Couple appear in court over Altnabreac ‘trespass’ claim

A COUPLE who own the station house at Altnabreac on the

Far North Line appeared at Inverness Sheriff Court on March 4 facing a number of charges stemming from an access dispute at the remote Scottish station.

Following an incident on March 1, Ian Appleby (46) and former Greater Manchester Police detective Elizabeth Howe (48) have been charged with trespassing in dangerous proximity to a Network Rail track; maliciously interfering with the running of the railway and bringing trains to a halt; obstructing British Transport Police officers in the execution of their duty and behaving in a threatening or abusive manner.

The pair entered no plea and have been released on bail pending a future court appearance.

The couple further appeared in a private hearing at Wick Sheriff Court on March 20 accused of stealing property belonging to Network Rail.

Both were granted bail with special conditions.

The dispute over access at Altnabreac first surfaced in March 2023 when Network

Rail staff were blocked from entering the station to install one of eight request stop kiosks. Unable to access the station, ScotRail took the decision in November 2023 to withdraw the station stop until further notice as it had not been possible to inspect the station to ensure the platform and facilities were safe for customers to use during the winter period. The situation remains unchanged.

The disagreement is believed to stem from a dispute over ownership of the station platform as well as the rights to use of more than five miles of adjacent forestry roads to access the isolated station. In 2022/3 the station was used by 280 passengers, up by 50 on the previous year.