A stunning train station in a tiny UK village is hailed as one of the world’s most beautiful despite barely having any routes. Wemyss Bay Station, a Category A-listed building, along the coast of the Firth of Clyde in Inverclyde, represents the pinnacle of the Golden Age of railways.
Its curved iron and magnificent glazed roof allows natural light to stream in the Edwardian railway station which belongs to an era when rail transport was celebrated in its beautifully built stations. Built in 1865 by Irish labourers, the original building was a drab, square effort; it was replaced in 1903 by the magnificent structure that still stands to this day. According to the Railway Heritage Trust, The Caledonian Railway that stands upon was designed by Scottish architect James Miller who also designed Glasgow Central station which was rebuilt around the same time.
A key feature of this hidden gem station is the use of curves in the building. The idea behind it was so train passengers could flow through more easily – he used the same principle at Glasgow.
The station is also crowned with a 60-foot Italianate clock tower.
Sunshine floods the circular booking office, while a gracefully curved ramp leads passengers down to the pier and the ferry across to Bute.
VisitScotland describes it as a “wrought-iron and glass palace”. It even has a cafe and a tiny and popular one-room pub within the concourse. The bookshop, which was once the first class waiting rooms (separated into ladies and gentlemen) and the station master’s office has pictures displaying the history of the historical station.
In recent years, its stunning design has been complemented by the beautiful flower displays from the Friends of Wemyss Bay group of volunteers.
On TripAdvisor, the station has a 4.8 rating – higher than Edinburgh Castle. One visitor said: “One of the hidden gems on the national network. The architecture of this quiet station is stunning. Sweeping curves and canopies. Connects trains to Glasgow and ferries to the isles. Add in the cafe and bookshop and it is worth a visit in itself.”
Hourly trains depart from the station to Glasgow and Paisley, with 210,000 people using the station in 2023, translating to an average of 576.5 passengers per day.
The station also incorporates CalMac ferry terminal with connections to Rothesay on the Isle of Bute.