Railway workers 'gobsmacked' by mystery £1m gift

A MYSTERY American donor has left a volunteer-run historic steam railway in the Highlands "gobsmacked" after giving it £1million.

- By Mike Merritt

The donor rang Strathspey Railway “out of the blue” and asked for their bank details to make a contribution.

“He didn’t say it was for £1m. The first we knew about the amount is when it appeared in our bank account,” said the railway company’s general manager, Gordon Kirk.

“We couldn’t believe it, we were gobsmacked — we thought it was a mistake, so we rang our bank. They said it was genuine.

“We also did our due diligence and tracked him down and told him we were delighted with this very generous donation, which came out of the blue.”

The US-based benefactor, who wishes to remain anonymous, was impressed by the railway after a visit years ago.

The railway company, based in Aviemore, said the gift would help cover costs for operating and refurbishing its locomotives.