Savoch to Arnage Bradshaw's Handbook

'Aberdeenshire, which is one of the most extensive counties in Scotland....forms the north-east corner of the island, being the eastern-most part of a large triangle, which juts far out into the German Ocean....The greater part of it may be denominated a level plain, agreeably diversified by irregular depressions, and gently swelling slopes, forming a congeries of little knolls, with vales between, each intersected by its little rill, so as to exhibit the scenery, the general appearance of which is tolerably uniform, though its particular features are varied at every step.'

The description above, from Bradshaw's Descriptive Railway Handbook of Great Britain and Ireland, originally published in 1863, but reissued in facsimile earlier this year, perfectly fits this pleasant section of the Line. There was nothing dramatic, just pleasant, unspoiled rolling farmland basking, when Grey Granite and Rufus walked it in August heat.

 We headed south joining the Line at  Burngrains Bridge walking out of Buchan and into Formartine

The Line gently curves along the valley cut out by the Ebrie, following heavy showers the previous day the burn was running fast and babbled alongside the Line for much of our route. The main  watercourse is joined by several nameless tributaries. Place names in the immediate vicinity and the frequency of  mills along this short stretch of the  Line indicate that the power of the water was put to good use in the past, Milton of Inkhorn, Waulkmill of Savoch, Mill of Towie Miltown of Drumwhindle. Waulkmill, Cardinghill and Lintrigs indicate the importance of grain and textile industries.

Modern wind turbines replace the old watermills throughout  the district

Frog bit (Hydrocharis morsus-ranae) in the Ebrie

This frog-bit is the first Grey Granite has ever seen, peered at through binoculars the white flowers are beautiful, reminiscent of Grass of Parnassus, seeing this was  a highlight of the whole Walking the Line project.

A concrete Linesman's hut by a bridge giving passage to fields on either side of the Line near Waulkmill of Auchnagatt

The platform at Arnage Station is now very overgrown and could easily be overlooked.  There were stone station buildings on the downside (west) at Arnage Station, these are now largely hidden by fencing and trees, houses have been built in the station yard.

On the East of the track are the extensive wooded policies of Arnage Castle, the castle itself is hidden by the trees.

A linesman's hut at the southern end of the  platform below doing duty as a garden shed at Arnage

 A loading platform to the west of the main platform at Arnage. A passing loop was added sometime after the station opened in July 1861

Auchnagatt to Savoch

On a blisteringly hot morning Grey Granite and Rufus walked down from Auchnagatt towards Arnage, such was the heat that they left the line at Burngrains Bridge and went to look for a suitable parking place for the next leg of their trek. This took them to Savoch Kirkyard, which they had seen on the horizon from Elrick Trout Fishery.

Walking south from Auchnagatt we again followed the Ebrie Burn and had the sense of walking through a wide amphitheatre surrounded by rolling farmland. The land adjacent to the Line was again damp and rushy, willows, alders and the occasional oak grow alongside the trackway. Unfortunately, traffic on the A948 disturbs the tranquillity of this section until the road and railway diverge close to the  Mill of Elrick

The Mill of Elrick,  note the solar panels on the roof of the mill which a has diversified by becoming a a trout fishery. There are several large ponds alongside the Line.

Looking west across one of the Mill of Elrick fish ponds Savoch Church may be seen on the skyline. Grey Granite is certain that the large bird she saw rising from one of the ponds was an osprey.

Enormous butterwort leaves by the mill.

The Ebrie Burn crosses and recrosses the Line in many places,  here it is densely lined with the willows which were used for basket making in the Auchnagatt area.

Savoch Church

The isolated church, now redundant, commands impressive views over beautiful rolling farmland and is situated about a quarter a mile west of  the Line near Ebrie Lodge (Leave the Line at Burngrains Bridge. The congregation would have consisted of the people from Auchnagatt, where there is no church,   and the surrounding countryside. Grey Granite noted the boot scrapers still on either side of the front door.

Savoch Church,  a originally Chapel of Ease for those living in the district,  was erected by subscription in 1834.The church has  a rectangular plan with a birdcage belfry at the east gable where there is also a porch. In May 1851 the Court of Teinds raised Savoch to the status of a parish formed from portions of New Deer, Old Deer, Ellon, Methlick and Tarves parishes. The terraced church yard was opened in 1877 when the church building greatly was improved. As part of the renovation the stained glass windows which can be seen  from the outside of the building were made and installed on either side of the pulpit. One window was presented by Mrs Udny of Udny, the other by the church's Woman's Guild. Savoch Church closed in October 1997. 

