Butterflies at Philorth

The Line approaching Fraserburgh, the Golf Clubhouse on the right

Despite being close to the town and suffering from a relatively high level of litter, the section of Line between Philorth Halt and Fraserburgh perfectly exemplifies its value as a  habitat for all forms of wildlife, including insects. The shallow embankments are quite overgrown with a rich tapestry of grasses and wild flowers which in the warm sunshine (18.5c) of the last few days are a haven for butterflies. In the section between Philorth Halt and the crossing with the B9033 Grey Granite was able to positively identify a Red Admiral,  Common Blue, Large White, the Dark Green Fritillary and Small Tortoisehell pictured below as well as a Six-spot Burnet moth. In addition there were several small brown, unidentifiable moths. All very gratifying in view of the recent publicity given to the adverse effects of the wet summer on butterflies and moths.

A Dark Green Fritillary basks in the sunshine on a spear thistle

A Small Tortoiseshell on ragwort

North from Auchnagatt

The Buchan Formartine Way is crossed by the busy A948 close to the former Auchnagatt station. Our walk north from the station was through pleasant countryside, the Line follows the course of the Ebrie burn for the first mile or so and the gurgle of the burn could be heard in lulls in the noise of the traffic. Because the Line follows the watercourse and a wide valley flanked by gentle hills, there is a feeling of walking through a wide basin. The walk was fragrant firstly with dog roses, then as we passed through marshy fields with meadow sweet and sweet cecily, opposite Teuchitfold there was the  strong resinous smell from a  plantation of young conifers. 

Auchnagatt Village Hall is  situated adjacent to the site of Auchnagatt Station, the carpark is convenient for the walking  the Line.

The hall retains a slightly ecclesiastical air derived from its origins as the East Independent  Church in Stuartfield. This very small denomination was formed by the supporters of Reverend George A Johnson, a popular and gifted preacher who was removed from his charge at Deer parish Church in 1892 on account of his drunkenness. Loyal members of his congregation supported him and and built a church in Mill Street, Stuartfield at which he was able to continue his ministry. Known as The East Independent  Church, the wooden church had a slate roof and seating capacity of 450.  Johnson preached in  the church from 1893 until 1903 when he became a lay preacher in Shetland before eventually returning to the Church of Scotland. Meanwhile, in Auchnagatt it was  decided that the village needed a public hall and that the then  redundant Stuartfield church building should be purchased. Each member of the organizing committee contributed £5 and additional funds were raised by the community through various events to pay for the removal of the building from Stuartfied and its re-erection close to the railway Station. 

The Elbrie Burn runs between the Village Hall and the station then flows alongside the Line. It  joins the Ythan just north of Ellon. The name Auchnagatt is said to mean the place of the withies (willows) and to be derived from the baskets and creels  woven in the village from the willows growing alongside the Elbrie.

Auchnagatt Station, the concrete posts which supported the station name remain, the trees growing on the former platform include willows.

An eye catching sprawl of geranium above cow parsley and sweet cecily on the platform.

All that remains of the once busy station yard at Auchnagatt, in its heyday sidings and  five goods sheds dealt with  agricultural freight. Old O.S. maps indicate that there was a corn mill close to the station.

Foxgloves, dog roses and hogweed close to the station. There were many wild flowers along this pretty section of the Line, notably heartsease pansies, birds'foot trefoil, yellow rattle and white clover.

This bridge  just north of Cairncummer carries a farm road over the Line, an additional arch allows the Ebrie to flow under the farm road. The bridge retains part of the old telegraph wires which ran along the whole Buchan Line

A very well preserved precast concrete Linesman's hut in  a stand of beeches near Greenbrae.

Sliver birches along the Line north of North Greenbrae. There  extensive  rosebay willow herb along the route (as on the left above)

Approaching Auchnagatt from the north

Aden to Deer: a digression

Grey Granite and Rufus joined the Line near Pitfour and walked towards Deer Abbey, passing one of the entrances to Aden Country Park almost immediately. A network of paths which provide digressions from the Line and enable circular walks, which include part of the Line, to be made has been developed in this area. Close to the remains of the bridge on the Line at Pitfour a signpost directs the walker to the Pitfour Estate where there are now public footpaths round the lake and through mature woods and parkland, once known as the Blenheim of the North. The vast estate, also known as the Garden of Buchan extended to 33, 000 acres which were bought in 1700 by James Ferguson, advocate, the first of 6 Ferguson lairds.

