Snow at Corrour station on Rannoch Moor
This week a made a quick journey north to look for snow in the Highlands. I headed to Rannoch Moor on the train first thing on Wednesday morning. On the strength of a good forecast for two days, I had booked a bed at Loch Ossian Youth Hostel. It’s a place I’m very familiar with from my younger days, but I hadn’t been back in many years. I was intrigued to see how it looked after the major refurbishment it underwent in 2003. I was also hunting for snowy photos for the Photography Scotland’s 2014 landscape calendar.
Corrour station, at 1339 feet, is Scotland’s highest train station. For the final hour of the journey north, we had the most fantastic snowy views. From Tyndrum onwards, we were above the snowline, and the sun was out. Corrour is possibly familiar to many people who have never visited it, after its brief appearance in the film ‘Trainspotting’. It’s a remote spot, with just a station platform, and one building opposite – peculairly, this is a restaurant. Corour Station House Restaurant was built after the station master’s house was knocked down in 2000. With no public road, it’s only possible to get to the UK’s most remote restaurant by taking a train on the West Highland Line. And in the winter it’s essential to book before you go, otherwise you may find the restaurant is shut!
There was still a little late morning sunshine as we pulled into the station at Corrour. Several walkers got off to head up Leum Ulleum, the hill to the west of the station. I had my camera out, and headed off down the track to the youth hostel. The view looking back at the station shows just how remote it is.