Golspie, the line meets Dunrobin Castle station, which was built as a private, single-platform halt for the Duke of Sutherland to serve Dunrobin Castle a short distance south of the track. The station closed in 1965 but reopened in 1985; today, the station is a public request stop, although it is only open during the summer months (one of only two such stations on the National Rail network, alongside elsewhere in Scotland), corresponding to the castle's annual opening times. The station is also notable for its lack of lighting; as such, no trains are scheduled to call at the platform before 9am or after about 6pm. The line continues along the coast for another , occasionally coming just metres away from the shoreline, passing through Brora station before reaching the village of Helmsdale, located at the mouth of the river of the same name. Helmsdale station lies on the other side of the river from most of the village. Helmsdale–Wick/Thurso: Strath of Kildonan and Caithness Beyond Helmsdale, the railway is forced to divert away from the Moray Firth coast and from the A9 once again, avoiding the unfavourable terrain of the Ord of Caithness. Instead, the line takes a sharp turn northwest and heads inland towards the Flow Country – the largest expanse of blanket bog in Europe. This is by far the most remote section of the entire line: the majority of the intermediate stations along this stretch are request stops, and each station only serves a handful of isolated houses. Initially, the single track follows the course of the Strath of Kildonan together with the A897. Kildonan station, one of the least-used stations on the line, lies approximately halfway along the Strath; the second open level crossing on the line is just to the southeast of the station. The far end of the Strath, close to the point where the A897 meets the B871 road, marks the location of Kinbrace station. Beyond Kinbrace, in stark contrast to the rest of the line (and most of the Scottish Highlands), the topography of the surrounding area becomes flat and low-lying, and will remain so until the railway's terminus. The line carries on northwards alongside the A897 for until it reaches Forsinard station which, despite its isolation, is not a request stop. With two platforms, this station is the last place on the line where passenger trains running in opposite directions