Royal Deeside Railway

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Banchory, Scotland
Royal Deeside Railway

A heritage railway in the heart of Royal Deeside, Scotland. Steam, diesel and battery electric vehicles and an award-winning station building. Operational. D9551.

Train services every weekend starting at 11.00 am with buffet car serving coffees, teas and light snacks. Wonderful views of River Dee, woodland and surrounding hillsides. The Royal Deeside Railway was formed in 1996 to re-create the branch line from Aberdeen to Ballater, opened in 1856 by the Deeside Railway Company and closed by British Railways in 1966. The railway between Banchory and Milton o

f Crathes has been partially re-instated, and a new station built at Milton of Crathes. The station building is an award-winning restoration of the original station in Oldmeldrum. The railway offers a passenger train service every weekend from Easter until September. The carriages are 1960s vintage British Rail Mark IIs. We operate a steam tank engine on alternate Sundays, otherwise the trains are diesel-hauled. Please see http://www.deeside-railway.co.uk/ for more information. Locomotives
Steam locomotives
Aberdeen Gas Works Andrew Barclay 0-4-0ST No. 807 "Bon-Accord". Operational - under testing (Arrived March 2010)
Diesel locomotives
Andrew Barclay 0-4-0 No. 415. BR 0-6-0 Class 03 no. D2094 / 03094. Operational (Arrived May 2010)
BR 0-6-0 Class 03 no. D2134 / 03134. BR 0-6-0 Class 14 no. Under repair. Multiple units
BR BEMU unit 79998+79999. Operational (as hauled coaching stock) – repairs to electrical systems in progress.

27/08/2026

🎶 It’s the most wonderful time… of the year 🎅🏻

Tickets coming soon! 👀🎟️

24/08/2026

Our final Cream Tea of 2026 is almost here!! 🍰🚂

After such a brilliant response to our Cream Tea Specials this year, we thought long and hard and decided to add ONE FINAL DATE and that last Cream Tea takes place this Sunday 30/08/2026.

We now have limited spaces remaining on our 3pm service, with the best availability at 11am if you fancy starting the day with an early Cream Tea.

This really is your last chance to enjoy one of our Cream Tea experiences this year. Once Sunday is over, you’ll have to wait until 2027 to get your next Cream Tea fix! 😬

We’re incredibly grateful for the support our community has shown throughout 2026. Seeing so many Cream Tea’s sell strongly, and so many people choosing to spend part of their day with us, has meant a lot to everyone involved at the Deeside Railway.

We can’t wait to welcome our final Cream Tea guests of the year to Milton of Crathes this Sunday. ❤️

If you’ve been thinking about booking, now’s the time.

🎟️ Book your tickets here: https://www.deeside-railway.co.uk/phoenix/cream-teas/

20/08/2026

What a weekend that was… and we’re not done yet! 🚂

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us at Milton of Crathes for the Deeside Steam & Vintage Rally weekend.

It was brilliant to see the railway so busy, with hundreds of families, familiar faces and first-time visitors all coming along to enjoy the atmosphere, the vintage vehicles and trips behind Bon Accord.

A weekend like that only happens because so many people give up their time to make it possible, so thank you to all of our volunteers, everyone involved with the rally, and of course everyone who came along to support us.

And if you missed us last weekend, you’ve got another chance very soon…

We’ll be running again this Sunday 23rd August, with trains operating from 11am - 4pm at Milton of Crathes.

🚂 Adults £8
🚂 Concessions £6
🚂 Children £4

So whether you’re visiting for the first time, coming back for another trip, or simply looking for something to do this Sunday, we’d love to see you.

And if you took any photos at the rally weekend, pop them in the comments below!! We’d love to see them! 🥰

13/08/2026

This weekend is the one we’ve been waiting for all summer long! 🚂

The Deeside Steam & Vintage Rally is here this Saturday 15th & Sunday 16th August and we’ll be running steam trains on both days. 🎉

That means two full days to enjoy Milton of Crathes at its busiest, with:

🚜 Vintage tractors
🚂 Steam engines
🚗 Classic cars
🚛 Classic lorries
🛍️ Local stalls
☕ Food and refreshments
🚂 And of course, trips behind Bon Accord

We don’t often get the chance to run on both Saturday and Sunday, so if you’ve been meaning to visit us this summer, this is a great weekend to do it.

Come for the train, stay for the rally, and make a full family day of it.

