Scotland ahead of rest of UK in lines brought back

Quite a surprise in that it is the one part of the UK where re-openings have came about in wide way. In modern times the following re-introduced.....

Glasgow - Edinburgh via Airdrie.
Larkhall line.
Borders line (great just over 30 miles!
Alloa line.
Glasgow Maryhill suburban route.

Now work well under way for another re-opening making it 6!!

A while back I mentioned that Glasgow-Edinburgh must be outstanding with 3 separate passenger routes between the 2 cities.

I say "bring back the Callander and Oban Railway!!!"

Oban! I've actually been there. Excellent fish & chips in George St., one street back from the harbour.


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Anyone who's driven the Scottish roads understands why the rails are popular. On the back road out of Lochinvar I once forced a plumber's truck into the ditch. Stopped and apologized and helped shift the front wheels back on the road. The lads were quite cheerful about it.

:B~D

RHKluckhohn said:

Anyone who's driven the Scottish roads understands why the rails are popular.

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Agree. On two recent trips to the UK, including Scotland (who probably don't want to be in the UK anymore), my partner and I experienced those terrifying narrow back roads as well. Also some of the "main roads" through villages where traffic in both directions was forced to take turns sharing the one lane because the other lane was used for parking. Would never be allowed here.

But we also discovered that rail travel in the UK is a lot more expensive, in terms of $ per kilometer, than here. I will never complain about our local rail fares again!

At least you didn't have the old Scottish A roads to manage - single track with passing places!
Last month we found some of the lesser used single track roads - you concentrate on how far ago the last pasing place was...

Some of the Scottish routes have become walking/cycling trails, others are now covered with houses and businesses so that restoration would be expensive and difficult.

ColPrice2002 said:

At least you didn't have the old Scottish A roads to manage - single track with passing places!
Last month we found some of the lesser used single track roads - you concentrate on how far ago the last pasing place was...

Some of the Scottish routes have become walking/cycling trails, others are now covered with houses and businesses so that restoration would be expensive and difficult.

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Ha! That was back in '73, single lane with laybys all 'round the place. We drove from Edinburgh up the East Coast to John O'Groat's, over to Durness and so south. On the cutoff to Lochinvar we crossed a cattle guard on to some Laird's land. Sign said "Beware the Bull!" Puttering on in the Austin 1200 we eventually crossed a second cattle guard and thought "no more bull." Cruising down the glen toward a croft we rounded a hillock and came to a near-halt behind said large red Highland bull, who was clopping down the middle of the one-lane lane. Followed him down to the next layby; he moved over into the middle of the pavement, filling most of it. Next layby I went to pass on the left; got up behind his ear and he swung his head left to look at us. Stomped on brake so my wife wouldn't be gored. Next layby, tried the right. Same thing. Thought about it until the next layby. This time passing on the right so I'd be the one to take the goring, got up behind his ear; when his head started to swing I laid on the horn and he jerked his head left. Stomp on the go pedal and shoot by him. A couple hundred yards down the road my wife is waving her camera shouting "Stop the car!" We'd acquired a Japanese hitchhiker somewhere south of Thurso; he was waving his camera and pounding my shoulder. I told 'em, "OK, but stay by the car and be ready to jump in!" My wife did that but the hitcher ran up a little knoll twenty meters away. They're snapping like mad. I look at the bull and see he's picking up speed. I holler "Get in the car!" My wife popped in; the hitcher was oblivious, still snapping. I look at the bull, he's gaining speed and his head is coming down. We're shouting at our passenger. At the last minute he comes running down, dives through the door headfirst behind wife's seatback and we depart with his legs waving out the door. Got down a quarter-mile or so out of the bull's view and stopped to untangle everything.

:B~D