Archaeology Notes

Event ID 765337

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/765337

NJ56NW 36 50623 67213 50535 67278 to 50682 67165

Dismantled Railway [NAT]

Viaduct [NAT]

OS 1:120,000 map, 1994.

See also NJ56NW 37, NJ56NW 38 and NJ56NW 56.

(Location cited as NJ 507 672). An eight-span viaduct with dressed-stone arch rings and coursed-rubble spandrels and piers; the arches are of segmental form.

J R Hume 1977.

This viaduct was one of two major river crossings on the Tochieneal-Garmouth section of the Moray Firth coast line of the Great North of Scotland Rly, which opened to goods traffic on 5 April 1886 and to passengers on 1 May. It was built (at a cost of some ?34,000) to avoid visual disturbance to the policies of Cullen House (NJ56NW 6.00).

The eight-arch masonry structure was approached by massive embankments and designed around hollow masonry piers founded on concrete bases up to 20 feet (6.1m) below ground level, the limestone blocks being filled with rubble. The arches were built of red bricks set in cement with a ring of ashlar on each side, while the parapets were of blue limestone with a freestone capping.

The line closed to regular passenger traffic on 4 May 1968 and the viaduct remains standing.

M Smith 1994.

This viaduct formerly carried the coast line of the former Great North of Scotland Rly. across the Cullen Burn, which here forms the boundary between the parishes of Cullen and Rathven (Banffshire).

Information from RCAHMS (RJCM), 11 June 1996.