Aberdeenshire Canal facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Aberdeenshire Canal
Possible remains of the canal at Port Elphinstone in 2007
Specifications
Maximum boat length	57 ft 0 in (17.37 m)
Maximum boat beam	9 ft 0 in (2.74 m)
Locks	17 (level dropped 168 ft)
Status	Railway built over route
History
Original owner	Aberdeenshire Canal Navigation Company
Principal engineer	Robert Whitworth
Date of act	1796
Date of first use	1805
Date closed	1854
Geography
Start point	Port Elphinstone, Inverurie
End point	Aberdeen Docks

The Aberdeenshire Canal was a special waterway in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It was designed by John Rennie. This canal connected the port of Aberdeen to Port Elphinstone, near Inverurie.

It was first planned to go all the way to Monymusk. However, the plan was shortened before a special law was passed in 1796. Building the canal was tough because there wasn't enough money. Some local people also didn't want it built.

Even with these problems, the canal opened in 1805. Sadly, some parts were not built well. Several of the locks, which are like water elevators for boats, broke soon after. They had to be rebuilt, and the canal reopened in late 1806.

The canal was used to carry many different goods. People could also travel on passenger boats. These boat trips became very popular. In summer, two boats traveled each day. In winter, one boat made the journey.

Over time, the canal faced competition from a nearby road. This road was quicker but cost more money. In 1834, a new lock was built. This allowed boats to go directly into Aberdeen Harbour. This made it easier to move goods to bigger ships. The canal usually closed from December to March each year because the water would freeze.

The canal never made much money. The people who invested in it never got any profits back. In 1845, talks began with the Great North of Scotland Railway. The railway company eventually bought the canal.

Before the money was even exchanged, railway workers started draining the canal. This caused problems, and the canal had to be refilled. The Aberdeenshire Canal finally closed in early 1854. This allowed the railway to build tracks along its path. The railway line from Kittybrewster to Huntly was finished by September 1854.

Today, the railway follows a straighter path than the old canal. So, in some places, you can still see clear signs of the canal. At Port Elphinstone, there's a nice walk. Part of it follows a channel marked "Old Canal" on maps. This part might have been a later water channel for a mill.

Building the Aberdeenshire Canal

Early Ideas and Plans

The idea for the canal started as a much bigger project. It was meant to link Aberdeen to Monymusk. It would go through Inverurie. There was even a plan for a branch from Inverurie to Insch.

Captain George Taylor checked the route in 1793. He said the plan was possible. But by the time people started to promise money, the plan was smaller. Only the section from Aberdeen to Inverurie remained.

Newspaper ads talked about how great the canal would be. They said it would make stone quarries and land more valuable. By 1795, about £11,000 was promised. A meeting was held, and people decided to start work when £14,000 was promised. More ads asked for people to support the canal.

A special law was passed on April 26, 1796. This law created "The Company of Proprietors of the Aberdeenshire Canal Navigation." They were allowed to raise £20,000 by selling shares. Each share cost £50. No one could own less than one share or more than 40. If needed, they could raise another £10,000. This could be done by selling more shares or borrowing against the money they would collect from tolls.

Construction Challenges

John Rennie was hired as the main engineer. Thomas Fletcher was the engineer who worked on site. In March 1797, builders were shown where the canal would go. Meetings were held to sort out problems between landowners and the canal company.

Work was delayed because Rennie suggested making the canal wider. Meanwhile, land was being advertised in Inverurie. People thought the canal would bring new factories and businesses. By 1798, the company was looking for builders. They needed masons to build three locks. They also needed contractors to dig and prepare about 7 miles (11 km) of the canal bed.

Plans for a new road from Inverurie to Aberdeen were approved in 1799. Some people were against the canal being built. A reward of £5 was offered to anyone who reported people damaging the canal. This included throwing stones or rubbish into the water. Offenders were warned they could face serious punishment if caught.

By 1800, Thomas Fletcher was worried about his job. There wasn't enough money, and landowners were paid a lot. He asked Rennie if he could leave. In 1801, he got a job helping build Union Bridge in Aberdeen.

The canal project faced big money problems. Another law was passed on March 24, 1801. The company said they had only raised £17,800 of the £20,000 allowed. They got permission to raise another £20,000. These new shares cost £20 each and would pay 5% interest. The law said that much of the canal was built. But the company had failed to raise more money. Interest on the new shares would be paid once enough money came in from tolls. The company hoped to sell these new shares to current investors. But not everyone wanted to buy more. A public sale in September 1801 raised £11,421.

