Leiths

Glenfinnan Station at the Glenfinnan Estate, owned by our Chairman, Ian Leith, is a picturesque and tranquil heritage site celebrating the life and work of earlier generations on the West Highland Line. Still a working railway station, the site offers a unique and hands-on introduction to West Highland railway heritage. 

Following the arrival of the West Highland Railway into Fort William in 1894, a movement to further develop the area, and, in particular, to establish an important fishing harbour at Mallaig, resulted in the Mallaig Extension being opened in 1901.

Glenfinnan Station formally opened to the public in April 1901 and continues to this day to serve the community as well as the large numbers of tourists who now visit the area each year.

Following the decline of rail travel in the 1960s and the inevitable rise of the motor car the whole line was threatened with closure under the Beeching Proposals. Fortunately, the reprieve was swift but the downstream effect of cost savings led to mass redundancies and the potential dereliction of stations.

To save the buildings, Glenfinnan Station Museum was set up in 1991 and now stands as a tribute to those far-sighted people who made this possible. The Museum seeks to tell the story of the West Highland Railway, its construction and development.

The Museum is run by a local charitable Trust supported by volunteers from Friends of Glenfinnan Station. The Friends Association is always interested in encouraging new members.

This year a new addition to the Glenfinnan station museum will be the miniature railway.

Currently, earth works to create the infrastructure to support a 7¼” gauge railway is nearing completion. The 165-metre-long route of the line generally on an embankment encounters bridges and a three-arch viaduct which spans a burn. 

A locomotive and rolling stock shed has been constructed which will have two roads into it, plus an external siding which will extend past the shed to a loading/unloading ramp giving access for visiting locomotives.

The line itself will be constructed with steel rail, sleepers and ballast – joining the shed and loading ramp siding there will be a turntable which gives access to two roads – the platform road and a locomotive release road or run-round. Another turntable at the far end of the line will repeat the platform and locomotive release arrangement. At the mid-point of the line will be a passing loop. Spring points will be set for left hand running as used at Glenfinnan.

Track laying is commencing soon, and an appeal has gone out for volunteer ‘Navvies’ to assist – it may even be possible for such volunteers to stay in the onsite camping coach, a better spot overlooking Loch Shiel will be hard to find. There’s also an excellent Buffet coach where delicious food and drink can be purchased to sustain the volunteers or visitors during the day.

In 2009 to 2013 the Museum undertook a major upgrade of its museum and visitor facilities supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Railway Heritage Trust, Historic Scotland, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, LEADER, the Robertson Trust, the Manifold Trust, Friends of the West Highland Lines, Friends of Glenfinnan Station, Highland Railway Heritage, the Scottish Government and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development.

The indoor exhibition provides interesting facts and stories about the spectacular Glenfinnan Viaduct and life on the West Highland, while the outdoor exhibits tell the story of a rural Scottish railway station over the last century.

Visit the Museum Exhibition to find out how the spectacular railway from Glasgow to Mallaig was built and learn about the men who built it

Enjoy the lovingly restored Signal Box and its heritage film studio

Delve into the railway toy chest in the Booking Office

Visit the restored Dining Car for scrumptious home baking or a light lunch

Stay in the restored Sleeping Car overnight

Visit the Gift Shop

Enjoy the Woodland, Viaduct and Village Walks

Book a guided tour of the heritage site