LONGHAVEN TO BODDAM
(Update October
2014)
This walk continues from my walk from Hatton via Cruden
Bay back in 2002. The walk was completely along the main road and into
Boddam, due to not being able to get onto the track bed
around the Longhaven station area. However, there are some nice views
of the track bed as it drops down to the top of the road by Stirling
Hill, with sea and cliff background then drops
quite steeply to the outskirts of Boddam before leveling out for the
final mile or so to Boddam station site.
Longhaven
Station Layout (Google). The station did not have a signal box and had
only one platform. Goods yard entry was via
the key on the Boddam To Cruden By Single-line Token.
The
walk from Station Road (30) to Longhaven is two miles (28), mostly
uphill. It is an interesting walk, passing Boddam
Castle
ruins with nice views over to Buchaness Lighthouse. There are nice rocky
coastal views where the track bed hugs the
clifftop
from Dundonnie to the Cave Of Meakie. When it is dry you can walk much
of the track bed. However, there are
fenced
off areas that force you back onto the road for long stretches. There
are a couple of dangerous spots when you
get
right up to the cliff edge and care should be taken, especially in the
wet.
Left:
The station platform was just behind the double
garage building.
Right: The station house in relation to the station site.
The Loop bridge is in shadow on the far right. The
back-filled track bed can just be seen, following the
sandy-coloured grassy stretch, which is the top of the cutting. I
had to take the main road into Longhaven and
Boddam from here. Right: Twin garages built close to the site of
Longhaven station.
Longhaven
Station
House.
the
south of Longhaven station. The platforms, buildings and goods
yard would have been seen from here.
The
Highland Cow is standing on the track bed to the north end of
Longhaven station. The Station House is to the right. Right: An Ex GNSR Boundary Post marks the edge of the
track bed, which runs behind
the cows and up to Longhaven station, which was level with the station
house.
Left: Farm crossing Gate South of and
towards Longhaven
Station.
Right: Opposite side, metal gate, looking towards Boddam (30th Sept
2014)
Left:
Farm X'sg Gate South of Fisherman's House and towards Longhaven
Station.
Right: Opposite side, metal gate, looking towards Boddam, into a
cutting. (30th Sept 2014)
Both:
From the Ex Level crossing towards Longhaven station. Ex Station
Master's House on the right. The platform was straight ahead and the
goods shed to the left.
Left:
Reaching the summit of the line from Boddam as it approaches Longhaven
station.
Right: From the A90. The shallow cutting to the north of Longhaven
Station.
The start of the steep gradient as it runs down to Boddam.
North of Longhaven station. The pleasant view continues until the line drops down to
Boddam (Sept. 2014).
Left:
Large stone by the old Fisherman's House. Left: Towards
Longhaven.
Right: Towards Boddam. You can follow the track bed heading off into the
distance. (30th Sept 2014).
Left:
Front of the Fisherman's House. It has become dangerous and is
fenced off to the
public.
Right: The ruin with the old railway fencing on the right as the line
ran towards Longhaven. (30th Sept 2014)
Left:
The west face of the house, over looknig the cliff. It
is heavily fenced
off.
Right:
The south (rear) side of the house. (30th eSpt. 2014)
Right:
An east facing window. Made as small as possible to keep the house
warm . (30th Sept. 2014)
Right.
Remains of an out building by the east side of the house. (30th Sept
2014)
Left;
Base of a shed or store on the east end of the
house.
Right: The deep sea-gully that makes the front of the house a dangerous
spot. (30th Sept. 2014)
Views from the A90
This old building was a fisherman's
house.
At the top of the gradient this gives an
excellent view of the curve and shallow cutting to the north
of Longhaven station.
The track bed can clearly be seen passing the ruined
building, which was may possibly have been a track man's hut. Longhaven
Station site is in the background.
Right: The track
bed starts to drop through a shallow cutting.
From my 30th Sept. 2014 walk, along the track bed from the Fisherman's House into Boddam.
