Blair Atholl railway station building could be converted into housing

ScotRail is leading an initiative to provide affordable homes on the site.

By Stephen Eighteen

March 7 2025, 11:06am

Blair Atholl railway station could soon be a place to live. Image: ScotRail

The railway station building at Blair Atholl could be converted into housing.

Scotland’s Railway has begun a feasibility study into repurposing the historic structure into three affordable homes

The property has been vacant since 2022.

ScotRail is leading the initiative with Network Rail, Perth & Kinross Council, Friends of Blair Atholl Station and the Highland Mainline Community Rail Partnership.

Railway station property used by tenant until 2022

The project aims to protect the historical heritage of the station while using a vacant building to address the demand for affordable housing in the area.

Blair Atholl station first opened in 1863.

It is on the Highland Mainline and is served by 10 ScotRail services daily, connecting the village with Inverness, Glasgow, and Edinburgh.

The Caledonian Sleeper service to and from London also calls at Blair Atholl.

Blair Atholl station. — The station connects the village with Inverness, Glasgow and Edinburgh. Image: DC Thomson.

The ground floor of the station building previously housed a ticket office and customer facilities.

These closed in the 1980s.

The upper floor was originally the stationmaster’s residence.

This was used by a third-party tenant until 2022 but is now vacant.

Blair Atholl idea would help address ‘pressing need’ for affordable housing

David Lister, ScotRail safety, sustainability and asset director, said: “The redevelopment of Blair Atholl station is a fantastic opportunity to bring a historic railway building back into meaningful use.”

Dr Viv Cree, Friends of Blair Atholl Station Group chair, said: “We are delighted to support the next stage of the work which we hope will safeguard our much-loved station building and, at the same time, help to meet what is a pressing need in our community and across all rural areas across Scotland.”

The study will cover stage 2 feasibility and design costs.

While capital funding for any redevelopment works is yet to be secured, the launch of the feasibility study is considered a big step forward in the project.

The study comes 15 months after a planning application to replace Pitlochry railway station’s Victorian footbridge with a wheelchair-accessible alternative was refused by Perth and Kinross councillors.