Scotland from the Rails

Benedict Le Vay is a national newspaper sub-editor who has worked in four continents but wrote his first book, Eccentric Britain, more or less by accident after collecting oddities about his home country. He says he was 'staggered' by the response, which included media attention from the Shetland Times to Gulf Radio and publicity tours in America and New Zealand. He describes himself as a frankly rather ordinary father of two, and is hard-pressed to think of anything eccentric about himself. 'At a push, I'd say, yes, I'm Honorary Secretary of the Friends of A272, and I've asked for my ashes to be blasted from the chimney of my favourite steam locomotive at my funeral. Hasn't everybody?'

TRAINSCOTTING!
Scottish superb superlatives
Who is this book for? A lot of people
How to use this book
Planning your trips

THE IRON MEN & THEIR IRON ROAD: FROM BRILLIANT PIONEERS TO THRILLING TRAINS
Waggons roll! Scotland's oldest railway
The first 'proper' lines open
Thrills & spills in a dramatic century
Going loco on World Records

GREAT ARRIVALS: THE FAMED MAIN LINES
Getting to Edinburgh: The East Coast Main Line
Getting to Glasgow: The West Coast Main Line

THE CENTRAL BELT: EDINBURGH & GLASGOW
Glasgow to Edinburgh via Falkirk: The quickest & best route
Other Edinburgh-Glasgow routes: Shoppers, stoppers & shockers
The Cathcart Circle: Glasgow Central to Glasgow Central
The Fife Circle: Edinburgh Waverley to Edinburgh Waverley
Seaside excursions: Two great days out from Scotland's two big cities

FIRTH TO LAST: EDINBURGH TO ABERDEEN
Edinburgh to Dundee: Bridges to adventure
Dundee to Aberdeen: Loch, dock & a smoking barrel

SCOTLAND GOES ON HOLIDAY: GLASGOW TO AYRSHIRE & DUMFRIES
The Glasgow & South-Western Main Line: To the land of 'Oreo cows' & a romantic anvil
The Ayrshire Coast Line: I'll take the Troon train!
The Inverclyde Line to Gourock: In the tracks of heroes

BORDERING ON THE BRILLIANT!: THE BORDERS RAILWAY
South from Edinburgh: Home on the Grange
Onwards to Tweedbank: A Gala affair

THE WORLD'S MOST SCENIC RAILWAY: THE WEST HIGHLAND LINE
Glasgow Queen Street to Crianlarich: From lowland bustle to empty highlands in a few miles
Crianlarich to Fort William: A lucky horsehoe, the last great wilderness & a gorgeous gorge
Fort William to Mallaig: Outrageous beauty & concrete evidence
The Oban branch: Awe-inspiring ruins, a rock piano, the magical route to Mull & the Holy Islands

SUMMIT SPECIAL: THE HIGHLAND MAIN LINE
Inverness to Perth: Along Britain's highest railway
Perth to Glasgow Queen Street: Stirling work

WHISKY & CANALS: THE GREAT NORTH OF SCOTLAND RAILWAY
The route described

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL LINE IN EUROPE: THE SKYE LINE
From feudalism to internet-age democracy in just 150 years
Inverness to Dingwall
Dingwall to Kyle of Lochalsh

WONDERFULLY REMOTE: THE FAR NORTH LINE
Inverness to Lairg: From the slightly Ord to the deeply loopy!
Lairg to Wick & Thurso: Two for the price of one

APPENDIX ONE: ROMANCE & RIVALRY ON THE RAILS
Poetic rails
Further information

APPENDIX TWO: STEAMY AFFAIRS
Steam railways
Steam museums
Steam operators