📍 Milton of Crathes
📅 Saturday 15th & Sunday 16th August
🕣 First and last train at 11am and 4pm

Who are you bringing along this weekend? Tag them below 👇

10/08/2026

This weekend is a little different at Milton of Crathes… 🚂

For one weekend only, the railway and the Deeside Steam & Vintage Rally come together and we’ll be running steam trains on both Saturday and Sunday.

So instead of just coming for a train ride, you and the family can make a full day of it!

Take a trip behind our 1897 built Bon Accord steam loco, wander around the rally, see vintage tractors, traction engines, classic cars and lorries, browse the local stalls and enjoy the atmosphere of one of the busiest weekends of the summer at Milton of Crathes.

And… because we don’t normally run on both days of a weekend, this is one of the few chances this year to choose Saturday or Sunday for your visit!

📅 15th & 16th August
📍 Milton of Crathes
🕣 11am first train, 4pm last train

If you’ve been meaning to visit us this summer, this is probably the weekend to do it.

Who would you bring along? Tag them below 👇

08/08/2026

A quick update for anyone planning a visit tomorrow 🚂

There will be no train services running at the Royal Deeside Railway tomorrow, Sunday 9th August.

We know some of you may have been planning to come along, so we wanted to make sure everyone had plenty of notice before travelling to Milton of Crathes.

The good news is you won’t have long to wait for your next chance to see Bon Accord in steam…

🚂 Saturday 15th & Sunday 16th August

We’ll be running on both days alongside the Deeside Steam & Vintage Rally - one of the biggest weekends of our summer season, with vintage tractors, steam engines, classic vehicles, stalls and plenty to see around Milton of Crathes.

We hope to see plenty of you there next weekend!

06/08/2026

You asked… we listened! 🍰🚂

After the incredible response to this year’s Cream Tea Specials, we’re delighted to announce that we’ve added one final date due to popular demand.

📅 Sunday 30th August

If you’ve missed out on any of our previous dates or simply fancy another visit, this is your chance to enjoy a relaxing afternoon at the Royal Deeside Railway.

Travel behind our over 120-year-old steam engine Bon Accord, before sitting down to a delicious Cream Tea with freshly made sandwiches, cakes and scones, with tea and coffee served to your table.

Our Cream Rea’s are not just about the food, it’s about slowing down, spending time with family and friends, and enjoying a unique experience in the heart of Royal Deeside.

🎟️ Tables are expected to book quickly, so don’t leave it too long if you’d like to join us.

https://www.deeside-railway.co.uk/phoenix/cream-teas/

We look forward to seeing you all on the last day of our Summer Season with a Cream Tea! 🥰☺️

03/08/2026

🚂 One weekend and so much to see!

If you’re looking for a great family day out this summer, make sure you pop the 15th & 16th August in your diary.

We’ll be running trains behind our historic steam locomotive Bon Accord on both days, something we only do a handful of times each year.

Alongside your train journey, the Deeside Steam & Vintage Rally will be bringing Milton of Crathes to life with:

🚜 Vintage tractors
🚂 Visiting steam engines
🚛 Classic lorries and vehicles
🛍️ Trade and craft stalls
🍔 Food and refreshments

Whether you’re passionate about heritage or simply looking for a different day out with the family, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.

We can’t wait to welcome families from across the town and shire!

01/08/2026

Sound on 🔊🚂

That’s it… that’s the post 🤷🏻‍♂️

See you tomorrow for our Cream Tea service! ☕️

29/07/2026

Well… you certainly like your Cream Teas! 🍰🚂

Our 1pm Cream Tea is now completely SOLD OUT, and there are only a handful of spaces remaining on the 3pm.

But if you’ve been thinking about joining us, there’s still good availability on our 11am Cream Tea.

Enjoy a trip behind our steam engine Bon Accord while sitting down to sandwiches, cakes and freshly baked scones, with tea and coffee served to your table.

And there’s no rush once you’re here, just sit back, have a chat and enjoy your Cream Tea at your own pace.

📍 Royal Deeside Railway, Milton of Crathes
🕚 11am – best availability
🕐 1pm – SOLD OUT
🕒 3pm – very limited availability

Adults £28 | Children £20

If you’ve been waiting to book, this is the one we wouldn’t leave until the last minute.

🎟️ Book here: https://www.deeside-railway.co.uk/phoenix/cream-teas/

Who would you share a table with? Tag them below. 👇

Address

The Royal Deeside Railway, Milton Of Crathes
Banchory
AB315QH

Telephone

01330 844416

Website

http://www.deeside-railway.co.uk/

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