Deeside Railway

Introduction

This railway is closed. The railway provided a service from Aberdeen to Banchory. The line was continued to Aboyne and Ballater by the Deeside Extension Railway and the Aboyne and Braemar Railway. A number of stations were relocated during the doubling of the east portion of the line.






Dates

16/07/1846Deeside Railway
Act receives Royal assent. The railway is not built and power lapse.
28/05/1852Deeside Railway
Deeside Railway re-authorised from Ferryhill Junction to Banchory [1st].
05/07/1852Deeside Railway
First sod cut.
07/09/1853Deeside Railway
Line opened from Aberdeen [Ferryhill] to Banchory [1st]. Stations at : Cults, Murtle, Culter, Park, Mills of Drum, the private Crathes Castle Platform, and Banchory.
  /  /1854Deeside Railway
Millitimber and Drum opened.
03/08/1854Aberdeen Railway Deeside Railway
The Deeside Railway is granted running powers over the Aberdeen Railway between the Aberdeen (Guild Street) terminus and Ferryhill Junction. The payment required was established in 1855.
  /  /1856Deeside Railway
Ruthrieston opened.
02/12/1859Deeside Railway
Banchory [1st] closed to passengers on opening of Deeside Extension Railway.
13/05/1862Deeside Railway
Line leased by Great North of Scotland Railway to block authorisation of a new line from Stonehaven to Kintore [1st].
01/01/1863Deeside Railway
Mills of Drum and Crathes Castle Platform (private) closed and replaced by Crathes.
  /  /1864Aberdeen Joint
A committee is formed for the management of the new joint Aberdeen Joint station between the companies (owners Scottish North Eastern Railway/Caledonian Railway and Great North of Scotland Railway and access for the Deeside Railway).
  /  /1864Aberdeen Railway
Authorisation to close Aberdeen Guild Street to passengers when replaced by Aberdeen Joint, except for Deeside Railway traffic.
23/06/1864Aberdeen Joint (Caledonian Railway)Denburn Valley Line (Great North of Scotland Railway)
Denburn Valley line to connect the Great North of Scotland Railway at Kittybrewster [2nd] to the Scottish North Eastern Railway (from 1866 Caledonian Railway) at Aberdeen Guild Street authorised. South of the new Aberdeen Joint will be SNER owned and north will be GNSR owned. The Deeside Railway is authorised to use the station, details to be agreed.
  /  /1865Deeside RailwayDeeside Extension RailwayAboyne and Braemar Railway
Royal couriers first use line rather than Cairnwell Pass road to get to Balmoral Castle from the south.
30/07/1866Deeside RailwayDeeside Extension RailwayAboyne and Braemar RailwayGreat North of Scotland Railway
Deeside lines leased for 999 years by Great North of Scotland Railway.
  /  /1867Aberdeen Joint (Caledonian Railway)
Access to Aberdeen Joint formally negotiated for the Deeside Railway, replacing its access for passenger trains to Aberdeen (Guild Street).
05/09/1870Deeside Railway
Access to Aberdeen Joint set at £500 per annum.
01/10/1875Deeside Railway Great North of Scotland Railway
Deeside Railway absorbed by Great North of Scotland Railway. (Alternative dates 1/8/1875, 1876).
14/06/1884Deeside Railway
Doubled from Ferryhill Junction to Cults.
13/07/1892Deeside Railway
Doubled from Cults to Murtle.
24/09/1892Deeside Railway
Murtle to Culter [2nd] doubled.
  /  /1894Great North of Scotland RailwayDeeside Railway
Aberdeen suburban service extended to Culter on the Deeside Railway. Holburn Street, Pitfodels and West Cults stations opened.
  /  /1897Deeside Railway
Bieldside opened.
28/08/1899Deeside Railway
Doubled from Culter [2nd] to Park.
  /  /1902Deeside Railway
Banchory [2nd] substantially rebuilt.
  /  /1929Deeside Railway
Sentinel-Cammell steam railcars introduced on the Aberdeen to Culter run, bringing the service to half hourly.
  /  /1937Deeside Railway Aberdeen Joint (Caledonian Railway) Denburn Valley Line (Great North of Scotland Railway) Great North of Scotland Railway
Local Aberdeen Suburban service withdrawn. Deeside - Millitimber, Murtle, Bieldside, West Cults, Pitfodels Halt, Ruthrieston, Holborn Street closed. Denburn - Schoolhill and Hutcheon Street closed. GNSR main line - Don Street, Woodside, Persley Halt, Bankhead, Stoneywood closed.
  /  /1951Deeside Railway
Line singled from Park to Culter, Murtle, Cults and Ferryhill Junction. Drum station and signal box closed.
21/04/1958Aberdeen Railway
Deeside Railway
Deeside Extension Railway
Aboyne and Braemar Railway
BMU Battery Railcar introduced between Aberdeen and Ballater.
28/02/1966Deeside Railway Deeside Extension Railway Aboyne and Braemar Railway
Ballater, Cambus O' May, Dinnet, Aboyne, Dess, Lumphanan, Torphins, Glassel, Dee Street Halt, Banchory [2nd], Crathes, Park, Culter and Cults closed to passengers.
18/07/1966Deeside RailwayDeeside Extension RailwayAboyne and Braemar Railway
Ballater to Culter (excluded) closed to freight. Culter Paper Mill remains rail served.
02/01/1967Deeside Railway
Culter to Ferryhill Junction closed to freight. Culter Paper Mill ceases to be rail served.
  /  /1972Deeside Railway
Line lifted.
  /  /1996Deeside Railway
Royal Deeside Railway Preservation Society formed.
  /02/1999Deeside Railway
Council asks Royal Deeside Railway Preservation Society not to re-open line at Ferryhill. Heritage Centre to be opened next to Duthie Park instead.
13/02/2000Deeside Railway
Last delivery of a set of track panels to Milton of Crathes for partial re-instatement of the line by the Royal Deeside Railway Preservation Society.
  /  /2002Deeside Railway
Embankment slippage leads to replacement drainage at Culter on the Deeside Way.
  /  /2003Deeside Railway
Royal Deeside Railway Preservation Society commences work to relay a short portion of the line from Milton of Crathes.
  /02/2003Deeside Railway
Network Rail will not allow the Royal Deeside Railway access to the Ferryhill Shed [2nd] site, which NR plans to be redeveloped.
13/12/2003Deeside Railway
Class 14 D9551 hauls the first train to operate on the line since dismantling in 1972.
  /04/2006Deeside Railway
Royal Deeside Railway Preservation Society's short line (1/4 of a mile) from the incomplete Milton of Crathes opened.
08/04/2008Deeside Railway
On their third wedding anniversary Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall unveil a reproduction of a Victoria era railway carriage at Ballater station.
  /  /2010Deeside Railway
Return of steam to the Deeside Railway - now the Royal Deeside Railway Preservation Society's line from Milton of Crathes.
  /  /2012Deeside Railway
Former Pitfodels station building restored at four bedroom house.

