Caledonian Railway, Brechin. Cycle to a Heritage Railway

The guard, resplendent in suit, waistcoat and hat, looked impatiently at his watch. He paced up and down the outside of the carriages. "Come on! We leave at 11," he said to the men connecting the diesel locomotive to the carriages. Then everything is ready and he shouts out, "all aboard!" A whistle is blown, doors are slammed and the engine growls as it accelerates away from the platform.

For an authentic experience of how British Railways used to be the Caledonian Railway is a great day out and easy to reach by bicycle. 

Brechin train station

Brechin railway station, with its glass canopy, clock and 'Caledonian Railway' sign in decorative ironwork, is joyful. And stepping inside is very much a step back to that golden era of railways that people talk of. Tickets are bought from shuttered hatches and there is a railing, highly decorative, of course, to control queuing at the ticket window. 

Inside Brechin train station

Walking around the station and the platforms you will find plenty of items that add to the feeling of being in a different century. There are old advertising sings, luggage barrels and even an old car.

Luggage barrel at Brechin station

Old car at Brechin station

Advertising board at Brechin station

Station Master door at Brechin station

Platform buildings at Brechin station

Railway carriage at the Caledonian Railway, Brechin

I took a seat in a compartment for the novelty value. Railway compartments no longer exist on Britain's railways, so being able to slide shut a door and have a part of the train all to yourself is an experience to relish. The fabric on the seats was worn, some of the springs had gone, but it was so much more comfortable than the seat on the modern train I had taken to Montrose.

Pulling down an armrest and sinking into the seats of a British Rail compartment you cannot help but think that passenger comfort has diminished somewhat in the modern era of railways.​ 

Compartment in a carriage of the Caledonian Railway

The other carriages have open saloons, where some of the seats have quite striking colour schemes.

Inside a carriage of the Caledonian Railway

All of the staff were dressed to the railway nines, including the young boy who asked "would you like to buy a smashed penny for our boiler appeal? They cost £1." I was curious about what a smashed penny is, so I bought one and found that it is exactly that- a smashed one pence coin, flattened with a heavy duty tool.

This line had closed to passenger traffic in the early 1950s, but since 1993 a preserved railway has run services on a 4 mile section between Brechin and Bridge of Dun. It operates mainly during summer weekends. It is a pleasant ride through farming country.

View from the carriage on the Caledonian Railway

​Both steam and diesel trains operate on the line. During my visit the carriages were pulled by a diesel locomotive. If you have a preference for diesel or steam you should check the Caledonian Railway website to see which services will be running on which dates.

British Rail Class 26 at the Caledonian Railway

At Bridge of Dun it is worth taking the short trip from the station to the bridge that crosses the River South Esk. The bridge is impressive with interesting architectural flourishes- you can read about it on my blog.

Bridge of Dunn

Why not visit the House of Dun? It is a short distance away from Bridge of Dun. Read my blog about the House of Dun


Getting there

Take a train to Montrose. It takes around 1 hour, 40 minutes to 2 hours from Edinburgh or Glasgow, depending on which train service you travel on. It is a 4.3 mile cycle from Montrose station to Bridge of Dun, where the Caledonian Railway has a station.

The Montrose Basin Cycle Route will take you there, mainly alongside the A935 on a segregated path or on the pavement. After 3.8 miles you come to a sign for Bridge of Dun, take this left turn and at the bottom of this road you will come to Bridge of Dun station. 

The Montrose Basin Cycle Route is an excellent example of forward thinking by a local authority. The busy A935 makes it daunting to come here on a bicycle, but by making the pavement shared pedestrian and cycle path it has opened up the area to cycle tourism. Some parts of the pavement are very narrow with little space for bikes and people to pass, but they have made the best use of the existing infrastructure to ensure that it is viable to cycle safely in this area.

Other things to see and do
Take the Montrose Basin Cycle Route all the way around Montrose Basin. This is about 10 miles and means that you can do a circular route from and to Montrose station. You could pop in to the Montrose Basin Visitor Centre.

Before you reach the turn off for Bridge of Dun you will pass the entrance to House of Dun, a National Trust property where you can go on a tour of the house and explore the grounds.

Brechin is worth exploring for interesting architecture and the cathedral.