The Far North Line

The Far North Line, in Scotland’s Northern Highlands, is the northernmost passenger railroad in the UK, and one of its most scenic train rides. It extends from Inverness to Thurso and Wick, on the edge of mainland Scotland, cutting through some of the country’s most rugged terrain: from wide skies to UNESCO-listed blanket bog, sweeping coastlines to small harbors, and Iron Age brochs (circular drystone towers).

The Far North Line offers a quieter alternative to the busy NC500 road trip, letting you reach much of the same region with fewer crowds (and far less environmental impact). Completed in stages from 1862 to 1874, the route was originally built to connect small Highland communities with Inverness, along with larger market towns and fishing ports on the route. Today, it still serves those places and also draws in travelers looking to explore the Northern Highlands without a car.

In this guide, you’ll find everything you need to know about traveling the Far North Line: the trains, the tickets, and a stop-by-stop walkthrough of what to expect along the way.

OpenStreetMap contributors/openstreetmap.org/CC BY 3.0.

The Far North Line: the train

Operator and route details

The Far North Line is operated by ScotRail and covers 168 miles between Inverness and two final destinations: Wick (taking around 4h 30m) and Thurso (in around 3h 45m).

Wick and Thurso sit at opposite ends of a Y-shaped fork near the top of the route (see map above). Georgemas Junction station sits at this fork and the line diverges into two. Originally, trains split here, with one half traveling to Thurso and the other to Wick. Nowadays, however, the same train serves both branches, and passengers don’t have to switch trains. It does this by first reversing at the junction to move onto the Thurso line. From there, it reverses back to the junction to rejoin the main line, which travels to Wick. It repeats this maneuver on the return trip to Inverness.

The route has seven request stops: Culrain, Dunrobin Castle, Invershin, Kildonan, Kinbrace, Rogart, and Scotscalder. Request stops are not serviced by every train, and if you want to get off at these stops, speak to the conductor on the train. If you’re getting on the train from a request stop, you need to push the button at a Request Stop Kiosk at the station between 20 and 5 minutes before the train’s departure time. The Request Stop Kiosk is a touchscreen machine that looks a lot like a ticket machine, but shows the upcoming trains and times with a silver button at the bottom to send the request to the train (you can see a picture of one in this article by Network Rail).

Frequency of service

There are four trains a day in each direction from Monday to Saturday, with one daily service on Sundays. Trains run year-round but can be affected by winter weather or track work.

Onboard facilities

Most services on the Far North Line are two-car trains, occasionally increased to three during peak times. There is no First Class service on this line. Onboard you’ll find restrooms, luggage racks, bicycle spaces, and free Wi-Fi. There is no food service, so bring a picnic (and charge devices in advance since power outlets aren’t always guaranteed).

S.Simon(Own Work)/CC BY-SA 4.0

Thurso station.

Ticket types and flexibility

A standard Anytime Day Single ticket from Inverness to Wick or Thurso costs £28, while an Anytime Day Return costs around £45. These tickets are flexible, allowing you to break your trip at stops along the route, as long as you finish the trip on the same day. Anytime Return tickets (without a set return date) are also available for around £10 extra if you’re planning on staying overnight or taking a longer break along the way.

Interrail passes

The Far North Line is fully covered by Interrail passes (for non-UK residents). Passholders don’t need additional seat reservations, although it can be helpful during the summer when it’s busier.

Is it worth stopping along the way?

Definitely, if you have the time and aren’t carrying too much luggage.

The line can also be enjoyed as a day trip from Inverness with time to hop off and explore (or can be used as part of the route to reach Orkney via the ferry from Scrabster), and the stops give you access to smaller Highland towns and remote areas. Glenmorangie distillery in Tain, the Flow Country near Forsinard, and the RSPB reserve at Dunnet Head are all reachable from the line.

If you’d rather sit back and relax, the train ride alone is still worth doing for the variety of landscapes you’ll see out the window: estuaries, mountain passes, historic villages, and sea cliffs.

Rob Faulkner/CC BY 2.0

Altnabreac Station.

The Far North Line: the journey

Inverness to Dingwall

Most travelers start the journey on the Far North Line from Inverness, the “Capital of the Highlands,” known for its proximity to Loch Ness, the Moray Firth, and its easy access to the more remote corners of the Scottish Highlands. A short walk from the station, the covered Victorian Market is home to a food hall showcasing local businesses if you want to grab a bite before the trip, from coffee at Milk Bar to Scottish seafood at The Redshank.

As the train departs, it crosses the Caledonian Canal and the Beauly Firth. You’ll see tidal flats and distant ridges as you travel, including Ben Wyvis on clear days.

Dingwall is the first major stop. The town is mostly residential but has a small local museum and walking trails around the Cromarty Firth. From here, the tracks link up with the Kyle Line, branching west to Kyle of Lochalsh, while the Far North Line continues north.

Graham Fowler/CC BY-SA 2.0

Beauly Firth.

Dingwall to Tain

After Dingwall, the train skirts the Cromarty Firth (a designated Special Protection Area for wildlife conservation), with views of oil rigs stationed offshore on its way to Alness and Invergordon. Alness itself is home to the nearby Fyrnish Monument, a stone structure built in 1782 that is a 45-minute hike from town. Meanwhile, Invergordon has a long maritime history, illustrated by its colorful mural trail depicting scenes from its naval past.

