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The Railways of Skye & Adjacent Islands – Part 1 – Loch Cuithir to Lealt

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Derived from the remains of microscopic fossilized sea or freshwater algaes, diatomite is a naturally occurring, versatile mineral used in an array of applications from cosmetics to filtration. [4] It was harvested by drag line from Loch Cuithir in the late 19th century and the first half of the 20th century.

“This unique form of silica has an elaborate honeycomb structure, peppered with thousands of tiny holes ranging from a few microns to submicron diameters. No other silica source, be it mined or artificially produced, presents such a structure. Some diatomite deposits are saltwater but most are from freshwater sources. … When ground, this profusion of shapes results in an extremely low-density powder known as ‘diatomaceous earth’ (DE) which has excellent absorption properties that are highly prized for filtration, agriculture, paints, plastics, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals application.” [4]

Diatomite was also used in the production of dynamite. [2][3]

The route of the tramway/railway as recorded on railmaponline.com’s mapping. [5]
Sketch Map showing the extraction point at Loch Cuithir (on the left), the route of the tramway and the factory site (on the right). [6]
A closer view of loch Cuiithir, a drag-line was used here to extract diatomite. [6]
The tramway brought diatomite down to the processing plant on the seashore which is at the right of this expanded view. [6]
Loch Cuiithir seen from the West. Looking down from close to the summit of Flasvein onto the remnants of Loch Cuithir. From this high vantage point the outline of the original loch can be picked out. It was drained to these three shallow pools during the excavation of diatomite in three separate periods between the late 19th century and the 1960s. The deposits were up to 45ft deep and extended to over 20 acres, © John Allan and licensed for reuse under a Creative Commons Licence (CC BY-SA 2.0). [10]

Possibly as early as 1885 [1] but certainly by 1889, [2][3] work was underway at this site. A 2ft [2][3] or 2ft 6in [1] gauge tramway was being constructed in 1889 from the drag-line at Loch Cuithir to Lealt. The tramway followed the River Lealt down to its mouth at Invertote. When first opened the line was worked by gravity and manpower. Apparently, later in the life of the line a small steam locomotive was in use. [2][3]

At the “Western end of the line … at Loch Cuithir, … diatomite – known locally as Cailc (Scottish Gaelic for chalk) – was taken out from the loch bed and dried on wire nets. The seaward terminus had warehouses on the cliff-top at Invertote. At the base of the cliff was a factory where the diatomite was kiln dried, ground and calcined. [A] line … extended from the factory onto a pier into the Sound of Raasay.” [2][3]

Diatomite was also gotten from Loch Valerain and transported by aerial ropeway to Staffin Bay and on along the coast to Invertote Apparently, “during its existence, the Skye Diatomite Company extracted 2000 tons of diatomite. … From Invertote, the diatomite was transferred by skiff, onto puffer boats, waiting in the bay, and shipped across to the mainland. The diatomite was turned into kieselguhr which was mixed with nitroglycerine by Nobel Industries, at Ardeer, to make dynamite.” [2][3]

Stornoway Gazette described the operation as follows:

“Over the years, the mine saw periods of inactivity, but when up and running operations made use of the large industrial works at the area – a large factory building, a railway with embankment cuttings, and a rolling stock traversing three miles of landscape, including an aerial ropeway. The light railway was used to transport the Loch Culthir Diatomite to the shores at Invertote for a final drying and grinding, and a large building containing a furnace, grinding machine and storage space was constructed there for this purpose. Such modernised business works were quite remarkable for this part of the world at the time. In those days there was no road between Staffin and Portree, so a puffer boat would anchor in the bay at Lealt, and local skiffs were used to transport the finished Diatomite from shore to boat, ready for shipping to the mainland. There were around 40 to 50 people steadily employed at Lealt, yet on days that the boat came in this total rose to as many as 80 workers.” [7]

“Perhaps one of the most intriguing aspects of the mine’s history comes from the ownership of the drying factory at Invertote by Germans. Although closed during the period of the Great War, surprisingly the now enemy foreign residents were allowed to stay on. Shortly afterwards a rumour began to circulate that the area was haunted and that the ghost of a recent tragic death at the Lealt falls had appeared at the factory. As the local story goes, (the rumour was actually started by the Germans) with the intent of keeping locals away. It turned out that the resident Germans were spies and that, almost unbelievable to the community, the area was being used as a German base with submarines surfacing in the sea bay!” [7]

