I've been on holiday in South West Scotland this week which was very relaxing. I would highly recommend The Mull of Galloway if peace and quiet is what you like. I thought there would be no trains but that's not life threatening, however on our first trip out we took a small fishing boat to a small island called Ailsa Craig. It has a long and varied history but is now completely uninhabited. There is a lighthouse which is now fully automated but which used to have three lighthousemen in residence. There are three derelict houses to poke about in but most interesting to me was the fact that they had a 3ft gauge tramway from the landing place to the lighthouse compound.
The first section of the line was an incline with a curved section, there was a small internal combustion engine worked winch for this. The whole workings are still in tact.
The siding
One of two wagons, the other being by the coast is almost destroyed.
The wagon at the end of the track in the lighthouse compound. The track ended here but I suspect that it continued in a lighter gauge rail at some point as I detected the remains of sleepers amongst the dereliction.
The incline winding house.
The incline. There is a newer concrete pier and the remains of an older wooden one. The track has obviously been changed to suit.
There was also another seperate 3ft gauge system which served the granite quarry. The stone was used for curling stones. This is completely removed now.
The quarry trackbed and the outside remains of a curling stone.
The old pier
The whole site
Ailsa Craig
This is the phone video of the trip featuring the railway.
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