inclusive cruise, Scotland is an excellent choice. We can also help you enjoy the sights of the most picturesque waterways in the world in France, Holland, and Italy.

Writer and Online Marketing Manager in London.