Culloden Viaduct

The viaduct was designed by Murdoch Paterson, the Highland Railway's chief engineer. It opened in 1898 as part of the Inverness and Aviemore Direct Railway, which was built by the Highland Railway and is now part of the Highland Main Line. The railway previously took a more circuitous route via Forres. It was one of the last major railway engineering works in Scotland. The viaduct is a Category A listed building, a status which grants it legal protection, It was first listed on 5 October 1971.

Culloden Viaduct has 29 arches, making it the longest masonry viaduct in Scotland. It crosses the River Nairn and its valley. It is built from rubble and dressed with red-faced ashlar. The arch rings have tooled ashlar details. The arches are all semi-circular with a 50 ft span except for the one crossing the river (between the 10th and 11th piers from the north) which has a span of 100 ft. The total length of the viaduct is around 1,800 ft. It curves at the south end to align with the hillside.