Ballachulish History

The Railway
The Idyllic Scottish branchline terminus of Ballachulish basks in glorious sunshine as ex-Caledonian Railway MacIntosh "2P" 0-4-4T No. 55260 prepares to depart with a train for Oban, in the late 1950s or early 1960s. The locomotive was built by the Caledonian Railway at their St. Rollox Works, situated next to Polmadie locomotive shed. The carriages look immaculate, as though they have received a recent repaint. Unfortunately, the Caley tank is rapidly acquiring the typically unkempt look which characterised British Railways steam towards the end of its life. The locomotive was more than likely shedded at Oban, although its shed plate is missing. Despite its appearance, the locomotive seems commendably steam tight.

In 1903, a branch of the Callander and Oban Railway, from Connel Ferry, was opened to Ballachulish. The site of the former railway halt of Ballachulish Ferry, the penultimate stop on the line before the Laroch quarries, was next to Ballachulish House, some half mile inland from the ferry. Traces of the line, which closed with the quarries in 1966, remain between here and Connel Ferry. The old terminus station at Laroch (Ballachulish) is now an award winning Doctor`s surgery. The station, and stationmaster`s house, at Duror, is now a private house and the station at Creagan, some 20 miles south, has been refurbished in its old traditional Caledonian Railway brown. The station at Kentallen (5 miles south of Ballachulish) included a pier. This station has now been turned into The Holly Tree Hotel & Leisure Club.


THE SLATE
Slate from the quarries, established just 2 years after the infamous Glencoe Massacre of 1692, was used to cover many of the roofs of Victorian Glasgow. It is of good quality but one weakness is the presence of Iron Pyrite in the rock. These crystals quickly rust away when exposed to the weather, leaving clean square holes and a brown rusty streak. Over 75% of the slate cut from the quarries was unusable as roof covering for this and other reasons.

Ballachulish - St John looking towards the Pap of Glencoe when the bluebells are out

Graveyard

The graveyard of St John`s Episcopal church has some fine gravestones which, unlike many others, look as if they were engraved `yesterday` having been made from Ballachulish slate.