Earthwork record MAB44152 - ABERDEENSHIRE CANAL

Aberdeenshire Canal (known as Aberdeenshire Canal Navigation, or Aberdeen-Inverurie Canal), running between circa NJ8324715314 at the boundary with Aberdeenshire at Kinaldie and NJ9487906163 at Aberdeen docks.

Aberdeenshire Canal (known as Aberdeenshire Canal Navigation, or Aberdeen-Inverurie Canal), running between circa NJ8324715314 at the boundary with Aberdeenshire at Kinaldie and NJ9487906163 at Aberdeen docks. Some sections remain as earthworks. See also NJ90NW0332, NJ90NW0702, NJ90NW0701 (bridge), NJ90NW1186, NJ80NE0113, NJ80NE0057, NJ81SE0079, NJ81SE0093, NJ81SE0073, NJ81SE0563, NJ81SE0281, NJ81NE0057, NJ81NE0011, NJ81NE0047, NJ81NW0029, NJ81NW0067. Some sections are Scheduled. This canal ran from Port Elphinstone, just S of Inverurie, to Aberdeen harbour, following a course 18.25 miles (29km) in length above the right-hand bank of the River Don. The Act of Parliament that sanctioned its construction in 1796 declared its purpose as being to 'promote the improvement and better cultivation of the inland parts of the country'. Construction was carried out by various contractors, with John Rennie as consulting engineer and George Fletcher as resident engineer. The canal opened in 1805. In 1834 a sea lock was built to connect the canal with Aberdeen Harbour at the south end of the basin with a drawbridge built across at Lime Quay. There was also a 'fly-boat house' at Kittybrewster. The canal operated until 1854, when it was replaced by the Aberdeen to Inverness line of the Great North of Scotland Railway, which was built along roughly the same alignment, obliterating much of the canal's course.

ABERDEEN CITY COUNCIL ARCHAEOLOGICAL UNIT, , ABERDEENSHIRE CANAL: SEVERAL SITES ALONG THE ROUTE ( DRAFT) (Bibliographic reference). SAB6450.

LINDSAY, J, 1964, THE ABERDEENSHIRE CANAL 1805-1854. J TRANSPORT HISTORY, 6 (1963-4) 158-65 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1057.

LINDSAY, J, 1968, THE CANALS OF SCOTLAND, pp.99-112 (Bibliographic reference). SAB2803.

GRAHAM, A, 1968, TWO CANALS IN ABERDEENSHIRE IN PSAS 100 (1967-8) 170-8 (Bibliographic reference). SAB595.

PEARSON, D, 1986, THE ABERDEENSHIRE CANAL: A DESCRIPTION AND INTERPRETATION OF ITS REMAINS. ABERDEEN UNIV. REV. V. LI.3, NO. 175, PP285-306
(Bibliographic reference). SAB5430.

CAMERON ARCHAEOLOGY, 2012, LAND AT STONEYWOOD, ABERDEEN (Bibliographic reference). SAB6967.

CAMERON ARCHAEOLOGY, 2013, PROPOSED NEW BUILD DWELLING, WESTWOOD, 326 STONEYWOOD ROAD, DYCE (Bibliographic reference). SAB6952.

CAMERON ARCHAEOLOGY, 2014, SITE 3 WELLHEADS ROAD, FARBURN INDUSTRIAL ROAD, DYCE, ABERDEEN: REPORT ON ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVALUATION (Bibliographic reference). SAB6945.

Record last edited

Nov 13 2025 10:09AM