Scotland’s Railways

Scotland’s RailwaysMapping our railway heritage
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The Waverley Route

Edinburgh Waverley to Carlisle Citadel

Begin the guided journey →Explore the railway
A railway through city, Borders and upland countryEdinburgh Waverley → Carlisle CitadelFrom its Victorian origins to closure and return

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Discover · Edinburgh to Carlisle

One railway. Six landscapes.

Follow the Waverley Route from the capital to Carlisle through the towns, valleys, uplands and railway communities that gave the line its character.

Edinburgh Waverley station from the Mound, 1948
Edinburgh Waverley station from the Mound, 1948Ben Brooksbank / Geograph, via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
Looking east from Edinburgh Waverley towards the Calton tunnels, 2002
Looking east from Edinburgh Waverley towards the Calton tunnels, 2002Ben Brooksbank / Geograph, via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0

Chapter 01 · Edinburgh

The railway in the capital

Edinburgh Waverley formed the northern terminus. The route began beneath the Old Town before turning south through the capital’s railway approaches.

Historical photograph · 13 August 1948Inspect historical image source ↗Inspect east-end image source ↗
Newbattle Viaduct, 2014
Newbattle Viaduct, 2014Richard Webb / Geograph, via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0

Chapter 02 · Midlothian

Leaving the city behind

South of Edinburgh the railway crossed Midlothian through Dalkeith, Eskbank and Gorebridge. Surviving structures and the reopened railway show how parts of this northern corridor returned to passenger use.

Modern reinstatement context · July 2014Inspect historical image source ↗
Belses station, 1962
Belses station, 1962Ben Brooksbank / Geograph, via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0

Chapter 04 · St Boswells and Hawick

The Borders railway towns

The route connected Galashiels, Melrose, St Boswells and Hawick with the wider railway system. Stations, goods yards and junctions made these towns important meeting points between local life and the wider railway.

Historical railway photograph · 20 September 1962Inspect historical image source ↗
Railway bridge at Whitrope
Railway bridge at WhitropeOliver Dixon / Geograph, via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0

Chapter 05 · Whitrope and Riccarton

The high railway

South of Hawick the railway climbed towards Whitrope Summit and the remote junction community at Riccarton. The demanding gradients, exposed landscape and isolated railway settlement gave this stretch its unmistakable character.

Whitrope todayInspect historical image source ↗
Longtown railway station, 1905 postcard
Longtown railway station, 1905 postcardUnknown photographer; historical postcard, via Wikimedia Commons · Public domain – PD-UK-unknown

Chapter 06 · Longtown and Carlisle

Across the border

The southern railway passed through Newcastleton and Longtown before reaching Carlisle Citadel. The journey ended in a major railway centre rather than at an isolated branch terminus.

Public-domain historical postcard · 1905Inspect historical image source ↗