Formartine and Buchan Way

Formatine and Buchan Way
Formatine and Buchan Way
	Formatine and Buchan Way at Logierieve.
Length	64 km (40 mi) to Fraserburgh, plus 21 km (13 mi) spur to Peterhead.
Location	Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Designation	Scotland's Great Trails
Trailheads	Dyce railway station; 57°12′20″N 2°11′32″W / 57.2056°N 2.1923°W; Fraserburgh; 57°41′36″N 2°00′13″W / 57.6933°N 2.0037°W or; Peterhead; 57°30′32″N 1°47′37″W / 57.5088°N 1.7935°W;
Use	Walking, cycling, horseriding
Elevation gain/loss	420 metres (1,380 ft) gain
Season	All Year
Website	https://www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/paths-and-outdoor-access/long-distance-routes/formartine-and-buchan-way/

The Formartine and Buchan Way is a long-distance trail in Scotland, extending from Dyce north to Peterhead and Fraserburgh in the Buchan and Formartine districts of Aberdeenshire in Scotland. It follows the track of a former railway line, the Formartine and Buchan Railway, and is open to walkers, cyclists and horse riders.^[2] The railway closed in 1979 (Fraserburgh) and 1970 (Maud-Peterhead). The walkway opened in the early 1990s, and is managed by Aberdeenshire Council.^[4] It is listed as one of Scotland's Great Trails by NatureScot.^[3] Places of interest along the way include Drinnes Wood Observatory, Strichen Stone Circle, Aden Country Park, Deer Abbey and The White Horse at Strichen.^{[citation needed]}

The total path is around 85 kilometres (53 mi) long if both spurs are travelled and can be accessed relatively easily by public transport or car.^[2] An information pack detailing the route has been produced by Aberdeenshire Council: the pack can be purchased from local tourist information centres and is also available to download.^[5] The route is also marked on OS maps. The path is well signposted and is easy to follow. The track is relatively flat and undulates only when roads have to be crossed. It is mostly well mowed. The Maud to Strichen section has a detour because of overgrown shrubbery, marshy conditions and impassable fencing.^{[citation needed]}

Much of the route is not suitable for those on adapted cycles, due to frequent access barriers, except where the route is shared by National Cycle Network Route 1, between Auchnagatt and Maud.^{[citation needed]}

Sections

Start point	End point	Length^[6]		Notes
Start point	End point	km	mi	Notes
Dyce	Udny Station	13	8.1
Udny Station	Ellon	8	5.0
Ellon	Auchnagatt	12	7.5
Auchnagatt	Maud	7	4.3
Maud	Strichen	9	5.6
Strichen	Fraserburgh	17.5	10.9
Dyce	Fraserburgh	64	40	Total excluding Peterhead branch^[1]
Maud	Longside	11.5	7.1	Peterhead branch
Longside	Peterhead	10.5	6.5	Peterhead branch
Maud	Peterhead	21	13	Total for Peterhead branch^[1]
Complete route^[1]		85	53

History of the route

The 29-mile (47 km) long railway from Dyce to Mintlaw railway station opened on 18 July 1861, with the 13-mile (21 km) section from Maud to Peterhead railway station opening the following year. A 15-mile (24 km) long section north to Fraserburgh railway station opened on 24 April 1865.^[7] Passenger services were withdrawn by the Scottish Region of British Railways in 1965 as part of the Beeching cuts. Freight trains continued to operate to Peterhead until 1970 and Fraserburgh until 1979. This was in spite of the fact a considerable amount of freight traffic was being generated by the off-shore oil and gas industry.^{[citation needed]} Conversion of the line to a footpath and cycleway started in 1987, and was led by the Buchan Countryside Group.^[6]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Formartine and Buchan Way - Route Cards". Aberdeenshire Council. 16 May 2017. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Formatine and Buchan Way". Scotland's Great Trails. Retrieved 22 August 2018.
^ ^a ^b "Trails". Scotland's Great Trails. Retrieved 22 August 2018.
^ "SNH Commissioned Report 380: Developing the network of longer distance routes" (PDF). Scottish Natural Heritage. 2010. p. 19. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
^ "Formartine and Buchan Way". Aberdeenshire Council. 4 January 2017. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
^ ^a ^b "Formatine and Buchan Way". WalkHighlands. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
^ Awdry, Christopher (1990). Encyclopaedia of British Railway Companies. Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 1-8526-0049-7. OCLC 19514063. CN 8983., (1990). p.132

External links

Map all coordinates using OpenStreetMap

Download coordinates as:

Official Website from Aberdeenshire Council
Formartine and Buchan Way guide and mapping on Walkhighlands
Information about the former railway

57°26′52″N 2°06′47″W / 57.4477°N 2.1131°W / 57.4477; -2.1131 (Formartine and Buchan Way)

[cards-1] "Formartine and Buchan Way - Route Cards". Aberdeenshire Council. 16 May 2017. Retrieved 29 August 2018.

