THE ABERDEEN TO INVERURIE CANAL (Remains)

AS AT SEPTEMBER 2022.

Bill Reid

(PAGE 7 OF SEVEN)

"THE CANAL REMAINS BETWEEN KINTORE AND PORT ELPHINSTONE (Inverurie)".

Ex Entrance into Ex Inverurie Goods Yard now Railway Terrace..

The Ex Corn Mill sidings site.

The building today from from the north side. The lentle of the doorway where the track ran past with a set of points taking a siding
into the shed. The new road way here has been raised with railings protcting the drop. The Corn mill branch ran on the left hand
 left side of the building to where it came off the mainline.

The building above as seen from across the River Don and the canal. The canal is the
treeline seen to the right. (Cranmore photo).

This looks as if it is the only railway related building still existing within the Corn Mill!

Only the name plate indicates that this had once been a railway line into the Corn Mill.

Canal View and what had been the Ex Corn MIll  branch. On the immediate right the entrance back onto the
canal tow path behind Railway Terrace.

The Ex tow path, towards Inverurie and following rear of the houses on Canal View.

The drop from the entrance from Canal View and dpown to the canal level. The canal tow path must have
continued straight on along the canal bank to where the bridge over the railway is at the south end of the river
Don railway over bridge.

From the canal tow path. Overlooking the canal remains and the
path between Inverurie Canal at the river Don and the railway
and canal over bridges.

The footpath from the start of the path from Victoria bridge and leading southwards to the Ex Corn Mill sidings
site via Canal View. and Railway Terrace. This is looking northwards towards the river Don.

 CANAL VIEW SECTION

THE RIVER DON OVER BRIDGE

The under side and stone pillars of the bridge. Looking towards Inverurie.

The new decking covering of the recent re-double-tracked over bridge.

The River Don over bridge. Western side towards Inverurie. There are foot paths on both sides of the river too
and from Victoria Bridge.

Taken from the north side of the River Don from my present photos back on the 19th September 2009. This
shows thestate both ofthe bridge and the gap where the old Up line ran. This also demonstartes the nice job of
refurbishing the brdge that has been done. Itappears that the granite pillers didn't require any any sort of
refurbishing. On the left the canal follows just above the river bank andthe new houses are that at Railway
Terraceand the old goods sidings site.The bridge was built by Blaikie Brothers Engineers,Aberdeen
in 1880.

West Side.

Below the refurbished and re-double tracked river bridge. Don't let the narrowness of the  river at this point
deceive you. It is deepand very fast flowing at this point.

From the path and the fenced off way to Port Elphinstone. The final part of the canal that still has water follows
the treeline and ends at the unused chimney in the papermill site.This was also where the final wharf stood,
leaving canal passengers with a good mile to reach the center of Inverurie.

An Iverurie to Aberdeen service crosses the Canal over bridge towards Aberdeen. N.B. the new bridge span for
the redoubling of the track.

A telephoto view. At this time (11.23) hourly, an Up & Down service pass each other around this spot. The Up
train on the right having just departed  from Inverurie station for Aberdeen and the Down train about to arrive at
Inverurie station. This is the presentstage of the planned Cross City Service that will  eventually run between
Inverurie and Montrose and which the recently reopened Kintore station is part of.

Iron bridge over the river Don. East side.

The footpath that leads up along the south side of the canal towards Port Elphinstone.You see nothing of the
canal from this walk.

It is a large and impressive structure considering the narrowness of the river at this pont. East side.

Just south of the river bridge is the only railway crossing remaining over the canal and which still retains water.

The start of the path on the south side of the canal that leads you between the canal and the railway up to the
Ex Port Elphinstone paper mill site. Appx. Half a mile.

The way is fenced off.

A Telephoto view looking below the railway bridge with the Ex tow path where it deviated from the river and
the Horse doing a long climb along the length that follows Railway Terrace

Canal heading to wards Port Elphinstone Ex Papermill site where it terminates today.

The Aberdeen train just leaving the river bridge and crossing the canasl pver bridge.

A train for Aberdeen passes over the relaid Up line over the river Don bridge.

Canal, within the trees on the right towards Port Elphinstone. The path curves off to the right up to the River
Don. However, as far as I can make out you can't go any any further following the can on this (North) side of
 the canalbut an offical footpath runs along thesouth side of the canal towards the site of the Port  Elphinstone
Paper mill sidings that is no longer linked to the railway.

The track bed heading for Aberdeen. The speed rises to 75 mph from after departing from Inverurie station.
The next stop is the new station at Kintore. This is a new gated entrance for track workers and emergency
crews can get onto the railway when required.

Whie the way is fenced off for following the canal it may be possible to get around here. Could be worth
attempting nother time. For this visit I kept to the offical footpath for about half a mile or so to where you could
have crossed the railway ionto the paper mill sitebut the over bridge has been demolished.  After checking that
out I returned the same way back into Inverurie via the south side ofthe canal bed.

Overview of the Footpath from the Canal and Weir to the north side of the River. Also the canal footpath that follows the Canal behind the houses of
Railway Terrace and that takes you to the railway over bridge over the river and the canal. (Google Earth)..

From the Corn Mill Branch junction and the railway Canal over bridge and the mainline bridge over the River Don where I took the
photos of both bridges. (Google Earth).

Overview of the canal from Railway Terrace to where it ends at the weir and remaining chimney of the Ex Paper Mill and where the
canal came in from Kintore. (Google Earth).

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