Victorian railway

Mum and I had a nice wander around Strathpeffer this afternoon. Its an old Victorian Spa Village and jam-packed full of interesting things to look at. A very popular spot in its hey-day (Queen Vic herself came to take the waters) what I love most about it is how unchanged it is. It must be one of the few places where just about everything is a listed building!
Its incredibly picturesque and the buildings are wonderful, almost like a victorian fantasy village in the highlands - but somewhere that people actually live and work.

So todays blip is from the old railway station - its disused now but its been restored beautifully and converted into lovely wee shops. Only one was open today unfortunately because its still winter season and everywhere opens tomorrow! Typical of us to be there on the wrong day! Still very pretty though :o)

I remember my gran and 'the girls' (ladies in their 70's can absolutely still be called girls!) coming to stay in the big Highland Hotel here, which when I was little was incredibly impressive - the grandure of it!
They would come to holiday and combine it with 'the dancing' (I thought the dancing was back before the 60's but apparently still alive and well!)and we'd get to come visit and be treated. I remember one year when they were there during the christmas season and it was just magical.
So even though I grew up so close to Strathpeffer I'll always associate it with my lovely gran and the glamour of high tea!


Heres the history bit! -
The victorians were obsessed with healing waters and the consequence is a village unlike any other in the Highlands, complete with lavish victorian buildings higgelty piggelty crammed in on the slopes around the gorgeous Spa Pavillion and sweet little square.
Once upon a time the train delivered hundreds of people here and the village boomed after Dr.Thomas Morrison claimed in 1819 that the local spa waters were the most "efficacious in Britain".
The first pump room in Strathpeffer was opened in 1820 and was soon followed by hoards of health-seekers and the like of the day, along with their hotels, hospitals, huge villa-style houses and transport links.

Today many of the very large victorian buildings are hotels, so the village is very busy during the tourist season, with lots of people milling around in the square.
But its not just a tourist spot because a lot of folk live here too and at the moment in its off-season its lovely and peaceful and us locals (I'm from the Highlands, I get to be a local ;o) can enjoy a lovely walk about.

XXx