Montrose and Bervie Railway

Introduction

This railway is closed. It was a single track line which largely hugged the coast between Montrose and Inverbervie. There were two large viaducts, both of which still stand: North Water Bridge Viaduct (by far the larger) and Denfinella Viaduct (the tallest). It began in the Caledonian Railway sphere of influence but was bought by the North British Railway. Despite several possible attempts to extend north to Aberdeen, providing a route independent of the Caledonian, this never happened. Most of the route can be walked.

Why built

Bervie has been bypassed by the Aberdeen Railway, the costs of construction resulting in a further inland route.






Dates

03/07/1860Montrose and Bervie Railway
Act receives Royal assent. Agreement gives running powers from Broomfield Junction to Montrose [CR] and use of the terminus.
01/07/1863Montrose and Bervie RailwayGreat North of Scotland RailwayAberdeen Junction Railway
Circumbendibus project proposed between the Great North of Scotland Railway and the Montrose and Bervie Railway to provide a new route to the south. This receives Royal assent and would have been called the Aberdeen Junction Railway.
01/07/1863Montrose and Bervie RailwayGreat North of Scotland RailwayAberdeen Junction Railway
Circumbendibus project (Aberdeen Junction Railway) project abandoned. Montrose and Bervie Railway shares sold by the Great North of Scotland Railway.
01/11/1865Montrose and Bervie Railway
Line opened with stations at Broomfield, St Cyrus, Lauriston, Johnshaven, Gourdon, Bervie.
  /  /1866Scottish North Eastern Railway Caledonian Railway
Scottish North Eastern Railway absorbed by Caledonian Railway. Confirmation of running powers for the Highland Railway between Perth General and Stanley Junction. Confirmation of running powers for North British Railway, London and North Western Railway, Midland Railway and Glasgow and South Western Railway. The SNER's running powers over the Montrose and Bervie Railway are transferred to the Caledonian.
  /  /1866Montrose and Bervie Railway
North Water Bridge opened.
  /  /1869Montrose and Bervie Railway
Birnie Road Siding halt opened.
  /11/1869Aberdeen Railway Montrose and Bervie Railway
Broomfield closed. Remained in timetables until 1877.
  /  /1872North British, Arbroath and Montrose Railway
Link from Montrose to Broomfield Junction (on the Montrose and Bervie Railway) authorised.
01/08/1881Montrose and Bervie Railway North British Railway
The Montrose and Bervie Railway is absorbed by the North British Railway.
30/09/1881Montrose and Bervie Railway Caledonian Railway
End of the working by the Caledonian Railway of the Montrose and Bervie Railway. The North British Railway having bought the line.
30/06/1899Montrose and Bervie Railway
The Caledonian Railway no longer accesses the line.
  /  /1926Montrose and Bervie Railway
Bervie renamed Inverbervie.
01/10/1951Montrose and Bervie Railway
Inverbervie to Montrose (Broomfield Junction) closed to passengers. North Water Bridge, St Cyrus, Lauriston, Johnshaven, Birnie Road Siding, Gourdon, Inverbervie closed.
22/05/1966Montrose and Bervie Railway
Local of Johnshaven, Mary Officer, organises final passenger train to celebrate the branch. The six coach train works twice between Montrose and Inverbervie such is the number of tickets sold.
23/05/1966Montrose and Bervie Railway
Inverbervie to Montrose (Broomfield Junction) closed to freight and completely. The branch was lifted in 1966.
  /06/2008Montrose and Bervie Railway
Part of St Cyrus station converted into community garden.

Locations along the line

These locations are along the line.

View south over Broomfield Junction. The first line, the Montrose branch (1848) of the Aberdeen Railway, ran from bottom right and over a level ...
Ewan Crawford 24/04/2023
Looking North at the former site of Broomfield Junction. ...
Ewan Crawford //
64615 at Broomfield Junction with the 1960 RCTS/SLS Joint Scottish Tour. To the left is the line to Dubton, the train is coming off the Bervie line ...
WA Camwell (Copyright Stephenson Locomotive Society) 16/06/1960
3 of 3 images.


This was a short lived single platform station on the Montrose and Bervie Railway. Also known as Broomfield Road or Broomfield Road Junction.
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View south at the north end of the former Broomfield station, looking to Broomfield Junction. Nothing obvious remains of the station, although there ...
Ewan Crawford 24/04/2023
1 of 1 images.


This disused large single track 11 arch masonry viaduct crosses the River North Esk to the north of Montrose. It crosses the North River Esk. The engineers were B & E Blyth. The bridge was the largest structure on the now closed Montrose and Bervie Railway.
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A haar lifts briefly to reveal the North Water Bridge Viaduct and North Water Bridge. These cross the River North Esk north of Montrose. The view ...
Ewan Crawford 10/05/2023
The view south on the North Water Bridge Viaduct in 1996, with the road bridge off to the right. The viaduct was being converted into a footpath at ...
Ewan Crawford //1996
North Water Bridge Viaduct viewed from its west side. In the mid 90s illuminating the bridge at night was considered by the council. This photograph ...
Ewan Crawford //1995
North Water Bridge viaduct on the Bervie branch looking east. November 2006. ...
John Furnevel 04/11/2006
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This was a halt on the west side of the line just north of the North Water Bridge Viaduct. The North Water Bridge itself is the road bridge just to the west of the viaduct.
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Remains at North Water Bridge looking north towards Inverbervie in 1997. The station closed to passengers on 1 October 1951, with the branch closing ...
Ewan Crawford //1996
64615 heading south past North Water Bridge Halt with the 1960 RCTS/SLS Joint Scottish Tour. The train is about to cross the North Water Bridge ...
WA Camwell (Copyright Stephenson Locomotive Society) 16/06/1960
J37 0-6-0 no 64547 approaching North Water Bridge station on 22 May 1966 having just crossed the North Esk with a special for Inverbervie marking ...
Robin Barbour Collection (Courtesy Bruce McCartney) 22/05/1966
3 of 3 images.


