By the latter part of the nineteenth century most towns along the Scottish Borders had acquired a rail service. Falling passenger numbers led to line closures beginning in the 1930s and continuing until today. This nostalgic collection of photographs illustrates many of the area's lost stations, along with historic rolling stock.
By the end of the 1960s closure had claimed most of the branch railway lines in the Scottish Borders. Yet, sad as their passing was, the railways left us a gift - not just of nostalgia, but the wonderful and practical gift of miles and miles of winding pathways, which were once the iron roads of steam: routes for walkers, cyclists and the footloose wanderer, all keen to traverse the countryside from a different perspective. This book will lead you through some of the best railway paths and byways in the Borders, exploring on the way its landscapes, folklore and long lost railway past. Plenty of books have been written about the lost railways of here, there and everywhere. But this book simply celebrates their parting gift: the railway path, which was born at great cost. During the 1960s 650 miles of railway lines in Scotland were axed. One of the most saddening of all these closures was the 98-mile Waverley Route from Edinburgh to Carlisle, which left the Scottish Borders the only region in Britain without a rail service, and Hawick the town furthest from any railway station. Throughout history branch railways have rarely made much of a profit due to their high operating costs; but, along with the Romans, they did help create the modern world. In the 1960s, however, the political world decided that the railways had had their day, and believed that the future lay in road transport. With hindsight it may seem easy to see the wrong turnings politicians and planners took, but in those days road congestion had yet to become a serious issue. Nonetheless, what happened to the railways during the sixties was way beyond a wrong turning: it was a cold-blooded slaughter that ignored social consequences and destroyed people's livelihoods. Since those days miles and miles of motorways and bypasses have carved up the countryside, and motoring has turned into a chaos we are forced to live with. The railways may have created the modern world, but the car is seemingly intent on destroying it. Although most of the old branch lines are gone today, a few, like the new Borders Railway that opened in 2015, are struggling back to life. But while for the most part they are just a dream remembered, it was in the aftermath of this mass destruction that our railway paths were spawned, and as a consequence of the closure of the railways we have been left a legacy of miles and miles of tranquil, traffic-free, winding pathways across the Borders in a landscape of tumbling hills and the mighty River Tweed. A true land of romance for all to explore, our means to enjoy it is thanks in no small part to the railways that once weaved their way across this glamour-haunted land.
In this acclaimed book, Alistair Moffat tells the story of a part of Scotland that has played a huge role in the nation's history and moved poets, painters and writers as well as ordinary people for hundreds of years. The hunter-gatherers who first penetrated the virgin interior, the Celtic warlords, the Romans, the Northumbrians and the Reivers, who dominated the Anglo-Scottish borderlands for over 300 years, have all had their part to play in the constantly evolving life of the area. It is the people of a place that make its history and Alistair Moffat's book is a testament to those who have made the Borders their home, and who have created the traditions, myths and romance that define it so strongly.
Scotland still has hundreds of miles of 'dismantled railways', the term used by Ordnance Survey, and the track beds give scope for many walks. Some track beds have been 'saved' as Tarmacadam walkway/cycleway routes while others have become well-trodden local walks. The remainder range from good, to overgrown, to well-nigh impassable in walking quality. This book provides a handy guide to trackbed walks with detailed information and maps. It is enhanced by numerous black and white old railway photographs, recalling those past days, and by coloured photographs that reflect the post-Beeching changes. The integral hand-crafted maps identify the old railway lines and the sites of stations, most of which are now unrecognisable. The 'Railway Age' is summarised and describes the change from 18th century wagon ways and horse traction to the arrival of steam locomotives c.1830. The fierce rivalry that then ensued between the many competing companies as railway development proceeded at a faster pace is recounted. Although walkers may be unaware of the tangled history of the development of the railway system during the Victorian era, many will have heard of, or experienced, the drastic 1960s cuts of the Beeching axe. However, in more recent times Scotland has experienced a railway revival - principally in the Greater Glasgow area but with new stations and station re-openings elsewhere. The long awaited 30-mile Borders Railway from Edinburgh to Tweedbank, the longest domestic railway to be built in Britain for more than a century, is something on a very different scale. Early passenger numbers have exceeded expectations and towns served by the line have seen significant economic benefits. Many railway enthusiasts cling to the hope that more lines will be reinstated. Meanwhile, those walks offer a fascinating and varied selection of routes that can fill an afternoon, a day or a long weekend - an ideal opportunity to get walking!
A nostalgic trip along Britain's lost railways. Retracing Britain's lost railway history, this comprehensive book explores many of Britain's more popular routes that have now been converted to footpaths and cycleways.
