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Past Times

Victorian Cairnie Junction station master’s house near Huntly for sale for offers over £195,000

The Victorian station master's house between Huntly and Keith is about all that remains of the former Cairnie Junction station, which opened in 1898.
Kirstie Waterston
The former Cairnie Junction station master's house near Ruthven, Huntly, has gone on the market. Image: Stewart and Watson
The former Cairnie Junction station master's house near Ruthven, Huntly, has gone on the market. Image: Stewart and Watson

A Victorian station master’s house at Cairnie Junction near Huntly has gone on the market for offers over £195,000.

The traditional two-bedroomed cottage, is one of the only hints there was ever a busy stop at Cairnie Junction.

It was reported in 1902 that it “formed a prominent feature in the view as the train comes from Aberdeen”.

Cairnie Junction station master’s house, near Huntly, which is for sale. Image: Stewart and Watson

While the Aberdeen-Inverness line remains, all traces of associated infrastructure has gone.

Like many rural stations across the north-east of Scotland, it was lost to the Beeching Report and closed in 1968.

It closed just 26 days shy of its 70th anniversary.

Cairnie Station opened on Aberdeen-Inverness mainline in 1898

Cairnie Junction Station opened on June 1 1898 as an ‘exchange station’, although the junction itself opened in 1886.

An ordnance survey map from circa 1915 showing Cairnie Junction and its associated infrastructure. Image: National Library of Scotland

It had three lines – a double-track mainline from Aberdeen to Inverness and a branch line that peeled off to Portsoy.

With no proper access, it existed to allow passengers to change services.

Rather that having extensive station infrastructure, it had an island platform with a small station and a signal box.

A warning in 1902 read: “Unlike any other station, it must not be entered or left by road, only by rail.”

The station master’s house in relation to Cairnie Junction circa 1915. Image: National Library of Scotland

Any person doing so would be prosecuted for trespass.

Although those living nearby relentlessly demanded to have a booking station at Cairnie Junction in the early 20th Century.

Instead they had to catch a train at nearby Grange.

Secluded station master’s house has views over open countryside

But Cairnie was always intended to be an exchange facilitating the movement of trains between Aberdeen, Inverness, the glen (Dufftown) and the coast.

A view of the platelayer’s hut and, beyond that, the station master’s house, which are all that remains of Cairnie Junction. Image: Google Streetview

It perhaps explains why the station master’s house is located a short distance from the junction.

The attractive granite bungalow dates to around 1900 and is of traditional granite construction, although it has been modernised over the years.

Set in a large plot with extensive lawn, fruit trees, and a traditional outbuilding, it commands views of the open countryside as far as the eye can see.

The dual-aspect lounge at Cairnie Junction Station master’s house near Huntly. Image: Stewart and Watson

Off the entrance hallway is a spacious, dual-aspect lounge with a wood-burning stove set in a traditional fireplace.

From the lounge there is access to the loft which is floored has power and skylight windows.

The kitchen, which has a pantry, also has plenty of space for a dining table.

The spacious dining kitchen with pantry. Image: Stewart and Watson

A period, lean-to conservatory to the rear is accessed from the kitchen; its construction is reminiscent of old railway buildings.

Meanwhile, a large double bedroom to the front enjoys pastoral views over surrounding fields.

And a further double bedroom, also has two alcoves, one for books, the other with hooks.

One of the double bedrooms which has retained its traditional alcoves. Image: Stewart and Watson

The internal accommodation is completed with a shower room.

Succession of station masters who called Cairnie Junction cottage home

After a succession of station masters and subsequent owners after its railway days, the house ready to pass to its next custodian.

The first station master to live there was Robert Taylor, who was described as “extremely kind and courteous”.

Two views of the period conservatory overlooking the large garden. Image: Stewart and Watson

A religious man, he held monthly gospel meetings in the station waiting hall.

Mr Taylor stayed at Cairnie Junction station master’s house until 1902 when he was transferred to the busy Schoolhill Station in Aberdeen.

James Dawson replaced him and stayed until 1907 when he was then promoted to Tillynaught Station.

Robert Taylor, first station master at Cairnie Junction, in 1898. He died in 1943. Image: DC Thomson

From 1907, Carnie Junction station master was William Gordon, a kindly man, who held the tenure until 1918.

He was succeeded by James Watson, who left his post at Port Elphinstone for Cairnie Junction.

Its unknown who succeeded him, but by the 1950s changes were afoot.

An old map of the railway lines and bus routes that used to exist in north-east Scotland. Image: DC Thomson

Station earmarked for closure in Beeching Report

The reduction in services in Moray started nearly a decade before Dr Beeching put pen to paper.

In 1954, British Rail’s winter timetable saw a removal of direct services to the coast, instead passengers had to change at Cairnie Junction.

But in due course, the station was indeed lost as part of the Beeching Report, which proposed swingeing cuts in the north-east.

A train stuck in deep snow at Cairnie Junction in January 1958. Image: British Newspaper Archive

In March 1966, it was announced it would close to passenger traffic along with Kittybrewster, Pitcaple, Oyne, Kennethmont, Gartly, Rothiemay and Grange Stations.

Dyce, Insch and Inverurie, which were all earmarked for closure, were spared.

But the Cairnie Junction closure also saw the removal of the branch lines to Portsoy and Banff, Elgin via Dufftown, and Elgin via Buckie.

‘Station closure would cut county lifelines’

And the following year, further cuts were announced by Minister of Transport Barbara Castle, leaving just one passenger station in historic Banffshire – at Keith.

The constituency MP at the time, Wilfred Baker, said: “The county’s lifelines will be cut.”

He argued that development in that part of Moray would curtailed, because “industrialists” wanted railway services.

The article in which the axing of Cairnie Junction was announced in 1967. Image: DC Thomson

But his protest was futile, the station itself had closed on May 6 1968, and soon the junction was stripped of unwanted bridges, sleepers, rails and signals.

Any infrastructure left behind was described as “an unpleasant memorial to a railway which served the seaside communities so well in the past, and which appears to have no future”.

The station master’s house was sold alongside the two neighbouring railway villas at Cairnie Junction in 1974.

A view of the former station master’s house taken from the railway bridge over the Aberdeen-Inverness mainline. Image: Stewart and Watson

Calls to restore Cairnie Junction in 1970s

In February 1976, a public transport pressure group included Cairnie Junction in a list of rail infrastructure they felt should be preserved.

The Scottish Association for Public Transport urged the then Grampian Regional Council to place greater emphasis on the development of rail services in its transport policy.

The wanted to see “oil-related funds” being used for rail as well as road improvement, particularly in the restoration of freight services to Peterhead.

The extensive grounds associated with the station master’s house. Image: Stewart and Watson

It had calculated that by used second-hand track, this could be done for £500,000.

The campaigners also hoped to see the double track restored between Aberdeen and Dyce, and the reintroduction of services on the Buchan line to Aberdeen.

They also felt it would be prudent to “keep options open” by “keeping intact” the track bed between Aberdeen and Banchory, and from Cairnie Junction to Portsoy.

The former Cairnie Junction station master’s house near Ruthven, Huntly, has gone on the market. Image: Stewart and Watson

But it was not to be, much of the trackbed between Cairnie Junction at the coast has been absorbed into fields.

And British Rail sold off land at Cairnie Junction extending to 1.9 acres in March 1989 for £1000, removing any chance of future restoration.

The property is being marketed by Stewart and Watson, details can be found here.

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