“Moving on, the year 1950 saw the next development in the mining of Diatomite from Loch Cuithir. As the loch was one and a half miles up the moor, through peat bogs and rivers, the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland (DAFS) decided that a road should be built, with the intention of extracting the Diatomite by digger, and then taking it to the Lealt road end above Invertote. The road took around a year and a half to build, during which the mine was put out of operation. Yet, when production started again, the new method of extraction did not reach the high standard of quality which was achieved when extracted manually by spades. The mechanical extraction resulted in the Diatomite being less pure, and full of unwanted dirt. Drying the substance is, in fact, the problem of the process, for it is obvious that in a damp climate like Skye, the diatomite does not lose its moisture quickly. The problems which began after the construction of the 1950s road were further highlighted and compounded six years later. A new factory was built at Uig (the site where the Cal Mac offices are now situated), far from the mining site at Loch Cuithir, and it may be said that this move was the ruining of the entire Diatomite industry upon Skye. As Diatomite was no longer dried at Invertote it now had to be transported by road, wet, for the much-needed drying process to Uig, 23 miles away. A vehicle may have left Loch Cuithir carrying five tonnes of Diatomite, yet only producing one tonne of the finished product after drying had taken place – a finished product which was also not as pure as it ought to be for the specialised work it had to do in various products. A lot of money was wasted on travelling, and within the factory itself, inefficiency was also present, with machinery often breaking down due to the damp state of the Diatomite. Outside the factory, the scenic communities of Trotternish also began to suffer. When the factory was working, it poured out a fine white dust which covered every house in the area. Grass became chalky in colour and after dry spells in the weather, the road-sides from Staffin to Uig would turn white with Diatomite – Uig was constantly under a cloud of dust. With complaints of insubstantial profits and bad management, the factory was finally closed to production for the last time in 1960. Yet, although the Diatomite mining industry on Skye came to an abrupt ending, it was still regarded by many locals as a blessing at the time. Following from World War One, the industrial works provided employment for many returning men who could not find work elsewhere in the island. And at peak production, around 1955/56, 50 to 60 men were paid good wages to work at the factory.” [7]

Bell & Harris tell us that “Loch Cuithir is located upon landslipped material, which overlies Upper Jurassic strata. Only parts of these diatomite workings remain. Some of the brick buildings, together with the line of the tramway used to transport the diatomite to the coast, are still obvious. The diatomite occurred as a 3–6m-thick horizon below a 1m covering of peat. The loch had an original area of 60 hectares (24 acres) and was drained in order to extract the diatomite. Ditches, around the perimeter of the loch, were excavated and the water was drained through a man-made outlet at the northern end of the loch, thus allowing removal of the peat and extraction of the diatomite. East of the drainage outlet are spoil-heaps, mostly of plateau lava boulders, presumably removed from the workings during excavation. The diatomite from this deposit was very pure, with little or no interlayered silt or mud. Macadam (1920) notes that the calcined (heat treated) diatomite contains over 96% [Silicon Dioxide](reported in Anderson and Dunham 1966), whilst Strahan et al. (1917) gave a value of 98.78%. According to Macadam (1920), the absorptive value of the material from Loch Cuithir was over 3.56 (a good diatomite would have an absorptive value in excess of 4.0).“

Some excellent photographs of the derelict factory at Invertote can be seen here. [8]

The Route of the Tramway/Railway

From Loch Cuithir, the railway ran in a Southeasterly direction over boggy ground. Minimal earthworks were undertaken placing the railway at a level just above surrounding ground.

