22. Communications—Roads, Railways.
In ancient times the chief means of communication between Aberdeenshire and the south was the old South and North Drove Road, which crosses the Cairn-o-Mounth from Fettercairn in Kincardine, and, passing the Dye and Whitestones on the Feugh, reaches the Dee at Potarch. It then ran along the hill to Lumphanan and on through Leochel to the Bridge of Alford, thence to Clatt and Kennethmont and along the valley of the Bogie to Huntly.
There was another—a supposed Roman road—which, coming up from the direction of Stonehaven, crossed the Dee at Peterculter, and, proceeding northward through Skene, Kinnellar, Kintore and Inverurie, went on to Pitcaple. Thence it passed through Rayne and across the east shoulder of Tillymorgan to what has been regarded as a Roman camp at Glenmailen, and by the Corse of Monellie, Lessendrum and Cobairdy, to the fords of the Deveron below Avochie.
Another ancient road crossed the mountains fromBlairgowrie by the Spittal of Glenshee, over the Cairnwell, Castleton of Braemar, and the upper waters of the Gairn to the valley of the Avon at Inchrory and thence by Tomintoul to Speyside.
Spittal of Glenshee
Spittal of Glenshee
After the ’45 General Wade adopted the southern part of this road as the line of his great military route from Blairgowrie to Fort George, but from Castleton he turned to the east, went down the Dee valley to Crathie, and thence across the hills to Corgarff in Upper Strathdon from which he reached Tomintoul by the “Lecht.” This route he completed in 1750.
These roads had naturally to lead to fords in the rivers, and, when bridges came to be built, it was just as natural that they should be placed in the line of established routes. When the Bridge of Alford was built over the Don in 1810-11 and the Bridge of Potarch over the Dee in 1812-13, a new line of road was made across country to connect them. It went from Dess through Lumphanan and Leochel to the Don valley.
The first turnpike made in Aberdeenshire was the road from the Bridge of Dee to the city of Aberdeen _viâ_ Holborn Street, which completed the northern section of the great post-road between Edinburgh and Aberdeen. This was in 1796.
About the same time was made the North Deeside Road reaching from Aberdeen to Aboyne and thence to Ballater, Crathie, and Braemar, where it met the Cairnwell Road. Another was the Aberdeen and Tarland route, which went by Skene and Echt with branches joining on to those already in existence. One of these struck off at Skene, and, crossing the hill of Tilliefourie, proceeded to Alford. It was afterwards extended up the Strath by Mossat, and Glenkindie to Corgarff, where it met General Wade’s road.
The great post-road from Aberdeen to Inverness went by Woodside, Bucksburn, Kintore, Inverurie, the Glens of Foudland to Huntly and Cairnie on the boundary of Banffshire. It had branches from Huntly to Portsoy through Rothiemay and to Banff through Forgue by the Bridge of Marnoch.
The Strathbogie Road from Huntly to Donside byway of Gartly, Rhynie, and Lumsden joined the Strathdon Road at Mossat. Though by no means the most convenient, it is still used as the route along which the mails are conveyed to Strathdon.
The Aberdeen and Banff Road left the post-road at Bucksburn and passing through Dyce, New Machar, Old Meldrum, Fyvie, Turriff, and King Edward made for the Bridge of Banff.
In the eastern district the most important route was that to Peterhead. It crossed the new Bridge of Don, and, passing through Belhelvie, Ellon, and Cruden, came to Peterhead by the coast. From there it went straight across country to Banff by Longside, Mintlaw, New Pitsligo, and Byth, thence over the Longmanhill to Macduff. Later a coast route was made connecting Peterhead and Fraserburgh, by way of St Fergus, Crimond and Lonmay. Another continuation of it was along the coast past Rosehearty, Pennan, Gardenstown and Troup Head into Banffshire.
It was only during the nineteenth century that proper and serviceable highways were constructed. Prior to that time a few main roads had been made but side connections were few and badly kept, so that wheeled vehicles, if they had existed, would have been a useless luxury. Early in the eighteenth century wheeled vehicles were absolutely unknown. In 1765 the judges of the Circuit Court of Justiciary first travelled to Aberdeen in chaises instead of on horseback. The first mail coach did not arrive till 1798. It took 21 hours between Edinburgh and Aberdeen. Not till 1811 did passenger coaches beginto ply between Aberdeen and Huntly. Then only was it possible for the farmer to convey his products by cart, which superseded the pack-horse as a means of transport.
The upkeep of the roads was secured by a system of tolls. Traces of the system still survive in the renovated toll-bar houses, which in some cases retain a window facing right and a window facing left to mark the approach of vehicles from either side. Aberdeenshire abolished tolls in 1865.
The Railway system reached Aberdeen in 1848. Prior to that time for fifty years the stage coach plying between Edinburgh and Aberdeen had been, apart from the sea-routes, the only bond between this part of the country and the south. A few years later, in 1854, what is now the Great North of Scotland Railway was opened from Aberdeen to Huntly, and two years thereafter was extended as far as Keith. This is still the main line of railway in the county. It touches in its course Dyce, Kintore, Inverurie, Insch, and Huntly. By and by branch lines were constructed forking off from it at various points; _first_ from Inveramsay, through Wartle, Fyvie, to Turriff and ultimately to Macduff; _second_ from Inverurie across country to Old Meldrum; _third_ from Kintore up Donside by Kemnay and Monymusk to Alford; and lastly from Dyce through New Machar, Udny, Ellon to New Maud, where it bifurcates, one fork going on to Peterhead the other to Fraserburgh. This is the Buchan and Formartine branch. Recently a sub-branch was made from Ellon running to the coast and touching CrudenBay, its terminus being at Boddam within half an hour’s distance of Peterhead. From Fraserburgh, a light railway runs to Cairnbulg, Inverallochy and St Combs. The only other line of railway in the county is the Deeside line, which runs up the Dee valley as far as Ballater. It was begun in 1853, and Banchory was the terminus till 1859, when an extension was made to Aboyne; then in 1866 it was extended to Ballater.
The lack of population and the paucity of goods apart from agricultural products have handicapped the local railways, which are far from prosperous. The chances of extension in other directions are very remote. Meantime outlying districts, such as Strathdon and Braemar, are served by motors. The holiday and tourist traffic during the summer months and the influx of sportsmen at the shooting season are contributory sources of revenue, but even these show no tendency to grow—a state of affairs due to the prevalent use of private motor-cars.
Aberdeenshire has no canals and is never likely to have. Prior to the advent of railways a canal, designed by Telford, the great engineer, was constructed between Aberdeen and Port Elphinstone on the south side of Inverurie. It was opened for passenger and goods traffic in 1806, and continued to serve the district until the steam-engine sounded its knell. For nearly half a century it was a bond between the chief city and the centre of the county and, although it never was remunerative to the promoters, and provided a very slow mode of conveyance, it was of great public service. The railway line to the north runs parallel at certain places to the track of thiscanal, whose superannuated embankments may still be recognised, after half a century, at various points between Aberdeen and Inverurie.