Leadhills Estate is a fragile habitat and working estate with sheep farming and shooting. All geocachers are reminded that they must comply with the Scottish Outdoor Access Code, this includes keeping all dogs on leads. (http://www.outdooraccess-scotland.com/).
This geocache is on a S.A.M. Causing damage to a scheduled monument is a criminal offence. Please do not, or allow any other person to, climb on, move or damage any part of any structure, ruin, wall or building in the area.
WARNING: Mine Shafts - Mine shafts are dangerous and there are many shafts, both known and unknown across the area. Mine shafts can and do open up without warning (the last to do this was on 01/01/16). DO NOT walk on top of a shaft or suspected shaft.
You geocache in this area at your own risk and accept full liability for your own actions and those with you. In no way can the Leadhills Estate, Groundspeak or the geocache owner be heald responsible for any injury, however caused, in any way.
This geocache is close to the remains of the goods yard and trackbed of the old railway track. One of the loading ramps can still be seen very colse to this cache.
The Leadhills and Wanlockhead Light Railway was a short branch railway built to serve mining settlements, high in the Lowther Hills, connecting them to the Carlisle - Carstairs main line. The line was opened in 1901 - 1902, and was the highest standard gauge railway line in the British Isles. Hoped-for developments did not emerge, and when the world lead price slumped in the 1920s, the line sustained heavy losses. It was closed at the end of 1938.
When the line opened as far as Leadhills, that station was the highest in Scotland and the following year Wanlockhead took that accolade, at 1,498 feet (457 m) above sea level. The line was the highest standard gauge line in the British Isles, and also the highest adhesion-worked line. The altitude at Elvanfoot is 922 feet (281 m) and the length of the line was 7¼ miles (11.7 km); the average gradient was 1 in 42.
The only stations were Elvanfoot, the junction station on the main line, and Leadhills and Wanlockhead. The passenger stations did not have raised platforms, and the passenger carriages had three levels of step board which folded down to enable passengers to board. The Caledonian Railway worked the line, and no 172, an 0-4-4T was used in the early years. The trains were mixed (passenger and goods) and the maximum speed was 20 mph (32 km/h).
Rispin Cleugh viaduct shortly before being demolished, 11 November 1990
A significant structure on the line was Rispin Cleugh viaduct, built by Sir Robert McAlpine & Co. It was built from concrete and was clad with terracotta bricks to improve its appearance. It was demolished with explosives in 1991.
Mine Shafts
There are at least 93 known and named mineshafts around the village of Leadhills. There are also many more unknown shafts, ALL ARE DANGEROUS AND MUST NOT BE WALKED ON. Mineshafts can normally be recognised by being a raised squared area with a circular depression within. Some shafts are fenced with a squared stock fence, do not cross this fencing! At least two shafts have opened up in the last few months, one of these was unknown, the other had been capped with concrete and thought safe!