THE COMING OF THE RAILWAY
For centuries travellers of all sorts have come by Glen Orchy and Loch Awe on their way to
and from the Lorn coast. But travel by horse or by boat was always slow, arduous and
uncertain.THE BENS, THE GLENS AND THE LOCHS...
The coming of the railway in 1880 opened the West Highlands up to mass tourism. Suddenly
1000 passengers a day - i.e. in Fairs Week, could have a day out, leaving Glasgow at
breakfast time, arriving at Oban by noon ( earlier at stations in between ) and still be
home before dark. In the two years when the line terminated at DALMALLY, having cash-flow
problems, excursions like that on the left were advertised.
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 RIGHT ROYAL HOLIDAYS
In their First Class compartments from London Euston the well-to-do Victorians could
follow the fashion established by their Queen for "holidaying in the Highlands".
Steam-trains brought them and their servants to the new LOCH AWE STATION, where the new SS
"Countess of Breadalbane" waited to take them across the loch to great hotels
like ARDANAISEIG, PORT SONACHAN and TAYCREGGAN. Like the LOCH AWE HOTEL itself these
loch-side hotels still offer a standard of comfort and style which recalls the grandeur of
this Victorian heyday. |
