Leadhills & Wanlockhead Railway

At 1500 feet above sea level, a mid-December day in the Lowther Hills was icy cold, extremely windy and occasionally wet. However, the Leadhills and Wanlockhead Railway, run by a small group of dedicated enthusiasts, has a limited number of operating days so I couldn't afford to be choosy about the weather. Plans are afoot to extend this short line across the border from Strathclyde into Dumfries and Galloway to the historic lead-mining community of Wanlockhead, Scotland's highest village with spectacular surroundings, its mine open to the public, its row of historic miners' cottages, lead-mining museum, miners' library - and the country's highest pub for good measure! Not your usual narrow-gauge railway - but well worth a visit.