The track bed
follows the coastline closely, first on the flat then into a short
cutting. It gets cut off with a gap cut into the track bed then
stops dead due to the private home up ahead having back-filled
it's back garden over the
track bed, where you have to follow a narrow path around to
blockage and with a wooden bridge over the end of the sea gully.
Again the track bed has been filled in for a way, beyond the
private house, before it starts dropping
down into the long, steep cuttin g down to Boddam. By
Stirling Village South is the site of the over-bridge where a
mineral railway crossed over the top of the main line, where stone
waste from the quarry was tipped into
Herring Cove gully, where you can still see the heap of pink
granite stones. The deep cutting is very bogie and difficult to
get through due to being back-filled just before the steep
drop and holds back water in the cutting.
There is some more back-filling just before the remains of the
over bridge, where you have to get off the track bed and walk
along the eastern top of the cutting up to the bridge remains. You
get a grand view of the high
embankment of the mineral railway, which has corroded so much that
it is difficult to imagine that railway track had once ran upon it
and having a double spur where the rock was tipped over the edge.
The
track bed from the old Fisherman's house, running into a low cutting,
towards Boddam.
Left:
Another gate were a farm crossing
stood.
Right: From the short embankment the track bed runs into another low
cutting. Towards Boddam.
Left:
Looking back towards the cutting and Longhaven, with the lay-by on the
main road up to the right.
Right:
It must have taken a bit of effort to get this load of large granite
blocks to this part of the track bed!
Left:
The track bed becomes a dead end, due to a private home extending it's
back garden over the
railway.
Right: View from the track bed with stubs of the railway fence.
Left:
End of the line! You have to cross a gully and onto the narrow path on
the right to get around the blockage.
Right:
Looking back towards Longhaven and the low embankment.
The
gap on the track bed, which you have to get around. I found it easier to
get down to the fence, where the
narrowest leap across was possible. It's
a shame that they are allowed to blank of the old track bed in this
manner. This is from the north side of the gap.
By
the two metal farm crossing gate posts. There is a narrow path from here
to the old house should you not wish to walk along the actual track bed.
A
wooden foot bridge crosses the narrow gap, with a nice view down the
cliff side.
From
the A90
As
the track bed runs close to the cliff edge, it's path has been reduced
by the built up ground of a walled
garden.
Right: The track is on a low embankment but is close to the cliff edge.
As
the track bed runs close to the cliff edge it's path has been reduced by
the built up ground of a walled
garden.
Right: The track is on a low embankment but is close to the cliff edge.
The scene on a finer day in Sept 2007. This section of
the line had been very attractive with fine sea and cliff views from
the
carriages. Ditto
===============================================================
Left:
The clifftop by the walled garden you can see how close the track bed
was to the cliff edge on ther far right and heads towards Longhaven
station.
Right:
This is a short telephoto view looking over the cliff edge. Looking
south.
A
wide angle view while standing on the track bed. Very much as the
passengers would have seen it. The Cave of Miekie is there somewhere.
Right:
The track bed runs to the left of the hillside, formed by building up
the ground to build a house and walled garden.
Left:
The north face of the back-filled bank of the house
garden
Right: A
wider view from the path, looking south. The track bed is more to the
right. (30th Sept. 2014)
Left: The track bed continues for a sort
while, southwards as a rising back-filled heap of rough ground.
(30th Sept. 2014.
Right:
looking back towards Longhaven. The track bed is almost eliminated.
You can see the top of the walled garden up ahead.
The
north side of the heap where you drop back down to track bed level.
Back-filled at this point for access off the main A90 road. (30th
Sept 2014)
A
deep cutting is reached as the line ran down past Stirling Hill and the
quarries,
which are on the left, on the opposite side of the main road.
The
back-fill access path out onto the A90. It rises and curves away
from the original route to meet the main road.
From
the Boddam end of the back-filled track bed, looking into the cutting
ahead. It is extremely boggie.
I
got through this length squeezing along the rough grass on the
right hand side but still managed to side into the sticky mess a couple
of times.
The
cutting, towards the back-filled section up ahead. Too bogie to walk
without a pair of Wellington boots. I had to get up onto the eastern rim
at this point.
