The Inverness and Ross-shire Railway, which was to be a line between Inverness and Invergordon, was authorised in 1860, and opened in stages.[6] The first section, between Inverness and Dingwall, opened on 11 June 1862,[7] and Beauly was one of the stations built for the original line.[3] It had two platforms, a passing loop and a goods shed with sidings that was equipped with a 1½-ton crane.[8][9] The station was host to an LMScaravan from 1936 to 1939.[10]
The station closed nearly a century later, on 13 June 1960,[3] along with all other stations between Inverness and Dingwall. This was due to increasing competition from motorbuses, particularly those of Highland Omnibuses Ltd.[11]
2002 reopening
Following a local campaign, the station was reopened on 15 April 2002.[4] A new single platform, shelter and car park were built in a £250,000 project.[12] The platform is the shortest in Great Britain: at the length of 15.06 metres (49 ft 5 in),[13] it is shorter than a single carriage of a Class 158 train that is usually used on this line.
Facilities
There is a small car park at the station, in which there are cycle racks and lockers. On the platform, there is a modern waiting shelter, in which there is a payphone.[14] As there are no facilities to purchase tickets, passengers must buy one in advance, or from the guard on the train.
The statistics cover twelve month periods that start in April.
Services
As of the May 2022 timetable, on weekdays and Saturdays, the station sees 11 trains northbound (3 to Wick via Thurso, 4 to Kyle of Lochalsh, 1 to Dingwall, 1 to Invergordon, 1 to Ardgay and 1 to Tain), and 13 trains southbound to Inverness. On Sundays, the station sees 6 trains northbound (1 to Wick, 1 to Kyle of Lochalsh, 1 to Invergordon and 3 to Tain), and 6 trains southbound.[16]
^Bridge, Mike, ed. (2017). TRACKatlas of Mainland Britain: A Comprehensive Geographic Atlas Showing the Rail Network of Great Britain (3rd ed.). Sheffield: Platform 5 Publishing Ltd. p. 99. ISBN978-1909431-26-3.
^The Railway Clearing House (1970) [1904]. The Railway Clearing House Handbook of Railway Stations 1904 (1970 D&C Reprint ed.). Newton Abbot: David & Charles Reprints. p. 46. ISBN0-7153-5120-6.