The first winter, viz. :- 1863-64, it was wholly open and the traffic uninterrupted; in February of the second winter, viz.:- 1865, a very heavy snow-storm occurred all over the north of Scotland, impeding the traffic of almost all the northern railways, and stopping the traffic on the Highland line for four or five days, which was only restored with great difficulty by the labour of large bodies of men. It was evident, therefore, that some decided steps must be accepted to overcome the snow difficulty, and in the beginning of 1866 the road was kept pretty well open by the application of snow-ploughs; and the experience of that winter made it quite clear that this difficulty might, with proper appliances, be efficiently overcome, and means were accordingly adopted for that purpose.

In these elevated regions, when a snow-storm occurs, it is accompanied with a high wind, and the snow is consequently drifted with great rapidity into the hollows and cuttings. With the view of obviating this, screen fences of light timber or of decayed sleepers, or earthen mounds were erected a few yards from each side of the cuttings where the line was exposed. These were found very effective for intercepting the drifts. There was then provided snow ploughs of three descriptions, viz: - One, a light plough fixed to all the engines running on the line, and capable of clearing 12 to 14 inches of new snow. The second was a more formidable snow plough, which was fixed to a pilot engine, and was found capable of clearing 2 to 5 feet of snow. This pilot engine was attached to Goods or passenger trains. The third, and largest class of plough was found to clear snow 10 or 11 feet deep, with the aid of four or five goods engines. These appliances, notwithstanding the very serious snow-storms which were encountered on the line in January last, were capable of keeping the line almost wholly clear.

This I consider a great triumph, inasmuch as the Highland line, over such high elevations was kept clear, while by the same storm, the lines throughout Scotland, England and France were more or less blocked up: the lines in the north of Scotland being stopped entirely five or six days - the mails for Aberdeen being delayed three days from London, and two from Edinburgh. The Norfolk line was blocked up for some days; the Holyhead mail detained from 12 to 16 hours; the London, Chatham, and Dover blocked up for two days as well as the trains in France to Marseilles.

Much credit is due to the activity and attention of the Highland Company's Officers - Mr. Stroudley, the Locomotive Superintendent, and Mr. Suttle, Superintendent of Permanent Way - Mr. Stroudley having planned and constructed the snow-ploughs.

As a specimen of cheaply constructed railway, the writer annexes a note of the details of the northern portion of the Highland Railway, from Invergordon to Bonar Bridge, 26½ miles in length. The country through which this section of the line passes is comparatively level, and several parts shirt and run through the sea, where the works had to be protected at considerable cost. The cuttings amounted to 549,000 cubic yards, of which about 25,000 were rock. There are 27 bridges over streams, 4 of them 40 to 50 feet span, 26 public and accommodation road bridges, and 2942 lineal yards of drains, varying from 18 to 30 inches square. The rails are double-headed and weigh 70 lbs. to the yard, and are fished at the joints; 2/3 of the chairs are 20½ lbs., and 1/3 - 28 lbs. in weight. There are ten stations, with permanent dwelling houses for the agents and porters.

The total cost of this portion of the line, the works being of the very best quality, and the masonry all of stone, amounted to £5,018 per mile, or including parliamentary and law expenses and land, £5,888 per mile.

Commercially, these lines, extending over 246 miles, have not as yet been quite successful, from the fact of too great and extent of line having been undertaken at once, it requiring in an agricultural country considerable time to develop the traffic. Under the whole circumstances, however, the traffic is satisfactory.

The works are of the most substantion character. The capital account, which is under £2,8000,000, is about closed as far as new works are concerned, while the revenue is rapidly increasing. For the half-year just ended, the Company will be able to pay its preference and debenture stocks, 5 per cent on its floating liabilities, and about 3 per cent on its ordinary stock of £740,000.

It will be thus seen that if the revenue increases in the same ratio that it has hitherto done, viz. from £15,000 to £20,000 per annum, the Company will be able to pay in two or three a satisfactory dividend of 5 per cent. When that event occurs, the Directors may with propriety give some moderate aid to the further extension of the main lines of communication to Caithness and Skye, both of which must prove valuable feeders to the Highland system.

These lines were promoted chiefly by the great landed proprietors in the country, among the most prominent of which were the Earl of Seafield, Lord Fyfe, Mr. Matheson of Ardross, M.P., Mr. Merry of Belladrum, M.P., Mr. McIntosh of Raigmore, Col. Fraser Tytler, the Duke of Sutherland, &c.

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