DYCE TO FRASERBURGH
& PETERHEAD WALKS
(2015 & 2014)

Bill Reid.

 
The official Guide map from the walks.

From a walks over the track bed of the Ex GNSR branch line from Dyce to Fraserburgh and Peterhead. The Ellon to Dyce section was walked on the 30th of
September 2014. From  this I learned the bus services that allow me to walk the rest of the route in sections. Mintlaw to Maud junction and back on the 19th
Sept 2015 and Mintlaw to Peterhead on the 25th of September 2015. This was followed by Strichen to Ellon on the 29th of September 2015 and Strichen to
Fraserburgh on the 2nd of October 2015.

From Dyce Junction, seven miles from Aberdeen, the 'Broch' line as it was known ran for 47 miles to Fraserburgh. At Maud junction passenger trains split
into two separate trains with one half continuing to Fraserburgh and the other to Peterhead. Passenger services ceased in 1965 after a hundred years of
service then closing completely in 1970 from Maud to Peterhead and Dyce to Fraserburgh in 1979.

I was lucky enough to become a secondman at Kittybrewster loco depot in 1963 and enjoyed a number of trips over both branches until the end of 1964 when
I moved south to keep my job, as the railways around Aberdeen started to close down. I always held happy memories of the line.

The line ran through very sparse farming country and passenger use was always very low and services never did reach the point of being useful as a commuter
railway. Likewise, this was  avery long way around to both Terminal stations that were between 14-15 miles shorter by road and buses were always able to cut
the railways by distance and fares. Fish traffic was a big user of the routes but gradually diverted away to the roads. The coming of Gas & Oil to the Northeast
didn't save the railway as was first hoped.

Walking the Ellon to Dyce track bed on the 30th of September 2014 made it exacly 50 years from when I last worked over this route and I found it very
interesting  searching out what remains there still was and trying to remember it as it was. I had forgotten how much of it ran through very pleasant countryside.
The remainder of the walks to Fraserburgh and Peterhead were covered on four separate walks during September/October 2015, making it 51 years since last
working over these routes.

It was also very interesting hearing that there is a stong possibility of the line reopening once again, from Dyce to Ellon, with further thoughts of extending to
Fraserburgh and Peterhead in the more distant future. It would be very nice if the line becames fully active once again.

Links:  Kittybrewster Memories   Ellon To Boddam Walks  Dundee To Newtyle Incline Railway Walks   Royal Deeside Railway   Maud To Peterhead Cycle-Way    High Peak Railway Trail Walks

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