The Aberdeenshire Canal - Dyce Traditional Cache
Glenikins: Looks like this one has gone. Time to say goodbye.
The Aberdeenshire Canal - Dyce
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(small)
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A series of caches following the course of the old Aberdeenshire canal, which ran between Aberdeen harbour and Port Elphinstone near Inverurie between 1805 and 1853.
Although the canal has almost completely disappeared (replaced by the railway for most of its route and built on or ploughed over for much of the rest) there are still remnants to be found.
Very little remains of the canal in the Dyce area as most of its route has been built on extensively, in particular the housing development that nestles within the ring road, and the industrial estates that flank it to the south and north-east. The 7 1/2 milestone now lives in a private garden in the afore-mentioned housing estate, and the 9 milestone has been relocated to the Dyce churchyard. Prior to construction work on the relatively new BP offices on Stoneywood Road, some work was carried out on the site to determine what if anything remained in that location. Some evidence was found, but nothing of real archeological importance.
Just north of Dyce however, the first real remains of the original canal bed can be seen clearly, a sinuous line snaking through a field immediately adjacent to the railway line. Turning off Pitmedden Road on the minor road towards Dyce old kirk (passing a World War 2 pillbox which until recently was the site of another cache), crossing the railway and looking to the right, you will see the canal bed amid piles of discarded stones and masonry. Much of this stone-work was used by the Great North of Scotland Railway company, who had purchased the canal in 1845, when they constructed the rail line following the canal's closure.
I would recommend examing the location on the Geocaching site Satellite Map to really see this short section of canal route clearly.
The cache is located on the minor road directly opposite the line of the canal. The road is wide enough to park a car whilst you search, but watch out for large lorries passing!
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Treasures
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