Tyndrum
Encyclopedia
Tyndrum is a small village in Scotland
. Its Gaelic name translates as "the house on the ridge". It lies in Strathfillan
, at the southern edge of Rannoch Moor
.
The village is notable mainly for being at an important crossroads of transport routes. The West Highland Line
(a railway) from Glasgow
splits approximately five miles to the south at Crianlarich
, with one branch heading to Fort Willam and the other to Oban
. Tyndrum has a station on each: Upper Tyndrum
on the Fort William route and Tyndrum Lower
on the Oban route. The somewhat unusual situation exists of two stations serving the same relatively small community, separated physically by only a few hundred yards, but about ten miles apart by rail. Indeed, Tyndrum is the smallest town in the UK to be served by more than one railway station. This is partly a legacy of the history of the railways in the area, after two separate railways belonging to different railway companies were built through the village. However, the main reason is geography: splitting the line in Crianlarich allows the contours of the glen to be used to avoid very steep climbs heading north or west from Tyndrum. Roads mirror this division: the A82
passes through Tyndrum between Glasgow and Fort William, whilst the A85
to Oban splits off just north of the village.
Tyndrum is a popular tourist village, and is also on the West Highland Way
, and has a campsite
, hotel
, bunkhouse
and bed and breakfast
s to accommodate walkers.
Overshadowed by Ben Lui
, one of the Munros, Tyndrum is also built over the battlefield on which, in 1306 AD, Clan MacDougall
defeated Robert the Bruce and took from him the Brooch of Lorne.
Tyndrum is also a former mining centre. The hamlet of Clifton (the row of cottages over the A82 from the Green Welly) are the former mining cottages, and up on the hillside beyond them the tailings of a former lead mine can be seen. The gold mine is a couple of miles to the south and west of Tyndrum at Cononish, situated above Cononish Farm. Work on constructing the mine first began in the 1980s but low gold prices forced the closure of the mine before it became fully operational.
In October 2011 it was announced that the mine would be reactivated. The mine is expected to produce 154,000 ounces of gold and 589,000 ounces of silver over the next 10 years. Thereby generating an estimated £80 million for the Scottish economy over an 8 to 10 year period of operation and employ 52 people.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. Its Gaelic name translates as "the house on the ridge". It lies in Strathfillan
Strathfillan
Strath Fillan is a strath in west Perthshire named after an 8th C Irish hermit monk later canonised Saint Fillan. It stretches from Bridge of Orchy to Crianlarich and has long been a major route through the highlands; the A82 road, the West Highland Line, and the West Highland Way long-distance...
, at the southern edge of Rannoch Moor
Rannoch Moor
Rannoch Moor is a large expanse of around 50 square miles of boggy moorland to the west of Loch Rannoch, in Perth and Kinross and Lochaber, Highland, partly northern Argyll and Bute, Scotland...
.
West Highland Line
The West Highland Line is considered the most scenic railway line in Britain, linking the ports of Mallaig and Oban on the west coast of Scotland to Glasgow. The line was voted the top rail journey in the world by readers of independent travel magazine Wanderlust in 2009, ahead of the iconic...
(a railway) from Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
splits approximately five miles to the south at Crianlarich
Crianlarich
Crianlarich is a village in the Stirling district and registration county of Perthshire, Scotland, about six miles north-east of the head of Loch Lomond...
, with one branch heading to Fort Willam and the other to Oban
Oban
Oban Oban Oban ( is a resort town within the Argyll and Bute council area of Scotland. It has a total resident population of 8,120. Despite its small size, it is the largest town between Helensburgh and Fort William and during the tourist season the town can be crowded by up to 25,000 people. Oban...
. Tyndrum has a station on each: Upper Tyndrum
Upper Tyndrum railway station
Upper Tyndrum railway station is one of two railway stations serving the small village of Tyndrum in Scotland. It is located on the Fort William route of the highly scenic West Highland Line. Services are operated by First ScotRail...
on the Fort William route and Tyndrum Lower
Tyndrum Lower railway station
Tyndrum Lower railway station is one of two railway stations serving the small village of Tyndrum in Scotland. This station is on the Oban branch of the West Highland Line, originally part of the Callander and Oban Railway...
on the Oban route. The somewhat unusual situation exists of two stations serving the same relatively small community, separated physically by only a few hundred yards, but about ten miles apart by rail. Indeed, Tyndrum is the smallest town in the UK to be served by more than one railway station. This is partly a legacy of the history of the railways in the area, after two separate railways belonging to different railway companies were built through the village. However, the main reason is geography: splitting the line in Crianlarich allows the contours of the glen to be used to avoid very steep climbs heading north or west from Tyndrum. Roads mirror this division: the A82
A82 road
The A82 is a trunk road in Scotland. It is the principal route from Lowland Scotland to the western Scottish Highlands, running from Glasgow to Inverness, going by Loch Lomond, Glen Coe and Fort William. It is the second longest primary A-road in Scotland after the A9, which is the other...
passes through Tyndrum between Glasgow and Fort William, whilst the A85
A85 road
The A85 is a major road in Scotland. It runs east from Oban along the south bank of Loch Etive, through Lochawe and Tyndrum, Crianlarich, Lochearnhead, St Fillans and Crieff before passing through Perth, where it crosses the River Tay via Perth Bridge. Its name between the latter two locations is...
to Oban splits off just north of the village.
Tyndrum is a popular tourist village, and is also on the West Highland Way
West Highland Way
The West Highland Way is a linear long distance footpath in Scotland, with the official status of Long Distance Route. It is 154.5km long, running from Milngavie north of Glasgow to Fort William in the Scottish Highlands, with an element of hill walking in the route...
, and has a campsite
Campsite
A campsite or camping pitch is a place used for overnight stay in the outdoors. In British English a campsite is an area, usually divided into a number of pitches, where people can camp overnight using tents or camper vans or caravans; this British English use of the word is synonymous with the...
, hotel
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
, bunkhouse
Bunkhouse
A bunkhouse is a hostel or barracks-like building that historically was used to house working cowboys on ranches in North America. As most cowboys were young single men, the standard bunkhouse was a large open room with narrow beds or cots for each individual and little privacy...
and bed and breakfast
Bed and breakfast
A bed and breakfast is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast, but usually does not offer other meals. Since the 1980s, the meaning of the term has also extended to include accommodations that are also known as "self-catering" establishments...
s to accommodate walkers.
Overshadowed by Ben Lui
Ben Lui
Ben Lui is a mountain in the southern Highlands of Scotland, at the head of Glen Fyne. It has five well-defined ridges radiating out from the summit...
, one of the Munros, Tyndrum is also built over the battlefield on which, in 1306 AD, Clan MacDougall
Clan MacDougall
Clan MacDougall is a Highland Scottish clan consisting of the descendants of Dubgall mac Somairle, son of Somerled, who ruled Lorne and the Isle of Mull in Argyll in the 13th century...
defeated Robert the Bruce and took from him the Brooch of Lorne.
Tyndrum is also a former mining centre. The hamlet of Clifton (the row of cottages over the A82 from the Green Welly) are the former mining cottages, and up on the hillside beyond them the tailings of a former lead mine can be seen. The gold mine is a couple of miles to the south and west of Tyndrum at Cononish, situated above Cononish Farm. Work on constructing the mine first began in the 1980s but low gold prices forced the closure of the mine before it became fully operational.
In October 2011 it was announced that the mine would be reactivated. The mine is expected to produce 154,000 ounces of gold and 589,000 ounces of silver over the next 10 years. Thereby generating an estimated £80 million for the Scottish economy over an 8 to 10 year period of operation and employ 52 people.