Philorth Halt

The much altered station buildings and single platform at Philorth Halt

Philorth Halt, 1.5 miles from Fraserburgh Station, was, until 1926, the private station of Lord Saltoun who also had his own private mail bag. Only those who had written permission to use the station from Lord Saltoun could do so.

A special circular issued by the Great North of Scotland Railway to the Station Agent at Philorth and all Guards and Drivers on the Formartine and Buchan section on 1st November 1895 states that;

'On receiving intimation from Lord Saltoun or Sir Alexander Anderson of their desire to alight from or join any of the Mixed Trains passing Philorth Station such train must be stopped, for that purpose, in accordance with the instructions given in the Working Timetable as follows:-

"When there are no Passengers or Goods to be taken up the Agent at Philorth, on the Train whistling, is to bring the Distant Signal to All Right"

"When the Train is required to stop, the Distant Signal is to be brought to action'.

This broken mileage post is between  Fraserburgh Golf Club and Philorth Halt

The pink tinged flowers of Lesser Bindweed, Conolvulus arvensis (above) growing on the line close to the gate to The Dunes, golf driving range between Philorth Halt and Fraserburgh.

David Welch's Flora of North Aberdeenshire describes this plant as being very rare and records only one instance growing at Insch railway yard in 1988. This probably demonstrates the importance of the railway in increasing biodiversity.

Far more common is Hedge bindweed, Calstegia sepium, (below)whose large white flowers are in the hedge at and on the banks close to  Philorth Halt.