Heartlands - Rannoch Station

TELLING THE STORY OF THE HEARTLANDS PANEL

This was stitched by Heather and Margaret. Heather lives near Aberfeldy. She is Chair of Perthshire Open Studios. She says:

I am finally getting a chance to be a photographer and textile artist – full time. I helped with various bits and took on a journey stone which, with great joy, I have found has inspired my own work and techniques. I even started to try embroidering onto photographs! It was a great honour to be asked to take part in something that will last such a long time. However some of the places illustrated may well suffer environmental catastrophe before these tapestry colours fade.

Rannoch Station is at the end of the single track road heading west, beyond both Lochs Tummel and Rannoch as mentioned in the song “Road to the Isles”. Thereafter onward journeys west and north, across Rannoch Moor, are either on foot or by train. It is, by road, the northwest geographical limit of Highland Perthshire.

The station which is on the West Highland line links Glasgow to Fort William and Mallaig and is one of the most remote stations in Britain. The station opened in 1894 after five years of building the line which was “floated” over the miles of bog and built up on a layers of rushes and old tree roots.

Trains pass daily, special steam and diesel trains can also be seen particularly in the summer, and in a Harry Potter film the Hogwarts Express crosses the viaduct just up the line between Rannoch station and Corrour. To the west lies Rannoch Moor, one of the largest remaining blanket bogs in Europe. There is an ancient drovers’ road across the bog which leads to Glen Coe which is visible on a clear day. Along with a restored old signal box and the Rannoch Moor Visitor Centre there is also the Rannoch Station Tea Room.