Sadly Dr Beeching took up his surgeons saw and hacked most of it off. There are now but 98 miles of line and just 11 stations. Communities that prospered with their fixed transport links are now subject to the fickleness of bus operators and council budgets. Financially, rural Perthshire is a very challenging place to live!

What follows is a brief summary. I do not intend to replicate the many excellent resources available, nor to perpetuate any inaccuracies found in Wikipedia! However, railways extant and deceased, are an endless source of joy and pleasure. The infrastructure is highly photogenic and in many cases has found new leases of life for the walker, rambler and cyclist. No doubt my list of recommendations will grow as I discover new things!

NB The list includes both Kincardine and Culross stations which were in the parish of Culross and Tulliallan. This had been an exclave of Perthshire but was tidied up and handed over to Fife in 1890 following the Local Government Act (Scotland) of 1889. This line from Alloa to Dunfermline was opened in 1893 meaning that the stations were never actually part of Perthshire. But it is an historical curiosity. The line remained open for freight, latterly for Longannet Power Station. This closed in 2016 and the line mothballed. It has been reopened for passengers as far as Alloa and, who knows, one day might reopen throughout thus restoring these two stations. Let us hope.

Now a cycle path, the Callander & Oban came up through Glen Ogle from Lochearnhead