Locations along the line

These locations are along the line.

This was the junction between the Deeside Railway and the Aberdeen Railway. The junction was just north of Ferryhill Shed [1st] and the Dee Viaduct and south of Ferryhill (Aberdeen) (which survived until 1854 to be replaced by Aberdeen Guild Street), later replaced by Aberdeen Joint. The junction gave access to the branch from Aberdeen Joint.
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See also
Aberdeen Railway
47517 comes off the shed and heads towards Aberdeen station (to the right) at Ferryhill Junction on 19th April 1977. ...
John McIntyre 19/04/1977
The Polmuir Road over bridge at Ferryhill, Aberdeen, on 11th October 2023. The various stages of construction can be seen.
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Crinan Dunbar 11/10/2023
Looking across the Wellington Suspension Bridge in Aberdeen as 47109 passes Ferryhill Jct in June 1975. A Mark 1 sleeping car is on an adjacent track. ...
John McIntyre 15/06/1975
The signal controlling the Down lines towards the former Joint Station coming off the two-track Dee Viaduct seen from within the Ferryhill Railway ...
Charlie Niven 26/03/2022
4 of 74 images. more


Serving Ruthrieston Brick Works, the the north of the line. The siding was also on the north side of the line and reached from its east.
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The Post Office Directory map of 1883 is the only detailed map which shows the location of this industrial siding leading into the Ruthrieston Brick ...
National Library of Scotland //1883
A Gibb and Hay plan of the City of Aberdeen from 1883 prepared for a Post Office Directory showing the location of the siding which served the ...
Charlie Niven 12/03/2022
This shot shows the approximate location of what was called Pitmuxton Siding; this lay between what is now Gairn Terrace to the north, shown here, and ...
Charlie Niven 17/11/2018
3 of 3 images.