The company often heard complaints from workers. They said people were trying to stop their work. To fix this, the company reminded everyone of the many good things the canal would bring. In February 1803, they looked for builders to finish the last part to the harbor. But in March, they were still discussing how to pay for it. Money was short again.

There were ongoing issues with paying landowners. In 1804, the company decided to rent out the right to collect tolls. William Kennedy got this right for the first three years. This deal raised £10,000 as a loan. The canal was mostly dug through granite. Some of this granite was dug up and sent to London.

Canal Opening and Early Use

The Aberdeenshire Canal finally opened in early June 1805. The management team met in Inverurie. The local leaders congratulated them on finishing the project. They set off in a decorated boat called The Countess of Kintore. They traveled to Kintore. There, more local leaders met them.

Several groups of ladies joined them as they got closer to Aberdeen. They traveled through the locks. Crowds gathered along the banks. Refreshments were served on the boat. A military band played music for the last few miles. After seven and a half hours, they reached the end of the canal near the docks. They then went to a dinner and made toasts.

Within a few months, fourteen of the locks broke. The stone parts had to be rebuilt. This meant the canal was closed until October 1806. The famous engineer Thomas Telford approved the major repairs. A third law was passed on March 13, 1809. This allowed the company to raise another £45,000 for canal work. But it seems these powers were never used.

The canal followed the valley of the River Don from Aberdeen. It ran for about 18.25 miles (29.4 km). It ended just south of Inverurie. This end area became known as Port Elphinstone. It was named after Sir James Elphinstone. He was a big supporter and helped pay for the canal. He lived nearby at Logie House.

The canal had 17 locks. All of them were in the first 4 miles (6.4 km) between Aberdeen harbor and Stoneywood. It also had 56 road bridges, 20 water tunnels, and five aqueducts. From Stoneywood, the canal was flat all the way to Port Elphinstone. It carried both goods and people. Passengers only traveled on the upper section. They got off at a building called the Boathouse. This was above the five St Machar Drive locks. The water level dropped 168 feet (51 m) from Stoneywood to Aberdeen.

When first built, the canal was about 17 feet (5.2 m) wide and 3 feet (0.91 m) deep. John Rennie suggested it should be 27 feet (8.2 m) wide and 4 feet (1.2 m) deep. It was made bigger in the first six years. But it only reached 23 feet (7.0 m) wide and 3 feet 9 inches (1.14 m) deep.

How the Canal Operated

Tolls and Services

The original law set limits on how much could be charged. For example, hay, straw, and manure cost 4 pence per ton per mile. Corn, flour, and coal cost 5 pence. Timber and manufactured goods cost 6 pence. The company could also charge for goods left on their docks for too long.

The actual prices charged were much lower. They were 1.5, 2, and 2.25 pence for the three groups. From July 1807, passengers paid 2 shillings to go from Aberdeen to Kintore or Inverurie. Shorter trips cost 2 pence per mile.

Passenger boats left Aberdeen in the morning and came back later. They ran three days a week. In September 1808, they started running every day. There were three different prices for different classes of travel. Passengers in the front cabin paid 2 shillings 6 pence. Those in the back cabin paid 1 shilling 6 pence. People who traveled outside paid 1 shilling.

Community Benefits and Challenges

The canal brought many good things to the local area. Passenger boats ran twice a day in summer. But after 1816, some people started using coaches on the new road. These coaches were faster but cost more.

Because of easier transport, quarries near Kintore got a big contract. They supplied 700,000 cubic feet (20,000 m³) of granite for a project at Sheerness. The Farmer Lime Company made sure lime and coal were available at Inverurie and Kintore. A covered boat was bought to help ship grain better. Grain storage buildings were built next to the canal at Inverurie.

Inverurie grew a lot because of the canal. Its population was about 500 when the canal started. By 1841, it had grown to 2,020 people. Kintore was a main stop for the canal. Its population grew from 863 in 1811 to 1,299 in 1841.

There were also some problems the company didn't like. They warned people not to damage the canal banks. This happened when people drove cattle to drink water or used the banks for washing clothes.

At first, there was no direct way to get into the Aberdeen docks. This made it hard to move goods from canal boats to bigger ships. It wasn't until 1834 that a sea lock was built. This allowed boats to enter the docks when the tide was right. This work cost about £1,500. The weather also caused problems. The canal usually closed from December to March because of ice.

