THE ABERDEEN TO INVERURIE CANAL (Remains)

As at APRIL 2029 with older photos to add to interest.

Bill Reid

CANAL REMAINS BETWEEN DYCE And KINTORE

(PAGE FIVE OF EIGHT)

There are no remains to be seen between Bucksburn and Dyce. The railway is built upon the canal bed. However a short section is seen on the north side of the
railway by Pitmeadden Road. The second section is seen on the south side of the railway. At Kintore there was a part of the railway known as Port Of Kintore.
Railway wise Kintore was the junction for the branch line to Alford. The canal was planned to go to Inch via Kintore but was never built. I have not been able
to get to this spot as yet but hope to  on another visit. Here are some views taken from Google Earth.

Just to the north of Dyce. A short section of the canal can still be made out on the north side of the main line. There doesn't appear to be a way of reaching the
site as it is fenced off all around. However, there could well be a way if you know the area well enough but it is still a long walk from Dyce and a main road.

CANAL REMAINS AT PITMEADDEN ROAD
(New from my 27th April 2022 visit)

On the 27th of April 2022 I was able to get to the Pitmeadden Road site by taking the bus from Aberdeen to Dyce. Getting off at the stop after the stop for
Dyce station and walking along the main road up to the junction with Pitmedden Road and follwing this for a mile or so to the road junction with the road to Dyce
historical church ruins where the bridge goes over the railway. The canal remains are seen on the east side running towards Dyce to the north side of the main line.

The canal here is well defined, making out the actual canal bed and the tow path. It stops short where a high embankment for the new Western By-pass has been
built with an attractive modern road bridge crossing the River Don and heading to the by-pass end at Balmeddie to the south of Ellon.

Canal remains on the north side of the railway at Pitmeadden to the north of Dyce. This is a slightly older Google Earth photo. Today the new Western by-pass and high embankment cuts
across the scene at the end of the canal remains to the right. To the west the canal has been built upon by the Breeding Concrete Plant.You see the private dwelling by the railway and the road
junction to the old Dyce church and  Kinaldie. Google Earth).

  
Right: On Pitmeadden Road. A unit passes the stop block end of Raiths Farm siding (Behind the unit). All train shots are 'grabbed' as trains travel quite fast along here and
come and go very suddenly. Right: Where you have to cross the main road at the junction sign to Kinaldie and the old Dyce cemetery.

 
You then pass under the Western By-Pass and down to another road junction by the private dwelling up ahead.

 
The view from the road, overlooking the railway and the canal remains with the Western by-pass running north eastwards towards
Balmeade on the Ellon Road.

 
At the junction with the Kinaldie road. The sign for the old Dyce church remains and the Symbal Stones. I visited the church and stones which
are very interesting. The surrounding are also very attractive where the River Don runs in a gully with the scene opening up and winding
westwards with Benachie as a back ground.

     
The bridge over the railway is just past the road junction and an Ex Wartime Pill Box still stands guard over Dyce airport that is close by.

   
The Pill Box is in excellent condition.

    
Being close to Dyce airport planes and helicopters land and take off almost continually and make for interesting photos as they are
quite low.This is  a Logan Air service and having come in from the north it may well be the new Aberdeen-Wick return service that
started up quite recently! This 40 odd minute flight saves the long 7-8 hour train journey to the far north with a change at Inverness.
Of course, you have to add the getting to the airport and back home and any delays that may ocurr on any day.

 
Again, a train creeps up on me at speed and have to do a couple of quick grabs. Class 158736 with 158716 on the rear. The 158's seem to have control of the
Aberdeen-Inverurie local services. Left: Approaching the over bridge and running towards Dyce. Right: Between the over bridge and the Western by-pass bridge
towards Dyce. The edge of the canal remains isjust noticeable bottom far left.

 
Northwards from the over bridge. The canal ran on the right. This section still looks quite fresh from the re-doubling of the line.

 
Left: A tele zoom view from the over bridge near the point where the canal & railway parted. Right: The closeness of the old canal is marked by the roof of the
building on the right.

Looking southwards from the over bridge towards Dyce with the canal remains just seen to the left of the Up Main line.

From the north end of the over bridge where the bridge over the canal  once stood. Looking northwards.
I expect this area was considerably redsigned when the railway was built.

A grab shot from the Aberdeen-Inverurie train  in April 2022. Part way along the section of canal remains where the pile of boulders can be seen. Sheep grazing on the
canal bed

 
The eastern end of the canal where it is now cut off by the building of the Western by-pass.

 
Unusual pile of stones used to back-fill this section of the canal bed.

The line of sight for the canal is through the center of the building and running northwards to where it is cut off by the railway.

A 200mm zoom shot from the same spot as above, looking up ahead to
where the split from the canal was.

 
Cl 156716 on the rear of a Inverury to Aberdeen service running towards Dyce. The canal remains curves off to the left foreground.

 
A central view looking eastwards towards Dyce. From the railway over bridge.

The Tow Path is still recognisable on the left of the canal bed.

The private dwelling on the south side of the railway by the over bridge.

A wide view of the canal remains and the main line to the right.

Another quickly grabbed shot. Overlooking the canal bed with a train heading northwards to Inverurie. Cl 158722 heads the trian
 northwards.

Sheep quietly graze along the old canal footpath.Young trees are slowly becoming established on the by-pass embankment and will
change this background scene in due course. The canal tree is on the way out after over a hundred sixty eight years of taking over
the abandoned canal bed at this point.

Looking south on the Pitmeadden Road. The canal followed the line of trees on the left. (Google Earth).
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