This was a single platform station on the west side of the single track Montrose to Inverbervie railway.
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Looking north at St Cyrus. ...
Ewan Crawford //
The site of St Cyrus station (closed to passengers in 1951) looking north along the trackbed towards Inverbervie on 7 November 2006. The refurbished ...
John Furnevel 07/11/2006
The 1960 RCTS/SLS Joint Scottish Tour entering St. Cyrus station from the north. See image 12562 ...
WA Camwell (Copyright Stephenson Locomotive Society) 16/06/1960
3 of 3 images.


This station was located at Bush, south of Lauriston Castle. The station had a passing loop, two slightly staggered platforms (the west/southbound platform being slightly to the east) and a goods yard at the east end of the station, on the north side of the line approached from the west. The signal box (1893) was at the east end of the westbound platform.
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18th April 2019 was a nice day and I fancied exploring St Cyrus and the surrounding area. This was taken at Bush looking northwards towards ...
Duncan Ross 18/04/2019
Looking north over the former Lauriston station. ...
Ewan Crawford //
Reclaimed overbridge on the Bervie branch south of Lauriston station in November 2006. The station stood on the other side of the bridge, in an area ...
John Furnevel 04/11/2006
64615 at Lauriston with the 1960 RCTS/SLS Joint Scottish Tour. ...
WA Camwell (Copyright Stephenson Locomotive Society) 16/06/1960
4 of 4 images.


Denfinella Viaduct viewed from below, north end. ...
Grant McGill //
View north along the flooded trackbed of the Bervie line away from Denfinella Viaduct. ...
Grant McGill 20/03/2018
A view of the Denfinella Viaduct seen from below. This impressive viaduct is 130ft high. ...
Grant McGill 09/03/2018
It's difficult to fit the full height of this bridge with a camera phone. Note the viaduct to the right and large drop down into the Den Finella. ...
Duncan Ross 12/06/2018
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This was a single platform station on the east side of the line. The goods yard was to the north on the east side of the line and approached from the north.
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Taken during a walk from Johnshaven to Gourdon on the Bervie branch in March 2021. An old railway metal fence post still standing alongside the ...
Duncan Ross 08/03/2021
Taken during a walk from Johnshaven to Gourdon on the old Bervie branch in March 2021. This one of the abutments of the removed bridge near Lathallan ...
Duncan Ross 08/03/2021
Taken during a walk from Johnshaven to Gourdon on the Bervie branch in March 2021. This photo is of the burn just south of the entrance to Lathallan ...
Duncan Ross 08/03/2021
Taken during a walk from Johnshaven on the Bervie branch in March 2021. This view looks north from near Johnshaven to Gourdon, around three miles ...
Duncan Ross 08/03/2021
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This was a private halt to the east of Brotherton Castle. It had a single timber platform on the west side of the line with wooden steps climbing the high bank to its west.
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This was a halt on the line between Montrose and Inverbervie.
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This was a single platform station with the platform on the south side of the line. There was a footbridge to the east and beyond that a loop with a goods yard siding serving a goods shed, the siding being approached from the north east.
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A northbound goods train in a park on the outskirts of Gourdon on 22 July 2021. One of the most impressive such installations I've seen. The ...
Bill Roberton 22/07/2021
Looking north at the former Gourdon station. ...
Ewan Crawford //
Looking north from hills above Gourdon over town, harbour and former course of railway. ...
Ewan Crawford //
3 of 3 images.


The original shed at Inverbervie burned down in 1914. A replacement, with sliding door, was built in 1914 and remained in use until 1939, being demolished the following year.
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The remains of the turntable pit at Inverbervie encircle 'Sonya', enjoying retirement in a new role. The shed was off to the left. Inverbervie has ...
Ewan Crawford 10/05/2023
1 of 1 images.


This 1865 terminus was located close to the shore to the south east of Inverbervie. It had a single platform, on the west side of a loop, and a goods yard on the east side, approached, like the passenger station, from the south. The layout of the station was spacious.
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Looking south along the former Inverbervie branch to Gourdon on 22nd July 2021.
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Bill Roberton 22/07/2021
The passenger platform at Inverbervie was built in stone, extended in timber, this one for was goods. This 1996 view is looking to the buffers and the ...
Ewan Crawford //1996
Looking north to the site of Inverbervie station on 22ndJuly 2021. The path to the left follows the course of the platform line while that to the ...
Bill Roberton 22/07/2021
The illusion of a busy goods yard has been recreated on the site at Inverbervie which closed for passengers in 1951 and goods in 1966. Whilst purists ...
Malcolm Chattwood 26/09/2021
4 of 8 images. more