Turriff

Location type

Station

Name and dates

Turriff (1857-1951)

Opened on the Banff, Macduff and Turriff Extension Railway.
Opened on the Banff, Macduff and Turriff Junction Railway.

Description

This was a two platform station to the south of Turriff, across the Bridge of Turriff over the Burn of Turriff from the town. The station was a terminus from 1857 to 1860. Following this, it was the largest intermediate station between Macduff and Inveramsay.

There was a large goods yard to the south of the station, served from the east, with a generous goods shed, the south east end of which served Turriff Mill. When a terminus, and for a few years afterwards, there was a locomotive shed on the north side, also approached from the east. A vestige of this in later years was a water tank at the east end of the station, north side.

The platforms were canopied, with a large building on each platform and bay at the east end of the west/northbound platform. The wooden canopies joined at the west end of the buildings, probably left over from the days as a terminus, and there was a footbridge to the east end. The wooden canopies were supported by wooden posts close to the platform edges. The west end of the platforms were low, under the canopies, and with a timbered surface.

The Great North of Scotland Railway ran a connecting bus service to Aberchirder.

The station closed to passengers in 1951, but remained open to goods on the now goods only line to Macduff. The link between the canopies was removed and westbound platform building reduced.

Boxes were at the west end (west end of the northbound platform) and east end (on the north side, opposite the goods yard). These were replaced in 1900.

Turriff box (dating from 1900) was staffed until 1961 and closed in 1962. This box was unusual in being approached either by an elevated walkway from the east/south bound platform or steps from ground level. It was on the south bank of the Burn of Turriff, close to the former locomotive shed, the line and turntable of which survived until around 1900. The unusual placing allowed the view west beyond the station building (and its unusual connected canopies) to the level crossing.

The line was cut back to Turriff in 1962. After the cut back the lines through the platforms were lifted but the goods yard remained in operation with a loop within the sidings alongside a mill, and a set of three sidings at the east end.

Final closure came in 1966.

To the west of the station was a level crossing, the road diverted to the west of the passing loop. The road has since been realigned to use a new bridge over the Burn of Turriff. This has obliterated the passenger station but removed the long road diversion. A portion of the southbound platform remains. Goods platforms, the base of a crane and the goods shed remain in the east end of the station site, now a caravan park. A number of station cottages survive.

Local

Turriff Caravan Park

Tags

Terminus station

External links

Canmore site record
NLS Collection OS map of 1892-1914
NLS Collection OS map of 1944-67
NLS Map
NLS Map
NLS Map
04/12/2021




Chronology Dates

05/09/1857Banff, Macduff and Turriff Junction Railway
Line opened from Inveramsay to Turriff and Inveramsay station rebuilt; stations at Wartle, Rothienorman, Fyvie, Auchterless and Turriff.
04/06/1860Banff, Macduff and Turriff Extension Railway
Turriff to Banff and Macduff opened; stations : Turriff, Plaidy, King Edward, Banff and Macduff.
01/08/1961Banff, Macduff and Turriff Extension Railway
Macduff to Turriff (excluded) closed completely.
03/01/1966Banff Macduff and Turriff Junction Railway
Turriff to Inveramsay (excluded) closed completely.

News items

14/07/2023Blooming marvellous! Green-fingered Turriff group take over former council depot [Press and Journal]
25/06/2023Turriff groups looks to take on former railway building [Grampian Online]