6C SUTHERLAND & CAITHNESS RAILWAY

The Sutherland & Caithness Railway was authorised in 1871 and merged into the Highland Railway in 1884. It opened from Helmsdale to Wick and Thurso in 1874 and remains open throughout, although a number of intermediate stations closed to passengers and/or goods in the 1960s.

Sutherland & Caithness Railway

Authorised: 13/7/1871
Merged into Highland Railway: 1884

Opened
Helmsdale - Wick and Georgemas Junction - Thurso 28/7/1874

Stations
276 SALZCRAGGIE PLATFORM*1 (P/CC 29/11/65)
277 KILDONAN*2 (G 2/11/64)
278 BORROBOL PLATFORM*3 (G 15/6/64 P/CC 29/11/65)
279 KINBRACE*4 (G 29/3/65)
280 FORSINARD (G 15/6/64)
281 ALTNABREAC (G 15/8/66)
282 SCOTSCALDER (G 27/1/64)
283 HALKIRK (P 13/6/60 G/CC 29/3/65)
284 GEORGEMAS JUNCTION
285 BOWER (P 13/6/60 G/CC 18/5/64)
286 WATTEN (P 13/6/60 G/CC 15/6/64)
287 BILBSTER (P/G/CC 13/6/60)
288 WICK*5

289 HOY*6 (P/CC 29/11/65) no goods
290 THURSO*7

*1: RN SALZCRAGGIE HALT 24/5/07. Possibly later known simply as Salzcraggie
*2: Unstaffed from 29/1/68
*3: RN BORROBOL 10/9/62
*4: Unstaffed from 26/2/68
*5: Goods yard beside station
*6: Unstaffed from 1/1/35
*7: Goods yard beside station

Station openings

All stations opened with the line on 28/7/1874 except Borrobol Platform which opened in 2/1880.

Closures
Halkirk, Bower, Watten and Bilbster all closed to passengers on 13/6/60, when Bilbster closed completely.
Most of the stations on the line closed to goods in 1964-5: Scotscalder in January 1964, followed by Bower, which closed completely in May, Borrobol, Forsinard and Watten in June (when Watten closed completely) and Kildonan in November.
Kinbrace and Halkirk closed to goods in March 1965, when Halkirk closed completely.
In November 1965 Salzcraggie Halt, Borrobol and Hoy closed completely when they lost their passenger services, and Altnabreac closed to goods in August 1966.