Introduction

This electric tramway connected the Great North of Scotland Railway station at Cruden Bay with their high status Cruden Bay Hotel nearby which was built in the same era as Gleneagles Hotel and Turnberry Hotel. However, unlike its contemporaries the Cruden Bay hotel no longer exists. The tramway, a single track of 3ft 6.5in gauge and 930 yards long, opened in 1899 (for horse traction in March and electric in June). There were two single deck tramcars which were built at the then new Kittybrewster Works. In addition to carrying passengers to the front of the hotel the trams also served the hotel's laundry at its rear. The line had overhead catenary. The nearby railway closed to passengers in 1932 and the tramway continued, carrying laundry, until 1940/41. The hotel had been requisitioned by the military in 1939 becoming a hospital in 1941. It was sold for demolition in 1947.