Katia de Juan

Fyrnish Monument, Alness.

The next major stop, Tain, is worth getting off for if you're in the mood for a dram of uisge beatha (water of life, or whisky, as it’s more commonly known). Located on the southern shore of the Dornoch Firth, it’s one of the oldest royal burghs in Scotland and home to the Glenmorangie Distillery. Walk 20 minutes for a tour of the distillery, or explore the town with its 13th-century cathedral and Tain & District Museum, covering local history.

Tain to Lairg

Past Tain, the line turns inland, climbing gently through heather-clad moorland. After Ardgay, the scenery becomes more open. Small lochs, pine plantations and peat flats come into view.

Lairg is a quiet town near Loch Shin, with bus connections farther into central Sutherland, a sparsely populated area known for waterfalls and wild fishing. From here, you can explore the Falls of Shin, known for salmon leaping in late summer, or take forest walks through Achany Glen.

Donald Bain/CC BY-SA 2.0

Loch Shin.

Lairg to Golspie

After passing Rogart, the Far North Line curves toward the coast again. Golspie can be used as a stop for visiting the 19th-century Dunrobin Castle (which also has its own small request stop just down the line). From Dunrobin Castle station, it’s a 10-minute walk to the castle itself, which offers extensive gardens, falconry demonstrations (in summer), and a private museum of natural history and archaeology.

Lāsma Artmane

Dunrobin Castle.

Golspie to Helmsdale

The train continues along the North Sea, with long beaches and distant sea cliffs. The next stop, Brora, has remnants of its industrial past including an old salt works and woolen mill, and a long stretch of beach.

After that is Helmsdale, a small harbor town where you can visit the Timespan heritage center, learn about the Highland Clearances, or pan for gold in the River Helmsdale. The harbor is also a good spot for sea trout watching in summer.

Postdlf/CC BY-SA 3.0

Helmsdale.

Helmsdale to Georgemas Junction

The section from Helmsdale to Georgemas Junction is one of the Far North Line’s wildest sections. The route cuts across the Flow Country, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the world’s largest intact blanket bogs, covering about 4,000 km². It’s a vast area of peatland, dotted with bog pools, and an important habitat for flora and fauna, as well as a vital carbon sink.

At Forsinard station, you can get off to visit the RSPB Forsinard Flows National Nature Reserve with its visitor center and boardwalk that starts right next to the platform, offering you an up-close view of the bog.

Andy Hay/CC RSPB/UNESCO

Peatmound and pools on the RSPB Forsinard Flows National Nature Reserve.

Georgemas Junction to Thurso and Wick

Out of the Flow Country, the landscape flattens as it turns toward the north coast and the train reaches Georgemas Junction, where it first runs west to Thurso (by doing a unique reverse maneuver), then returns and continues east to Wick.

Paulina Herpel

Dunnet Bay, Thurso.

Thurso

Thurso is the northernmost town in mainland Scotland, and a connection point for the ferry to Orkney from nearby Scrabster. The town also links up with the North Highland Way, a long-distance walk across the north coast to John O'Groats (which can also be visited by bus if you don’t feel like hiking).

In the town itself, the Swanson Gallery showcases local artists, while the North Coast Visitor Centre tells the story of Caithness. For a bite to eat or a cup of coffee, head to Haven or Caffe Cardosi (a local favorite).

Thurso is also a major surfing area and cold surf destination, hosting competitions like the Scottish National Surfing Championships and World Championships for kayak surfing. The reefs, points, river mouths, and beaches, on top of the year-round surfing opportunities, make the location popular with watersports fans, as well as seals (and occasionally, orcas).

Ian Taylor

Coast near Wick.

Wick

At Wick, you’re back on Scotland’s East Coast. The town was once one of 19th-century Europe's busiest herring ports, with roots as a fishing settlement going back further. Its maritime past is still visible in its harbor and the Wick Heritage Museum.

While there, whisky lovers can visit Old Pulteney distillery, and those wanting to explore the coast can venture out on a RIB tour with Caithness Seacoast to discover sea stacks, lighthouses, and wildlife.

Back on land, the nearby remains of the Castle of Old Wick are worth a visit, sitting atop the edge of the cliffs about half a mile south of Wick Bay. Or head four miles north from the town to explore the 15th to 17th-century ruins of Sinclair and Girnigoe castles, rising steeply from a thin promontory.

The return route

If you’re not traveling onward after a day trip along the Far North Line, you can take the train back to Inverness via the same train route (sit on the other side of the train car for a different view). If you’re staying for a night (or a few), then you can also take the Stagecoach X99 bus service from Thurso/Wick to Inverness and see the views from the road.

From Inverness, you can link up with other train routes to Kyle of Lochalsh, the Cairngorms, Perthshire, and Scotland’s cities, alongside London by Caledonian Sleeper or the once-daily direct LNER service along the Highland Main Line, known as the "Highland Chieftain." You can also take the Citylink bus service to Fort William to connect with both branches of the world-famous West Highland Line.

Take a vacation to Inverness by sleeper train, where you can venture out on the Far North Line, or check out our other trips to Scotland by train.

Read our complete guide to visiting Scotland, about the art of slow travel, or why we love taking the local train.

For more exclusive insights into train routes, slow travel inspiration, and insider tips, subscribe to our newsletter.