Scotland’s RailwaysMapping our railway heritage
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Scotland’s Railways · line explorer

The Waverley Route

Edinburgh Waverley to Carlisle Citadel

A railway through city, Borders and upland countryEdinburgh Waverley → Carlisle CitadelFrom its Victorian origins to closure and return

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Explore the Railway · Waverley Route

Places, trains and timetables—together.

Find stations and structures on the map, inspect their evidence, choose a timetable and watch the recorded railway work. Recorded call times are evidence; movement between them is simulated and labelled.

46mapped places and features
5structured 1964 workings
76transcribed 1964 calls

Step 1 · Choose the timetable

Which railway do you want to watch?

Select a timetable and we will take you straight to the map with its trains and recorded calls loaded.

Step 2 · Interactive working railway

The selected timetable on the map

Press Run railway to watch it work, move the clock yourself, or choose a particular train below.

Loading railway evidence…

Step 3 · Choose a particular train

Structured workings from the selected timetable

Select a working to return to the map and highlight its recorded calls. The listed workings are not presented as a complete trains-per-day total.

Available timetables

Choose a railway day to explore

verified demonstration

Summer 1964 — Table 23

Five structured workings; not a complete trains-per-day total.

Visit today · modern information

Places to visit along the route

Present-day visitor destinations are kept separate from the historical railway reconstruction.

Edinburgh Castle viewed across Princes Street Gardens

Edinburgh · historic site

Edinburgh Castle

Scotland's nationally significant castle above the city and a major present-day visitor destination.

Official visitor information ↗Michael D Beckwith · CC0
The main Chambers Street entrance to the National Museum of Scotland

Edinburgh · museum

National Museum of Scotland

National collections covering Scotland, science, technology, world cultures and natural history.

Official visitor information ↗Nachosan / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0
Dalkeith Palace within the historic Dalkeith Country Park estate

Dalkeith · park and estate

Dalkeith Country Park

Historic estate landscape and present-day country park close to Dalkeith.

Official visitor information ↗Kim Traynor / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 3.0
Enclosed conveyor belts and red-brick colliery buildings at National Mining Museum Scotland

Gorebridge station · industrial museum

National Mining Museum Scotland

The preserved Lady Victoria Colliery interprets Scotland's coal-mining industry and communities.

Official visitor information ↗Charlotte Croydon-Haycox / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
The Great Tapestry of Scotland visitor centre in Galashiels

Galashiels station · museum and gallery

The Great Tapestry of Scotland

A purpose-built Galashiels visitor centre presenting Scotland's history through the Great Tapestry.

Official visitor information ↗Jim Barton / Geograph / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
Abbotsford House beside the River Tweed

Galashiels station · historic house

Abbotsford

The home created by Sir Walter Scott beside the River Tweed, with house, collections and estate.

Official visitor information ↗Ad Meskens / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0
Historical view of Melrose Abbey published in 1801

Melrose station · historic site

Melrose Abbey

The major medieval abbey ruin at Melrose, founded in 1136 and now cared for by Historic Environment Scotland.

Official visitor information ↗John Stoddart, 1800 / Wikimedia Commons · Public domain
Ruins of Dryburgh Abbey

St Boswells · historic site

Dryburgh Abbey

A medieval monastic ruin beside the River Tweed, also associated with Sir Walter Scott.

Official visitor information ↗James Allan / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0

Hawick station · museum

Borders Textile Towerhouse

A Hawick museum interpreting the Borders textile industry and the town's knitwear heritage.

Official visitor information ↗
Hermitage Castle in the Liddesdale landscape

Newcastleton station · historic site

Hermitage Castle

A powerful medieval Borders fortress in Liddesdale, reached from the Newcastleton area.

Official visitor information ↗James Johnstone / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0
Carlisle Castle and its stone defensive walls

Carlisle Citadel · historic site

Carlisle Castle

The border fortress overlooking Carlisle, with a history spanning Norman rule, conflict and military use.

Official visitor information ↗Hugh Llewelyn / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery in Carlisle

Carlisle Citadel · museum and gallery

Tullie

Carlisle's museum, art gallery and community hub, holding collections about the city and Cumbria.

Official visitor information ↗Kenneth Allen / Geograph / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0