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