Taitswell, the Pitfour Estate Factor's Lodge, near the east gate seen from the Line

Pink purslane (Montia  sibirica) grows densely in the shade beneath the bridge over the Line near Taitswell

The bridge opposite South Lodge (Pitfour) carrying the B9030 to Old Deer over the Line  is flanked by beech trees. There is a path  leading from the Line to Aden Park close  to the bridge.

Parts of the walk were fragranced by the lineside hawthorn blossom

Cartlehaugh, near the South Lodge of the Pitfour Estate, was built as a coaching inn to serve travellers on the coach road from Behan to Banff after the house, now known as Saplinbrae, which had been the original inn was taken out of use to accommodate the minister of the chapel at Waulkmill. The inn, known locally still as the Dambrod Inn, on account of the distinctive pattern of the masonry which resembles the squares on a dambrod, (draughtboard)  was in use by 1787 but had fallen into disuse as an inn by 1873.

South Lodge Pitfour  from the Line.

Bright orange Fox and cubs, more prosaically, Orange Hawkweed (Hieracium aurantiacum) naturalised amidst buttercups and speedwells in drier sections of the Line.

The elegant Water avens (Geum rivale) grows in profuse patches along  damper sections of the track.

The damp field to the north of the Line was thick with the pink spikes of Bistort (Polygonum bistorta) 

The name Deer is possibly  a corruption of Dair, Gaelic for oak. This section of the line  has  a rich growth of young trees including the occasional oak.

Bridge carrying the Formartine Buchan way over the South Ugie Water

At the west end of the bridge a pleasant pathway follows the banks of the South Ugie Water  into the village of Old Deer. Following the path into the village enables one to make a short circular walk through Old Deer and Aden Park. From the park several gateways lead back to the Line.

Abbey Street, Old Deer

The top of the tower of the Parish Church may be glimpsed from the Line in winter when the trees are bare.The gateway to Aden Park is on the left of the church. St Drostan's Episcopalian Church which was built in 1850 is situated in Abbey Street, behind the hedge by the bus stop on the right of the picture. According to Charles McKean, the bones of John Graham of Claverhouse, Viscount Dundee, (Bonnie Dundee or Bluidy Clavers according to one's perspective) were buried in the chancel in the 19th century.

Old Deer Parish Church and Kirkyard, the ruins of the Old Parish Church are on the right. The original abbey of Deer is thought to have been close to the knoll on which the churches are built.

Medieval relics in the wall of the old church

Old Deer must be one of the few parishes in Scotland which can claim to have had a place of worship on virtually the same spot for almost 1500 years.

The first church at Deer was built prior to the Reformation as the  'mother' church for the parish at about the time that Deer Abbey was falling into decline. The church was built on a knoll on the bank of the Ugie close to, or on the site of Drostan's first abbey. A former prior of the abbey, Gilbert Chisholm became the first post Reformation  minister of the parish soon after 1567.

The ruins of this church display pre Reformation characteristics including doorways with  fine mouldings and pointed arches and the incorporation of sculptured stones in the walls. (pictured above) It was in this church that Rev. John Forbes, a fervent Presbyterian who, following his return from Culloden where  had served as chaplain to one  the Duke of Cumberland's regiments,  felt it necessary to preach to his, largely Episcopalian and therefore Jacobite supporting, congregation with his sword laid on the pulpit cushion. By the 1780s this church was falling into disrepair, constant repairs were considered to be a drain on the resources of the congregation which had increased in size so much that the building could no longer accommodate them. This increase was probably due to the growth of the planned villages of Mintlaw, Stuartfield and Fetterangus which were all within the Parish of Deer. After considerable wrangling between heritors, the chief of whom was Mr Russel of Aden, and presbytery it was agreed that a new church and manse be built adjacent to the original church.  This church was completed  in 1789 and remains in use as the parish church. Originally this was a rectangular building, plain and barn like, in the Presbyterian tradition it was much plainer than its predecessor. The  conspicuous tower, almost 34 metres high and the Aikey Brae granite porch were added in 1880 when the building was thoroughly  renovated.

Yellow Corydalis (Corydalis lutea). This plant which colonises old walls,abounds in Old Deer, growing on a couple of garden walls and in vast quantities on the ruins of the original Church of Deer.