The belfry above the east gable east gable seen from the lower terrace of the kirkyard.

The inscription on this obelisk states 'That the churchyard  laid out by the parishioners at a cost of £300 was opened in 1877. The obelisk is visible on the upper terrace in the photograph above.

The elegant pink granite obelisk on the lower terrace of the kirkyard overlooks the beautiful farmland of the parish.Tellingly this records 39 deaths in WW1 and 4 from WW2. The devastatingly large list from 1914-18 includes William Milne DCM, William Robb MM .

On this lower terrace there are excellent examples of Victorian gravestones, many of polished granite topped with granite urns.

This stone close to the church on the upper terrace has a draped urn, popular in mid  Victorian times and the inscription:
Erected by James Gordon, Station Agent Auchnagatt in memory of his beloved son Robert died 23 August 1881, aged 4 years.

The Bridge over the Line at Burngrains, walking back to Auchnagatt we were very glad of the slight shade afforded by the bushes and trees in cutting from here to Mill of Elrick. There is a  path up the embankment by the bridge and parking at Savoch Church which will enable our walk to be resumed from this point.

Deer:Aikey Fair and Deaconess Anna Ritchie, a Visionary Educationalist

A sunlit Deer Abbey seen from the Line, the banks of the Ugie are covered in fragrant Meadow Sweet. (Filipendula ulumaria) Meadow Sweet derives its name from mead rather than meadow since it was traditionally used to brew mead. It also had a number of medicinal uses. Grey Granite cannot help wondering if the abbey monks made use of the abundant supply outside the abbey walls.

'The monks of Deer quaffed Biffie Beer

On Fredes fan they fasted

But when unwell, they drank 'Harebell'

Till death stude flabbergasted.'

The large white house which can be seen on the hill immediately beyond the abbey was originally the gardener's cottage for Pitfour Estate. In 1929 it was purchased by Anna Ritchie for her parents who then retired from farming at Newlandshill, Strichen. Anna Ritchie was an extraordinary lady, born in 1884, she was educated in New Pitsligo, she became an early graduate of Edinburgh University and received teacher training  at Dalry House, the Episcopal teacher training college. When she returned to Buchan in 1931 to look after her widowed mother, Anna took an interest in the education of children with disabilities, for whom there was little provision. This culminated in her badgering the education committee to establish the special needs school in Peterhead which was named in her honour. Anna Ritchie became the first Deaconess of the Scottish Episcopal Church and served at St Drostan's, Old Deer for many years.

Newlands seen from the road at Deer Abbey

Following the death of Anna Ritchie, Newlands passed to her nephew, Arthur Kitchin, the distinguished Edinburgh cardiologist, who had spent time there as an evacuee in World War 11. Dr Kitchen died on 15th May 2012

Aikey Brae, the historic fair stance seen from the Line at Abbey  Bridge. A few travellers' caravans can just be seen on the site.

Aikey Fair is thought to date back to the Middle ages and during the 19th century was the largest horse fair in the North of Scotland, attracting vast numbers of horses and country folk. It was traditionally held on the first Wednesday after July 19th, the feast day of St Drostan who brought Christianity to the district and was responsible for the founding of Deer Abbey.

According to local tradition began when a travelling packman, Aul Aikey,  fell in to the Ugie, soaking all his wares. He spread them out in the sun to dry but before long passersby spotted his goods and bought them up so quickly that he promised to return to the same spot, on the same day the following year. The fair gradually grew up attracting  traders, showmen and especially horse traders and incorporating a feeing mart as well as being a great place to meet friends. The traders who were involved in the fair began setting up their stalls in readiness on the Sunday preceding the Wednesday fair, often with an audience of country folk watching. In 1926 one enterprising showman started up his merry-go-round and before long members of the crowd were enjoying the ride. The Aikey Sunday Fair had begun and was to outlive the original main event, the horse fair. This began to decline when tractors began to replace horses declining so that in 1950 there were only about 100 horses, this had shrunk to 60 the following year and in 1952 only one horse was offered for sale. Attempts to revive the horse fair in recent years have failed.