📌 Heritage railway in Leadhills, South Lanarkshire
★★★
High in the Lowther Hills alongside the remote Mennock Pass is the UK’s highest adhesion railway, shuttling tourists along a re-opened stretch of track between Leadhills and Wanlockhead. Except at the moment the rails run out at Glengonnar Halt, half a mile short of Wanlockhead – work started in August 2017 to plug the remaining gap. A round trip currently takes about 30 minutes, with good views from the open carriages over rolling moorland pockmarked with the legacy of mining activity. Tickets are quite flexible for the return leg, so (if you inform the guard) you can hop off at the end, walk the remaining distance to Wanlockhead, perhaps visit the extensive Museum of Lead Mining, and return on a later train: recommended. The railway is staffed by friendly volunteers who were eager to show us around the operational signal box, engine shed and small museum.
Train at Leadhills station 
View along the line from Leadhills Station 
On the train just outside Leadhills 
Heading south up the pass 
Remains of Glengonnar Mine, seen from the train 
Glengonnar Mine 
Glengonnar Halt: end of the line – for now 
Glengonnar Halt / Hillend Summit 
View along the line from Glengonnar Halt 
Leadhills station 
Signal box at Leadhills 
Engine shed at Leadhills 
Leadhills sidings
🌍 Location
📌 Leadhills Station (main / north terminus) is on the south side of Leadhills
🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NS 886145
🛰️ GPS coordinates: 55.411329,-3.760961
🚌 Bus to Leadhills
🚗 Car park
📌 Glengonnar Halt (south terminus) is 0.5 mi northeast of Wanlockhead
🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NS 881134
🛰️ GPS coordinates: 55.402180,-3.769438
🚌 Bus to Wanlockhead (0.5 mi)
🚗 Car park
📝 Key info
⌚ Sundays, Easter to September
🎫 £7.50 adult / £3.50 child for return ticket
