The Tales & Rhymes Caches
This is the first in a series of caches (we plan) based on well known childrens tales and nursery rhymes.
The Three Billy Goats Gruff
As you will probably know this is a Norwegian story about a Troll who roars "Who’s that trip trapping over my bridge?" each time one of the goats crosses the planks above his head. And those that remember the tale, will remember how the Goats trick the Troll with the promise of something better if he lets each of them pass.
No trolls under this bridge to our knowledge, and its a long time since a train has passed, but you certainly get a lot of commuters on bikes heading into Dyce to beat the traffic.
The Formartine and Buchan Way
Opened in the early 1990s, the Formartine and Buchan Way runs along the former route of the railway that extended from Dyce on the fringes of Aberdeen north to Maud, where it split with branches heading to both Fraserburgh and Peterhead.
The line was a victim of the 1960s Beeching cuts, though it continued to carry freight to Peterhead until 1970 and to Fraserburgh until 1979. The Buchan Countryside Group began the work of reopening the route as a cycleway and footpath in 1987.
(Ref: http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/aberdeenshire/formartine-buchan-way.shtml)
Standryford Bridge
This bridge carries an unclassified public road over the disused main line of the 'Buchan section' of the former Great North of Scotland Rly to the SE of Newmachar village. This bridge comprises a segmental brick arch of four rings, a masonry parapet and abutments, and wing-walls
There are a couple of interesting stories about this stretch of the line:
1. The local farmer a few generations back use to go to Aberdeen market once a week on a Wednesday and as was his want, he would buy some fresh fish while he was in the big city for a treat. As the steam loco passed his farm-house just south of this bridge he would toss the wrapped fish from the carriage to land in the garden. And then walk home from Newmachar Station a few kilometers north along the line.
On arriving home his wife would have the fish cooked and a meal ready for his return...
2. Just north of this bridge the line enters a deep cutting that runs for some distance until Kennedy Transport's storage yard where the line runs along an embankment. In this cutting in 1963 the locomotive ploughed into a massive snowdrift and became stuck. Some men headed out on foot to Newmachar village for shovels and help, and in time the engine was dug free and proceeded to Newmachar station.
FTF: There is a "pirate pack" for the FTF, including a medal, a gold dabloon, and a toy telescope! Happy Hunting!