Looking
back up the very wet and bogie track bed.
: 
Left:
Stump of a wire tension Post. Right Perfect example of how much the
cutting fills up with rain wate due to the two back-fills and the A90
drainage.
It
doesn't help that the cutting drainage id added to by water from
the A90.
Left:
The long drop past Stirling Village and down into Boddam. The
railway drainage appears to be still doing its job! This photo was taken
in 1975 on Ferrania CR50 film.
Right:
The long steady gradient as it drops down to Boddam. The fireman must
have had a difficult job keeping the steam pressure high on this
long drag.
Left:
From the back-filled section, back towards the summit of the line
towards Longhaven. (30th Sept 2014)
Right: Herring
Cove. I
wondered how this heap of stone got there! It was dumped from the short
mineral railway that ran from the quarry to the top of the cliff and
tipped there over some years.
November 2014
I
keep getting surprises when learning more about this branch. I came
across a map of 1843-1882 and find that there were infact two quarry
mineral lines at Stirling South. I did wonder about the first quarry
opening you
come to as you near Stirling south and while it looked similar to
the tramway opening further north there was nothing on the seaward
side to point to there having been another tramway. It was
interesting to find this map
showing that there were two such tramways.
The more southerly tramway
came out of the quarry about a quarter of a mile south of the
longer tramway. The line crossed the A90 but appears to have
stopped short of the cliff face,
which suggests that the stone wasn't tipped over the cliff face.
This map also proves that the
two tramways were there before the Boddam branch was built.
Left: First view of the large
pile of stones, tipped by the quarry from the mineral branch that
stopped at the top of the embankment, top left. This is the spot where
possibly the more southerly tramway line came to
a stop. Right: looking back up the cutting incline towards Longhaven.
Left: Once again the track bed has
been back-filled for a little way. Right: The back-fill showing how
the drain water no more flows freely down the incline but remains as
static pools. This is where I had to get
back up to the ground
for the remainder of the walk towards the next bridge remains.
5427FishmnsHousewwLonghaven26thSept2014_zpsec82dc83.jpg
Railway fencing at the top of
the cutting, overlooking the cliff views.
Update: March 2014: From this map
the over bridge had carried a private length of quarry railway,
whether narrow or standard gauge, to tip waste rock from the quarry to
the sea cliffs. The mineral
line had crossed the main A90 road as well as the main branch line.
This
is where I had get up on the high ground to continue towards the Ex over
bridge.
The mineral railway embankment.
There is much corrosion but you can still follow the line as it came
in over the main branch line, on the far left.
Again, the stones lying around in the foreground suggests that this is
where the more southerly tramway terminated.
Left:
The remains of the over-bridge. It is too bogie to walk on the track bed
at this
spot.
Right: There is now no sign of the mineral branch embankment on the
coastal side of the bridge.
b
Two
wire tensioning posts still exists at his spot. The top one was the
mineral branch fnece, while the lower one was the actual branch fence.
The
lower (branch) fence wire tension post.
Left:
A view that would have been blanckd off if the full embankment of the
mineral branch was still in
place. Right: From the
base of the old bridge. The track bed continues towards Boddam.
Left:
Reverse view from above left. The crumbling remains of the mineral
railway embankment. Right: The over bridge remains, looking northwards.
Left:
At mineral track bed level, following the level of the line over the
embankment up to the wagon tipping point at the end.
Right:
Where the mineral line crossed the A90, from the quarry.
Left:
Buchaness Lighthouse from the top of the over bridge, with the mineral
branch wire tensioning post in the foreground.
Left:
Where the mineral line came out of the quarry entrance, over the A90 and
over the Boddam branch and across to the tipping point.
The
quarry is still in use and is locked off to both road vehicles and the
public. Quarry vehicles enter from an
entrance
a little way further up the A90. (30th Sept. 2014).
The
line ran part way into the quarry where wagons were loaded with granite
spoil. I have not found anything to state whether the line as
manually worked or Horse drawn. (30th Sept 2014)
Left: The bottom of the gradient as it starts
to level out before the final mile into Boddam. The quarry
line crossed the bridge . The right hand side embankment has been
demolished.
