The Deeside Way (commonly known as the Old Deeside Line; the Royal Deeside Line or simply the Deeside Line), is a pathway that travels along the bed of the now removed Deeside Railway, along the north bank of the River Dee in Aberdeenshire.
While in operation, the railway was used by the British Royal Family during travel to their Scottish retreat at Balmoral, hence the local name the Royal Deeside Line.
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The Deeside Railway was a line that travelled from Aberdeen to Ballater as a stretch of the Great North of Scotland Railway.
Its tracks have since been removed in their entirety and the path opened as a track to the public. However Royal Deeside Railway preservation society are reclaiming part of the line to build a heritage railway from Banchory to Milton of Crathes.
The pathway is easily usable and shared by walkers, cyclists and horse riders alike, and runs from Duthie Park, Aberdeen to Peterculter with two breaks across quiet country roads and a larger one at the busy Milltimber Brae. It then breaks again for around a mile along Coalford Croft (there is some signposting to help guide), until it picks up and there is a narrow path to Drumoak. You then travel up to the North Deeside Road where it picks up further along and it opens out into a wide path until it reaches Crathes,where you must go around and back onto the A957 and there is a small road onto the path once more. This leads on into Banchory alongside the Deeside Railway, arriving in Bellfield Park.
There is currently no route between Banchory and Potarch, although work was carried out in 2010 to repair footpaths around Scolty Hill[1] which will form part of the proposed route.
From Potarch, in 2010 the latest section of the path was completed, which runs over a newly built bridge before heading alongside the River Dee, and into Kincardine O'Neil[2].
Between Kincardine O'Neil and Aboyne there is again no route currently available. From Aboyne the route is now completed through to Ballater.
A bridge across Holburn Street in Aberdeen was built in 2005, and in March 2010 another bridge was opened over West Cults Road[3]. There are plans to eventually improve the line so that all breaks will be bridged providing a safe unbroken path from the Duthie Park to Banchory. The route is to connect up to Ballater via Kincardine O'Neil, instead of following the original line through Lumphanan. Only the route between Banchory and Potarch, and Kincardine O'Neil and Aboyne remain to be completed in order for the path to run completely from Aberdeen to Ballater.
Laying of tarmac along sections of the path within built up areas of Aberdeen has taken place to improve from the current path which floods leading to thick mud patches during the autumn and winter months.
The track is now part of the National Cycle Network, as National Route 195. Once completed, the track may also be added to the list of Long Distance Routes.