Earthwork record MAB44153 - ABERDEENSHIRE CANAL, LADY'S JOINTURE

Remains of a section of the Aberdeenshire canal.

Remains of a section of the Aberdeenshire canal. The canal remains at Lady's Jointure lie on a gentle north east facing slope above the River Don terrace and are still visible today. The earthworks are two metres wide at both sides and 260 m in length, and the tow path remains on the north bank. The canal runs north to north west but has been cut on its west end by the road that leads to St Fergus Chapel. This part of the canal is a Scheduled Monument, which includes the canal bed, embankments and scarp. On the west side of the road to St Fergus Chapel the canal ran north of the railway. This area has since been worked for gravel, resulting in the canal's disappearance. Beyond this the canal ran north west to Pitmedden House and beyond. The canal was opened in 1805 and ran from the harbour at Waterloo Quay along the south bank of the River Don to Port Elphinstone, near Inverurie. The tow path was on the right hand canal bank, when travelling in the direction of Port Elphinstone. On the left were wharves for mooring the boats. It was not until 1834 with the building of a tidal lock that the canal was connected to Aberdeen harbour. Previously goods from the harbour were transferred by road to the canal. In some areas the Aberdeen to Inverness railway occupies the canal, although there are some exceptions in the vicinity of Dyce, where canal earthworks survive. The remains of Aberdeenshire Canal at Lady's Jointure are noted at Nether Kirkton on the Ordnance Survey map (1901-03). See also NJ81NE0011, NJ81SE0535.

BABTIE GROUP, 2004, ABERDEEN WESTERN PERIPHERAL ROUTE: ARCHAEOLOGICAL DESK-BASED STUDY & WALKOVER SURVEY. VOL 1: TEXT, VOL 2 GAZETTEER, Site 159, photos (Bibliographic reference). SAB3745.

Oct 24 1978 , 1 image, 1 image (Ground Photograph). SAB36707.

Record last edited

Jun 2 2025 2:53PM