This was a two platform station, the first out of Aberdeen on the Deeside Railway. It was elevated and on the east side of Holburn Street itself. There were no goods facility.
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A cable-stayed pedestrian bridge replaced the railway bridge at this suburban station which closed in 1937 at the time of the withdrawal of the ...
Charlie Niven 17/11/2018
The view west into a fading sunset at Holburn Street not far from Ferryhill Junction. ...
Ewan Crawford 04/02/1997
A Springer Spaniel paces the up-platform of Holburn Street station, Aberdeen, on 27 December 2011 - all in vain since the last train departed some 74 ...
Brian Taylor 27/12/2011
Looking east across Holburn Street, Aberdeen, in December 2011 towards the site of Holburn Street station. Links to the past are the platforms and, ...
Brian Taylor 27/12/2011
4 of 5 images. more


This extract of the OS 1:2500 scale 1st Edition map shows the location of the temporary siding built to facilitate the movement of materials for the ...
Charlie Niven 14/04/2020
1 of 1 images.


This was a two platform station in Aberdeen.
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Looking east towards Aberdeen from the remains of Ruthrieston station in February 1997. [Ref query 5109] ...
Ewan Crawford 04/02/1997
A bridge with a very short useful life! This sizeable structure was completed in 1961 to carry Auchinyell Rd over the Deeside line west of Ruthrieston ...
Brian Taylor 27/12/2011
The heavily overgrown up platform of Ruthrieston Station, looking West along the old trackbed in December 2011. Ruthrieston closed to passengers in ...
Brian Taylor 27/12/2011
3 of 3 images.


This was a two platform station.
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This was a two platform station just east of the Den of Cults. The main station building was on the eastbound platform. There was a goods yard to the north, approached from the east.
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A new sign has appeared on the running in board at the closed Cults station. The butterflies may be related to the cafe on the other side of the ...
Charlie Niven 20/09/2023
The bridge over the road leading to the former Mill of Pitfodels at Den of Cults, just west of Cults Station is the highest on the Deeside line. It is ...
Charlie Niven 28/03/2022
Cults station now has a cafe just off the former platform, in the guise of a container. I did not get the chance to sample the fare despite the good ...
Charlie Niven 25/03/2022
View east at Cults in February 1997, when the two platforms were overgrown but still visible. ...
Ewan Crawford 04/02/1997
4 of 6 images. more


This was a two platform station served by the GNoSR's suburban service on the Deeside line. The main station building was on the eastbound platform.
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View west from the westbound platform of West Cults. Hm, quite a few 'wests' in that description. ...
Ewan Crawford 04/02/1997
1 of 1 images.


This was a two platform served by the suburban service to Aberdeen. There was no goods yard. The main station building was on the eastbound platform.
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View east over Bieldside station in 1997. No buildings, but at least the platforms remain. ...
Ewan Crawford 04/02/1997
1 of 1 images.


This was a two platform station with a siding approached by reversal from the eastbound line. The main station building was on the eastbound platform.
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OS 25” First Edition map extract 1865 Murtle Station showing 'Gravel Pit' within railway boundary. With permission from the National Library of ...
National Library of Scotland 12/05/2020
View to Ballater at Murtle in 1997. ...
Ewan Crawford 04/02/1997
View east along the Deeside Way towards Aberdeen at Murtle on a beautiful autumn day in November 2012. Opened in 1853, Murtle station was reduced to a ...
Brian Taylor 11/11/2012
3 of 3 images.


This was a two platform station with the main station building on the eastbound platform and a goods yard to the west, on the north side, served from the east.
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Milltimber, where the former Deeside line has been breached by the newly opened Western Peripheral Route. The line continued to the slightly to the ...
Alan Cormack 30/12/2018
1 of 1 images.


This was a single platform station on the north side of the single track line. The platform was directly south of the goods sidings which remained here with the station moved west to Milltimber [2nd], probably around the time of track doubling in 1892.
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This was a two platform station at the time of closure in 1966.
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Culter station, seen from a departing DMU bound for Ballater. The date is believed to have been late 1965 or early 1966, probably just a few weeks ...
Brian Haslehust //1965
The former station in Peterculter today, on an utterly miserable wet day. This is approx 9 miles from Aberdeen city centre. The line continues past ...
Alan Cormack 26/07/2017
View east from the eastbound (Aberdeen bound) platform at Culter station. ...
Ewan Crawford 04/02/1997
Looking west along the trackbed at Culter station towards Banchory in November 2006. The abutment is part of a long demolished road bridge that once ...
John Furnevel 09/11/2006
4 of 5 images. more


This paper mill was rail served by a branch which ran south east to Culter [2nd] station. The mill operated its own locomotives. Rail traffic ended in January 1967, along with the Deeside Railway.
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Culter paper mill boundary plate showing boundary of LNER property in 1961. ...
David Murray-Smith //1961
Culter paper mill loco on shed in October 1961. [Ref query 2 March 2019] ...
David Murray-Smith /10/1961
2 of 2 images.