Right: A closer view on the 30th Sept 2014.
Buchan
pink granite steps from the road down to track level, which had
been
used by gangers. It's still quite safe to use with a little care on
bottom
stones
Update: March 2014. Remains of the
separate quarry over-bridge at the bottom of the gradient from
Longhaven. Right: you can see the embankment on which the quarry track
ran to the cliff face, here in the
background. That is an interesting lean-to built on the
side of the bridge. Perhaps someone kept some sheep here for a time! The
pink granite really shows up in this lighting.
Again,
you can make out the embankment for the quarry tip track
bed.
Right: From the over-bridge site, towards Boddam (1975).
Driver's eye view from the old bridge and the final mile
into Boddam in the
90's. The old building was probably in excellent condition when
the railway was in operation. Both appear to have deteriorated together.
The
track bed has been cut a number of times between here and
Boddam.
The embankment is just made out
The
embankment is erroding quite
steadily.
This is an interesting break. The farmer has strengthened the embankment
to his own use.
The farmer
has removed the embankment to gain access to the east side of his
farm. There would have been a grand view of a train
running along here, either cruising down the bank or working
hard in the opposite direction.
The sheep appear to enjoy the embankment, which
is probably drier than at field
level. A backward view of the embankment. From here it
looks as if the bank had been continuous at the far
end and has been removed for convenience.
t still has the feel of
a railway after 60 years of closure. This would have been another nice
spot to watch or photograph the trains. Right: The end of the track
bed. Fenced off from the embankment to the station site.
Buchaness lighthouse and keeper's houses. The lighthouse is now
automatic and the houses are partly a ruin. The road bridge has been removed and the ground
filled in to form the new road bed.
Looking south from the site of the old bridge,
which has been demolished and the gap filled in to keep the road in
use. Right: The opposite view is quite different. The track
bed has been completely built over
with new housing.
The
track bed comes to a halt where there was a road bridge and the
embankment on the opposite side has been demolished to build a number of
houses. In the background is the ruin of Boddam Castle. On the right,
background
the old Lighthouse Keeper's houses lie's half demolished. Seems a waste
of good housing. Right: Boddam Castle ruin seen
over the old track bed level and some new houses.
The
track bed just outside the station is brought to another halt having
been demolished to the south for new
housing.
Right:The first (or last bridge), at Boddam. On the southern
perameter of Boddam village.
Remain
of the northern side of an over bridge of the embankment from the
station. The short section southwards is overbuilt with a line of
houses. (30th Sept. 2014)
Remains
of the embankment heading south from the station site (30th Sept 2014)
Back on the main road with a very modern
looking Boddam than I remember in the 40's and 50's. The railway ran
in on the right and terminated at the Station Road end of the Ex RAF
Camp up ahead.
Right: End of the line. All that remains
of Boddam Station. The RAF Camp took over the site but this too has
now closed and the land has been sold and earmarked for a new housing
scheme.
No one's interested in the possibility of the station ever reopening
again, obviously! It may prove short term thinking.
Looking
directly along the track bed to the station site. (30th Sept. 2014)
You
can just make out the track bed as it leads up to the station and the
goods siding.
Looking
from the main road into the old station site. The granite quarries have
been reduced to mere 'Flint Quarries.
Note
the two-faced building and the stretch limo. The granite quarrys have
been reduced to mere 'Flint' quarries.
This
is the spot to start looking over the remains of Stirling Quarry and
what's left of the old Prison Railway.
The
road junction at Stirling Village bus stop, with Station Road, on the
right, running past the old station site and up to the
harbour. Right:
The entrance to Boddam Station and Goods Yard off Station Road. (Sept.
2010).
he old Bus shelter stands on the site of the station building. The
long loco
& carriage shed ran long the platform length to the left of the
shelter.
The Goods Shed and Turntable were on the left, into the photo.
Ex Boddam Station masters' House. Sept
2010.
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