Altnabreac (Allt nam Breac) Railway Station
Altnabrec Station is now open
Allt nam Breac means “the stream of the trout”. Situated on Altnabreac Moss by the Sleach Water, 9 miles (14 kilometres) east of Forsinard. The settlement, notable for its remoteness, consists of the station and the former Altnabreac School, closed in 1986 and converted into a private residence. The former gamekeeper’s house sits adjacent to the school and station. There is a natural spring about 200 metres (650 ft) from the school.
What to see and do
Lochdhu Lodge, approximately 11⁄2 miles (2.5 kilometres) south, was built in 1895.
During the 1980s, peat banks were worked to provide fuel for the residents who were regularly cut off from the nearest town of Thurso during the winter. It can only be approached by train or along unsurfaced Forestry Commission roads from the nearest village, Westerdale, about 12 mi (19 km) away.
Altnabreac, like Dounreay, was considered a location for the final repository of the UK’s nuclear waste. However, this idea was not pursued.
