WE in Scotland can claim many inventions, but one of the things in the modern world that Scots didn’t invent was the railway, though it was…
WE in Scotland can claim many inventions, but one of the things in the modern world that Scots didn’t invent was the railway, though it was largely down to a Scotsman, James Watt, that the world’s first efficient mass land-based transportation systems came into being.
The waggonway was involved in a huge event in Scottish history as the Hanoverian government army under General John Cope used it as their line of battle on September 21, 1745. Not for long, however, as the Jacobite forces of Prince Charles Edward Stuart smashed through them in a matter of minutes to win the Battle of Prestonpans.
Early Scottish railways used horses to draw their trains, as was the case with the Kilmarnock and Troon Railway, generally considered to be the first rail line in Scotland, opened in 1812. But after George Stephenson developed the first railway featuring steam-powered locomotives in the 1820s in the north of England, Scotland rapidly embraced this new technology.
I have numerous favourites among the stations, and I will start with the most scenic, namely Duncraig near Plockton with its stunning views over Loch Carron. The station is on the Kyle of Lochalsh line which also includes the very picturesque Plockton station itself. Its fame was assured even before it featured in the Harry Potter films, and thanks to those movies it is now one of the icons of Scotland.
Returning to stations, there is no doubting the importance to Scottish history and culture of the two biggest stations in Glasgow and Edinburgh. Edinburgh’s Waverley station has also seen many famous occasions and has featured in films, including Avengers: Infinity War. Waverley – the only station in the world named after a novel – replaced three other stations when the North British Railway opened it in 1866.
Developed as a prestigious five-star golf resort and conference centre, Gleneagles has often been at the centre of international events. The Gleneagles Agreement on sporting contacts with apartheid South Africa was signed there at the 1977 Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting, and the hotel also hosted the G8 summit in 2005, before it was redeveloped in time to successfully host the 2014 edition of the Ryder Cup.
This time the bridge was made of much stronger materials by Sir William Arrol & Co, and it was lengthened to 10,780 ft . It is in use to this day.
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