Beauly Station in the Scottish Highlands has been named the UK's smallest railway station, with a platform measuring just 15 metres in length. This means it is shorter than a single train carriage, allowing only one train door to open at a time.
Passengers wishing to alight at Beauly must be given advance notice via an announcement, as the platform cannot accommodate the full length of a train. The station first opened in 1862 but closed in 1960 due to competition from local bus services. It reopened in 2002 after campaigns by local residents.
The station now features a 10-space car park, bicycle storage, and shelter facilities, but no ticket office. Despite its size, Beauly handles approximately 35,000 passenger journeys annually, according to the Carno Station Action Group. It is located about 10 miles west of Inverness and serves ScotRail services.
Trains calling at Beauly travel onwards to destinations including Wick, Kyle of Lochalsh, Dingwall, Invergordon, Ardgay, and Inverness. The station originally had two platforms, a passing loop, and a goods shed when it was built for the Inverness to Invergordon line in the 1800s. The current single platform was constructed in 2002 at a cost of £250,000.
Class 158 trains typically operate on this line, and due to the platform length, only the front door opens for passengers to board and alight.
