A new mobile site has been ceated. Whilst this page will remain you may find Trainspots mobile better suited to a smart phone.

From the M74 - Junction 9:
Take the B7086 (Lanark) and continue along until Auchenheath. Then Join the A72 and travel in the Lanark direction until the junction with the A73 at Kirkfieldbank. Here follow the signs for Carlisle through to Lanark. In Lanark join the A70 and this will take you to Carstairs Village. In the village turn right down Carstairs Road, left onto Strawfrank Road and the station is on your left.

There are parking spaces at the foot of the hill to the left of the station entrance or at the other side of the road opposite the entrance.

Carstairs is difficult to get to by public transport, but it is possible. There is a limited train service from both Edinburgh and Glasgow by both ScotRail and Virgin XC.
Alternatively, it's possible to get the train to Lanark and then the bus to Carstairs

ScotRail train times for Lanark
Bus Timetable - William Stokes
Bus Timetable - Irvines
Travel Scotland Journey planner

Between 07.30 and 15.30 there is a public toilet located in the ticket office building so if it is not open, ask the ticket office clerk if they would open it for you. Apart from the station there are no other public toilets in Carstairs. There is a shop and post office in Carstairs Junction which is a 5 min walk from the station entrance. Turn left outside the entrance and take the third street on the right and shop is located a few yards along on the left.

scot-rail.co.uk

The best point on the station for photography of southbound trains is on platform 1, a few yards behind the stairs. You can also get fairly good shots of south bounds from the south end of the platform although the whole train may not be included in the photo due to the proximity of the ticket office building. Minus point is that you will have the platform edge included in the first location and at the second location you will have the platform edge as well as the station lighting included. Mostly all south bounds go through platform 1, although very occasionally some route via the down fast in which case best spot is near the stairs on platform 2.
Northbound traffic photography is best taken from the south end of the station and you can get good shots of the trains snaking in round the S bends from the Edinburgh branch.
Photography from the Glasgow end of the platform is not recommended as the platform is very narrow there and there is too much metal in the way i.e. signal posts and OHLE stanchions.
Away from the ends of the platforms it is just a case of finding a spot between the stanchions as they are really a pain when it comes to photographing the very fast trains.

Float Viaduct, Carstairs
Ravenstruther