Bad News For Culrain Station Passenger Figures

According to the Ardgay Community Council website, Mr Keith Legge, Chief Executive Officer of the Scottish Youth Hostels Association (SYHA), has announced that Carbisdale Youth Hostel, whose users were advised to travel by train to and from Culrain station, will not re-open during 2012.

It is reported that repair work is still being carried out on the Category B-listed hostel, which was badly damaged by water ingress in the severe winter of 2010, and more structural damage than was at first anticipated has been uncovered. The cost of the repairs on the historic, 106-year-old building, which was originally built for the Dowager Duchess of Sutherland, has escalated to "several millions of pounds."

The news has been greeted with dismay by community leaders. The 150-bed castle attracted around 20,000 guests each year and claimed an average 62 per cent occupancy over the 32-week season. It was also in use as a wedding venue. The castle was a significant seasonal employer and all the local businesses were dependent on the hostel. People staying used to shop locally and frequent the local hotels.

The SYHA very much regrets this situation and the position hostellers and local businesses now find themselves in.