[sgt-fbr-2] "Formatine and Buchan Way". Scotland's Great Trails. Retrieved 22 August 2018.

[sgt-3] "Trails". Scotland's Great Trails. Retrieved 22 August 2018.

[4] "SNH Commissioned Report 380: Developing the network of longer distance routes" (PDF). Scottish Natural Heritage. 2010. p. 19. Retrieved 8 August 2018.

[fbw-ac-5] "Formartine and Buchan Way". Aberdeenshire Council. 4 January 2017. Retrieved 29 August 2018.

[wh-6] "Formatine and Buchan Way". WalkHighlands. Retrieved 29 August 2018.

[7] Awdry, Christopher (1990). Encyclopaedia of British Railway Companies. Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 1-8526-0049-7. OCLC 19514063. CN 8983., (1990). p.132

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v t e Long-distance footpaths in the United Kingdom
National Trails (England and Wales)	Cleveland Way Coast to Coast Walk Cotswold Way Glyndŵr's Way Hadrian's Wall Path King Charles III England Coast Path North Downs Way Offa's Dyke Path Peddars Way Pembrokeshire Coast Path Pennine Bridleway Pennine Way The Ridgeway South Downs Way South West Coast Path Thames Path Yorkshire Wolds Way
Other trails (England and Wales)	Capital Ring Esk Valley Walk Lea Valley Walk London Outer Orbital Path Norfolk Coast Path Peak District Boundary Walk Pennine Journey Shakespeare's Way Vanguard Way Wales Coast Path Yorkshire Water Way
Scotland's Great Trails	Annandale Way Arran Coastal Way Ayrshire Coastal Path Berwickshire Coastal Path Borders Abbeys Way Cateran Trail Clyde Walkway Cross Borders Drove Road Dava Way Fife Coastal Path Formartine and Buchan Way Forth-Clyde/Union Canal Towpath Great Glen Canoe Trail Great Glen Way Great Trossachs Path John Muir Way Kintyre Way Loch Lomond and Cowal Way Moray Coast Trail Mull of Galloway Trail River Ayr Way Rob Roy Way Romans and Reivers Route St Cuthbert's Way Southern Upland Way Speyside Way Three Lochs Way West Highland Way West Island Way
Long-distance path (Northern Ireland)	Ulster Way

v t e Settlements and places of interest in Buchan, Aberdeenshire
Primary settlements	Boddam Crimond Cruden Bay Fetterangus Hatton Longside Maud Mintlaw New Deer New Pitsligo Peterhead St Combs St Fergus Strichen Stuartfield
Other settlements	Auchnagatt Buchanhaven Clola Downiehills Inverugie Longhaven Lonmay New Leeds Old Deer Rora Stirling Village Whinnyfold
Places of interest	Aden Country Park/Aberdeenshire Farming Museum Bullers of Buchan Crimonmogate Deer Abbey Formartine and Buchan Way Loch of Strathbeg Maritime Heritage Museum Rattray Rattray Head Slains Castle

v t e Settlements and places of interest in Formartine, Aberdeenshire
Primary settlements	Balmedie Cuminestown Ellon Fyvie Newburgh Oldmeldrum Pitmedden Potterton Rothienorman Tarves Turriff
Other settlements	Auchterless Barthol Chapel Belhelvie Blackdog Bogton Cairnorrie Collieston Craigdam Daviot Foveran Garmond Gight Gordonstown Inverkeithny Methlick Udny Green Udny Station Whitecairns Whiterashes Woodhead of Fyvie Ythanbank
Places of interest	Balmedie Country Park Craigston Castle Delgatie Castle Esslemont Castle Formartine and Buchan Way Fyvie Castle Haddo House Knockhall Castle Pitmedden Garden Sands of Forvie Tolquhon Castle Ythan Estuary

Sections

History of the route

See also

References

External links