Strathpeffer Introduction

Attribution: unknown (The ruin of Free Church in Jamestown)

Welcome to Strathpeffer

Strathpeffer stands in a beautiful setting at the head of the Peffery Valley, 200 ft. above sea-level and guarded to the North by the massive bulk of Ben Wyvis. Strathpeffer is a unique place in that it is the only remaining Scottish Spa. The benefits of its waters were first recognised during the latter half of the 18th. century, although the first Pump Room was not built until 1819. In 1861 a larger Pump Room was built , but this has now been demolished. That site is now occupied by The Tasting Pavilion and Tourist Office. The waters contain Sulphur and Chalybeate (Iron) but only the Sulphur Wells are available at present.

The outstanding Victorian Architecture of the village owed much to the development of the Spa, as does the presence of some outstandingly beautiful trees. The village has several small but interesting shops, most clustered around the Square. The old Railway Station has been converted and now houses the Highland Museum of Childhood, a wood-carver’s workshop and some craft shops.

Several walks exist around the village, giving beautiful views of the surrounding countryside. For the energetic, there is also a splendid 18 hole Golf Course. The population of Strathpeffer is in the region of 1200. A large percentage of its inhabitants are retired. Those employed are involved in Tourism, Forestry, Farming and crofting, with quite a number commuting daily, either to Dingwall or Inverness. The village boasts two vey large hotels (over 100 bedrooms each), several hotels and guest houses, Bed and Breakfast accommodation and self-catering establishments.

Strathpeffer is a good centre from which to explore and visit places of interest, including Loch Ness, Cawdor Castle, Dunrobin Castle and Gardens, Culloden Battle Field, John O’Groats, Skye, Inverewe Gardens with many other diverse and interesting places within easy reach. Hill-walking, sailing, horse riding, tennis and golf can all be sampled without travelling far.

The water feature in the Square, built in the early 1990s

Attribution: unknown

Click on photo album to view thumbnails and then click thumbnail to see the full size images 
Strathpeffer » Strathpeffer History
Strathpeffer as a spa village
Strathpeffer as a spa village
Strathpeffer as a spa village, with pumproom in the foreground, the Square on the right and the spire of the Free Church of Scotland in the background. [Photo RCHS]
Raven's Rock
Raven's Rock
Jjust before the railway would pass through Raven's Rock.
Strathpeffer station building
Strathpeffer station building
Strathpeffer station building, restored from a dilapidated state in 1986.
The Square, Strathpeffer
The Square, Strathpeffer
"The Strathie" at Strathpeffer Station
"The Strathie" at Strathpeffer Station
"The Strathie" at Strathpeffer Station. [Photo courtesy of The Highland Railway Society]
Strathpeffer Station - coal yard
Strathpeffer Station - coal yard
The station when used as a coal yard c.1950s. [Photo courtesy of the Highland Museum of Childhood.]
The Station, functioning
The Station, functioning
Later version of the "Strathie" taken at Dingwall Station
Later version of the "Strathie" taken at Dingwall Station
Photo [courtesy of the F W Urquhart collection] of a later version of the "Strathie" taken at Dingwall Station. In 1897 the Highland Railway Company ran five trains a day on the branch line from Dingwall to Strathpeffer [see Strathpeffer/Environment/The Peffery Way]. The first train, at 7.40 am, was a mixed/mail passenger train. The journey took ten minutes. As the train has been decorated, could this be to celebrate Queen Victoria's diamond jubilee in 1897?
Strathie196ac.jpg
Strathie196ac.jpg
"The Strathie" at Strathpeffer Station but from photograph acquired by RCHS, now gifted to The Pump Room.
Spa buildings
Spa buildings
Another photograph of the Spa buildings (source unknown). Is this before the Highland Hotel was built?
Strathpeffer Station in 1937
Strathpeffer Station in 1937
Newspaper photograph (source unknown) showing Station in 1937 with goods train.
Achterneed station
Achterneed station

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