Cycling disused railway lines. Book review of "The Lost Lines of Britain".

Much of Scotland's traffic-free cycle network is composed of former railways lines. They are a delight for cyclists as they often traverse stunning countryside and provide the means to avoid busy roads. Not only that, the remains of the railway in the form of bridges,stations and tunnels area point of interest along the route. Julian Holland's "The Lost Lines of Britain" provides inspiration for those who enjoy both the cycling and the railway history of these routes.

Maud station on the Formartine and Buchan Way. This is a cycle route that was once the rail line linking Aberdeen to Peterhead and Fraserburgh. Maud is where the line split with one track heading to Peterhead, the other to Fraserburgh

Many of these lines were closed as part of the Beeching cuts in the 1960s. Dr Richard Beeching proposed wholesale closure of unprofitable routes and stations in order to tackle the significant losses that the railways were making, largely due to increasing competition from road traffic. Some might say that the cycle network was the only beneficiary of the Beeching cuts.

Holland's book is hardback and full of photographs of the railways as they were and how they are today. It is too large to take with you on a cycling journey and is more suitable as an armchair source of dreaming and planning future adventures.

A former railway workers' shelter along the Formatine and Buchan Way

The book is about Britain and most of the railways are, naturally, in England. The chapter on Scotland has seven railways, including the Formartine and Buchan Way, which I have cycled and written about. Most of the other railways are ones that I did not know much about and did not know that there were cycle routes on them, so the book has given me some new ideas.

A misty scene along the Formartine and Buchan Way

The book is not aimed at trainspotters, so there is no need to worry about it being filled with engine numbers and technical explanations. It is mainly composed of photographs that are a fascinating look on the past and the present condition of the disused lines.

I was fascinated by the present-day photographs of the Lochaber narrow gauge railway with its American-style trestle bridges. I had no idea that this can be found in the hills outside Fort William until I read this book.

At the end of each chapter there is an information box "walking and cycling the line" which provides a route description and all the basics needed to plan a walk or cycle. This also includes some suggestions of places to visit.

If you enjoy cycling along old railway lines in Britain and are interested in the history of those lines then this book is a must. The size of the book makes it impractical to take with you on those cycle trips, but it can be used to begin the planning process and get you excited about what you are likely to see along the route.

You can click on the image of the book to purchase it from Amazon.