This was a single platform station. The platform was on the north side of the single track line with a goods yard at the east end, approached from the east. A branch to Culter Paper Mill also ran from the goods yard.
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The original station here was a short platform on the north side of the line, a level crossing to the west and beyond that a siding approached from the east.
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View east over the site of Drum station showing the two platforms. ...
Ewan Crawford 04/02/1997
View from road overbridge of Drum station on the Deeside line. The edge of the down platform can be seen on the right behind the nearest tree. ...
John Williamson 28/07/2008
View from road overbridge at Drum station on the Deeside line looking west towards Park. The line here was double track all the way from Ferryhill ...
John Williamson 28/07/2008
Overgrown platform remains at Drum in November 2006. View east towards Aberdeen. ...
John Furnevel 09/11/2006
4 of 4 images.


Confusingly the former Park station is located in Drumoak. When opened it was in countryside to the north of Park Toll Bridge and just south of Nether Sunnyside. Park itself is about half a mile west and Park House even further west. Drumoak has developed in more recent years and has subsumed Nether Sunnyside.
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Looking back to Park station, from a departing Deeside line DMU bound for Ballater. ...
Brian Haslehust /08/1963
Looking towards Drumoak and Aberdeen in May 1976 from a former level crossing, the station building and platform edges are clearly seen. The station ...
Ken Strachan /05/1976
The surviving station building at Park on the Deeside line, photographed looking north in November 2006. The site is now occupied by a caravan sales ...
John Furnevel 09/11/2006
The filled in platforms at Park - now a caravan park. There was a level crossing over the road in the foreground. ...
Ken Strachan /05/1976
4 of 4 images.


This was a short lived single platform station on the north side of the line and with a level crossing to the west.
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This was the second Crathes station, there previously having been a private station for Crathes Castle to the west, Crathes Castle Platform and Mills of Drum, to the east.
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Crathes station in August 1963, viewed from a departing Aberdeen-Ballater DMU. The dark grey stonework just beyond the telegraph pole supported the ...
Brian Haslehust /08/1963
Two platforms, a lot of trees on the former trackbed in this view east at Crathes on 18 October 2012, some 46 years after closure. ...
John McIntyre 18/10/2012
Crathes signal box, 9th of March 2017, The box is in good condition, but the wooden access steps have collapsed but I managed to peer in to see a ...
Alan Cormack 09/03/2017
Platform view west towards Banchory from the closed Crathes station in November 2016, showing the replica signal box. The RDRPS Milton of Crathes site ...
Andy Furnevel 29/11/2016
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OS 2nd Edition 6' map from 1904 showing the extent of the gravel ballast pit at Crathes. This pit location was probably established at the time of ...
National Library of Scotland 19/05/2020
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This is a new two platform station. The main station building is from Oldmeldrum station although it has been extensively rebuilt and repaired.
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Class 03 D2134 slumbers under the trees at the eastern end of the Royal Deeside Railway at Milton of Crathes station on 23rd October 2023. ...
Mark Bartlett 23/10/2023
Looking west along the Deeside Railway trackbed at Milton of Crathes in 2000. Up on the right are stacked track panels for relaying as a heritage ...
Bill Roberton //2000
The superbly rebuilt and restored station building from Oldmeldrum now graces the platform at the new build Royal Deeside Railway at Milton of ...
Mark Bartlett 23/10/2023
Window view of the running-in board at Milton of Crathes. ...
John Yellowlees 12/09/2017
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The 1863-64 OS 25 map shows the probable original layout of the sawmill and its siding and loading bank. The original name of this location was ...
National Library of Scotland 12/06/2021
1 of 1 images.


This shed replaced Banchory Shed [2nd], the site of which was used to expand Banchory goods yard.. It was east of Banchory [2nd] and Banchory Works and built on the north side of the line.
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These works were east of Banchory [1st] station and its replacement Banchory [2nd] station. Access was from the west, with the north part of the building accessed by turnplate.
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View east of Banchory Works on the Deeside Railway. The original engine shed (demolished) was alongside to the right and the line was further to the ...
Ewan Crawford //1997
The old building in Station Yard, Banchory in 2006, seen from the former yard. See image 12298 ...
John Furnevel 10/11/2006
What surely(?) has to be a former Railway building in Station Yard, Banchory, seen here in November 2006. Now in use as a garden machinery and ...
John Furnevel 10/11/2006
3 of 3 images.


This shed was on the south side of the Banchory [1st] goods yard. It was approached from the east.
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The first Banchory shed was built between Banchory Works, to the north, and the Deeside Railway, to the south.
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The terminus of the Deeside Railway opened from Aberdeen in 1853. It was rebuilt in 1859 when the Deeside Extension Railway extended the railway west to Aboyne.
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See also
Deeside Extension Railway