The railway line to Mallaig is regarded as one of the most spectacular in the world – and now photographs of its construction have been unearthed.
The 40-mile stretch of the West Highland line from Fort William to Mallaig was built between 1897 and 1901 and ranks among the greatest triumphs of Victorian railway engineering.
A new BBC Alba documentary reveals newly discovered photographs taken during the construction of the Mallaig railway line, which sweeps past Ben Nevis and over the iconic Glenfinnan Viaduct, known to Harry Potter fans as part of the route to Hogwarts.
More than 100 hi-res celluloid nitrate plates were unearthed in a sale in Cornwall in 2019. Local musician Ingrid Henderson follows the stories behind the images and the construction of the line.
At the same time she creates new music to pay tribute to the railway and the people who built it.
For Ms Henderson, who was born in Mallaig, brought up in Fort William and now lives and works in Glenfinnan, the railway has always been present in her life.
In the programme, Ceol na Loidhne (Song of the Track), she travels the line, stopping at stations along the route to find the places in the photographs, and looks for inspiration to compose a new album.
Producer Annie Cheape, said: “This previously unpublished original source material features over 100 images of the build project led by contractors Robert McAlpine and Sons, and includes the renowned Glenfinnan Viaduct.
“Along with construction, they document the people working on the railway, and the dangerous conditions they encountered.”
Among those featured are nurses who tended the injured in the make-shift field hospitals
“Hundreds of men died to drive this section of the railway through one of the roughest terrains in Britain”, said Ms Cheape. “Many hundreds were injured while blasting through the rocks, most of them navies from Ireland or the Scottish islands.
“Many men were injured during the rock blasting, but alcohol was a huge problem too. Men died of hypothermia after drinking too much, or had accidents on Monday morning while still under the influence. As a result, McAlpine set up an innovative scheme of licensed drinking huts with safe whisky.
“These images also reveal the faces of the nurses who tended the injured in the make-shift field hospitals. They are smiling, look relaxed, happy and enjoying themselves. It’s unusual to see women of this period photographed in this informal way.”
With the help of the Lochaber Archive Centre, Ms Henderson attempts to find the names of some of these women. She also visits Hege Hernes who lives at Glenfinnan Station and reveals evidence to suggest that the Mallaig railway line photographs were taken by Tom Malcolm McAlpine, one of Robert MacAlpine’s sons.
He was a manager of a section of the line where one of the men was badly injured during concrete blasting, and some of the photographs document his recuperation.
Sgeul Media made Song of the Track for BBC ALBA and it airs on Thursday, December 31 at 9pm.
