Highland Museum of Childhood

The Highland Museum of Childhood sits in a restored Victorian railway station in Strathpeffer, a small spa town in the Scottish Highlands. The building once served as the second Strathpeffer station, built in 1885 to bring visitors closer to the town’s mineral springs. Its elaborate design featured a gabled canopy, cast-iron columns, and intricate bargeboards on the bow-fronted gable. The station master’s house still stands beside the platform, while the original goods shed now houses exhibits. A sweeping approach road once guided carriages to the entrance, reflecting the station’s importance to the town’s tourism. The museum preserves the railway’s role in Highland travel and the town’s heyday as a health resort. In the early 20th century, Strathpeffer boasted over 500 hotel bedrooms, more than any other Highland Railway destination except Inverness and Pitlochry. A seasonal express train, the Strathpeffer Spa Express, once carried visitors from Aviemore in just two hours. The line’s decline began after the First World War, and passenger services ended in 1946. The building’s survival as a museum allows visitors to step back into this era of steam and spa culture. Inside, the museum displays toys, games, and childhood objects from the 19th and 20th centuries. The former ticket office and waiting rooms now show exhibits on local history and railway life. The platform area retains its original paving and lampposts, offering a glimpse of how passengers once arrived. Outside, the station stands near the mineral springs that once drew crowds to Strathpeffer. The surrounding town retains its Victorian charm, with grand hotels and tree-lined streets.