The orange line on this extract from railmaponline.com’s satellite imagery is the route of the old railway. The white line shows the route of the road built to provide access to Loch Cuithir from Lealt. [5]
Remnants of a brick structure close to Loch Cuithir. [My photograph, 30th April 2025]
The line of the old railway to the South of the access road. The abutments of a bridge over a stream mark its route. [My photograph 30th April 2025]
The location of another bridge with just the stone abutments remaining. This photograph was taken back in 2013, © Gordon Brown and licensed for reuse under a Creative Commons Licence (CC BY-SA 2.0). [11]
Looking back along the route of the old railway towards Loch Cuithir which some distance off to the right of this image. Running from the Loch, the line enters this image from the right and curves round towards the foreground. Its route is defined by the light green corridor through the heather. [My photograph, 30th April 2025]
Still looking approximately to the Southwest, this view shows the route of the railway as it approached the track to the loch. [My photograph, 30th April 2025]
Much closer now to the road crossing, this photograph was taken back in 2013, © Gordon Brown and licensed for reuse under a Creative Commons Licence (CC BY-SA 2.0). [12]
The next length of the line. At the bottom left, the point at which it crossed the line of the track can be seen. A long straight length running Northeast follows. [5]
Looking Northeast across the point at which the road crosses the line of the old railway. [My photograph, 30th April 2025]
Just beyond the crossing point and looking Northeast along the line of the railway. [My photograph, 30th April 2025]
The old railway route runs Northeast as the road turns East. [My photograph, 30th April 2025]
The railway ran on a relatively straight path while the road seeks to follow the contours alongside the River Lealt. [5]
The line continues in a Northeasterly direction. [5]
Further Northeast along the line of the railway. [My photograph, 30th April 2025]
While some distance from the road the railway formation turns to the East. [5]
Evidence of historic cultivation alongside the line can be seen South of the line. These were lazy beds, a method of arable cultivation where parallel banks of ridge and furrow were dug by spade. [5]
Continuing generally in an Easterly direct the route of line passes to the North of modern housing in Lealt. [5]
The line ran to the North (the right) of the building in this view. [My photograph 30th April 2025]
It ran Southeast towards Invertote. [5]
Across open moorland. [My photograph, 30th April 2025]
The road from Loch Cuithir is on the left the railway runs from the centre distance towards the camera. [My photograph, 30th April 2025]
The old railway alignment and the modern road converge as they head East. [5]
Looking West the old railway formation joins the modern road from the right. [My photograph, 30th April 2025]
The road sits on the old railway formation approaching the present A855. [My photograph, 30th April 2025]
The road drops off the old railway formation to run down to its junction with the A855. [My photograph, 30th April 2025]
The railway terminated at the cliff top. Loads may have been transported by aerial ropeway down to the factory which sat just above sea level. [5]
The remains of the Diatomite Factory can still be seen just above the beach at the mouth of the river. [5]

The Canmore National Record of the Historic Environment profiles these notes:

“One of the greatest causes of interest in Skye Diatomite was its potential use as a substitute for Kieselghur by Alfred Nobel in the production of Dynamite in Nobel’s new Scottish factory at Ardeer in Ayrshire during the 1880s. Nobel eventually found a better source of material, but the Extraction of Diatomite nevertheless began in Skye at Loch Cuithir in 1886. The Diatomite was transported by tramway to be processed at Invertote, production continuing until 1913. The industry was briefly revived between 1950 and 1961, using road transport.” [13]

“The principal remains of the Invertote works are a large, rubble-built, rectangular-plan roofless building (NG5201 6049). It has been entirely gutted, but fragmentary remains include a large cast-iron flywheel from a steam engine, and a cast-iron wall-mounted bearing box. The other surviving structure is a kiln (NG5201 6052), comprising a lower chanber or firebox built from Scottish firebricks (produced at the Star Works, Glenboig, Lanarkshire, and Etna Works, Armadale, West Lothian), onto which has been constructed a circular-section fireclay-brick column encased by an outer layer of sheet steel. The exact functions of the processing building and the kiln are uncertain, but it is likely that the latter was used for drying purposes.” [13]

References

  1. https://www.isbuc.co.uk/Sights/Rail.php, accessed on 13th April 2025.
  2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lealt_Valley_Diatomite_Railway, accessed on 13th April 2025.
  3. https://web.archive.org/web/20080513044619/http://www.stornowaygazette.co.uk/back-in-the-day/SKYE-DIATOMITE-A-LOST-INDUSTRY.3847089.jp, accessed on 13th April 2025.
  4. https://www.imerys.com/minerals/diatomite, accessed on 1st May 2025.
  5. https://www.railmaponline.com/UKIEMap.php, accessed on 1st May 2025.
  6. https://canmore.org.uk/collection/1017056, accessed on 1st May 2025.
  7. Stornoway Gazette, 5th March 2008; via https://www.scottishbrickhistory.co.uk/diatomite-mines-isle-of-skye, accessed on 1st May 2025
  8. https://www.28dayslater.co.uk/threads/lealt-valley-diatomite-factory-skye-june-2021.129161, accessed on 1st May 2025.
  9. B. R. Bell & J.W. Harris; An excursion guide to the geology of the Isle of Skye; Geological Society of Glasgow, 1986; via https://earthwise.bgs.ac.uk/index.php/The_Loch_Cuithir_diatomite_deposits,_Skye_-_an_excursion, accessed on 1st May 2025.
  10. https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/748488, accessed on 1st May 2025.
  11. https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/3481387, accessed on 1st May 2025.
  12. https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/3481377, accessed on 1st May 2025.
  13. https://canmore.org.uk/event/835753, accessed on 1st May 2025.