The canal never made a lot of money. It cost almost £44,000 to build. In 1807, its first full year, it made £311. In 1853, its last full year, it made only £3,062.

Canal Becomes a Railway

Plans for a New Railway

In 1844, plans were announced for a railway from the south to Aberdeen. Later that year, there were ideas to continue the line north to Inverness. This railway would be called the Great North of Scotland Railway.

In 1845, the railway company talked to the canal company. They wanted to buy the canal and use its path for their railway tracks. In 1844, the canal had made £1,659 from tolls. The passenger boats had made a profit of £200. The canal company thought they would make about £200 more in 1845.

The railway looked at another plan, keeping the railway away from the canal. But this wasn't needed. The canal company accepted their offer of £36,000. The railway would take on the canal company's rights and responsibilities. This meant they would pay back companies that built grain stores, sheds, and docks for canal trade.

The £36,000 was supposed to be paid on April 1, 1848. But the railway company couldn't pay on time. This was due to money problems. The canal company agreed to the delay. But they started adding 5.5% interest to the amount owed.

Construction and Closure

The railway line would have a single track. The cost of building it, including buying the canal, was very good compared to other lines. In 1852, construction began at Port Elphinstone. They built westwards towards Huntly. This allowed the canal to stay open as long as possible.

Even though the railway hadn't bought the canal yet, workers cut through the bank at Kintore. This drained the upper part of the canal from Port Elphinstone to Stoneybank. The canal boats got stuck. The canal company complained. The bank was quickly repaired, and the canal was refilled.

Some of the canal owners agreed to take railway shares instead of cash for their canal shares. The railway made a payment of £20,000. From this, money was paid to those who had loaned money and the shareholders. By February 1854, the canal company had received £39,272 from the railway. This included the original price plus interest. In 1848, the money owed was about £18,600.

The original shareholders had never received any profits. So, they likely didn't get back all the money they invested. The money was given out equally to those who owned the old £50 shares and the new £20 shares.

The canal closed in early 1854. This allowed railway tracks to be laid along much of its route. The railway opened in September of that year. Sir J D H Elphinstone, Sir Andrew Leith Hay, and others rode a special train. It had an engine and two carriages. They traveled from Kittybrewster in Aberdeen to Huntly. They found the whole line in good condition. An official opening happened a few days later. The Aberdeen Journal newspaper described the route. It mentioned how important Port Elphinstone was for trade. This was because it used to be the end point of the canal.

The Canal Today

You can still find parts of the old canal along the railway route. In Aberdeen, you can see where the railway runs next to Elmbank Terrace. This is near Kittybrewster. There's an old bridge there that carries the road over the railway. You can also see remains where the railway runs next to Great Northern Road in Woodside. Dyce and Dalwearie also have clear signs of the canal.

Woodside still has a canal bridge that is used for the road. Nothing runs underneath it now. The railway is a bit north of this spot. This area used to be outside the city. So, both Woodside and Old Aberdeen still have roads named Canal Street. This can sometimes be confusing.

You can see parts of the original canal structure next to the Ruschlach road. This is south of Kintore. Canal milestones, which are like old markers, are still there. You can find them at Bridgend House, which used to be an inn for the canal. This is at the north of Kintore. Another is at Brae Farm, south of Kintore.

At Port Elphinstone, near Inverurie, there is a short section of open water. It is about 1 mile (1.6 km) long. A circular walking path has been made at the northern end. The path continues along the west side of the water. It goes to the end of the watered section. This is where the old Inverurie Paper Mill used to be. The water from here flows into the River Don.

Maps from the Ordnance Survey call this "Old Canal." However, some people thought it was just a channel for a mill. They believed it was built after the canal closed. But other evidence shows this channel was part of the original canal. It appears on old estate plans from 1810. It's also on canal and railway plans from the 1840s. And it's on maps made after the canal closed. Also, when the channel was drained, its structure looked like a canal. It even had a towpath along its eastern bank.

In 2003, a four-year-old boy died after falling through ice on the canal. After this, 30 feet of the canal at Port Elphinstone was filled with rubble and fenced off. In December 2015, after Storm Frank, the canal flooded. It filled with mud and debris. To fix this, the operators blocked off the west arm of the northern part of the canal. This was done to flush out the newer east arm of the canal.

Points of Interest Along the Canal Route