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.

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.