“The last train for Aberdeen left in 1966 Sir”

Today ran away with its self. Out at 6:30am to Livery not home till 4pm. So a quick swing by Cults station to take this bland shot in the half-light of evening at 5:30pm. Thanks to my f1.4 Prime 50mm lens I was able to take the above with no tripod or flash.

Cults was the first main station on the Deeside Line between Aberdeen and Ballater, at 3 and five-eighths miles from Aberdeen. The line between Aberdeen and Banchory was opened in 1853 and extended to Aboyne and later to Ballater by 1866.

Cults had a double line, and was opened in 1884 and returned to single line in 1951. Suburban trains, "subbies", were introduced between Aberdeen and Culter (PeterCulter), calling at 8 intermediate stations and covering the 7 miles in just over 20 minutes. This meant that up to 30 trains would be calling at Cults every day.

The "subbies" ceased on 5 April 1937 because of competition from buses. The Deeside Line itself closed to passenger traffic on 28 February 1966, after the Beeching Report of 1963. Goods traffic continued for a few more months but the final train ran on the line on 30 December 1966.

Cults Station (shown in the picture) is now occupied by a joinery company, in what is know as the Cults Business Park. The Business Park sits on the old Cults Goods yard and sidings that was.