Maud, Aberdeenshire

Maud village centre

Maud (Gaelic: Am Mòd) is a small town in the Buchan area of the Scottish county of Aberdeenshire. Population 780 (2006 estimate).^[1] Located 13 miles west of Peterhead on the South Ugie Water,^[2] Maud rose to prosperity in the nineteenth century as a railway junction of the Formartine and Buchan Railway that ran through Maud to Fraserburgh and Peterhead, but has always been the meeting place of six roads. It has had a variety of names:

• Bank of Behitch
• Brucklay
• New Maud,

the 'New' having since fallen out of use, leading to the town's current name.

The Village

Maud features an old railway station,^[3] which closed to passengers in 1965. Walks can be taken along the old railway lines which now form part of the Formartine and Buchan Way; the railway tracks were removed following the ending of freight trains in 1979. There was a mart or livestock market until recently, selling local livestock. There is also a hospital for the elderly, which was formerly a poorhouse that opened in about 1868.

A modern complex in the centre of the village houses a cafe, community centre, gym and other facilities; the old town hall, a few minutes walk from the new complex, is also still in regular use by community groups. The village also has a small parade of shops.

The hamlet of Kirkhill Pendicle to the south of Maud has a weather station which features prominently in Met Office weather maps for Aberdeenshire.

History

The local area to the immediate south is rich with prehistory and historical features. There are found a number of prehistoric monuments including Catto Long Barrow,^[4] Silver Cairn and numerous tumuli. In that same vicinity of the Laeca Burn watershed is the point d'appui of historic battles between invading Danes and indigenous Picts.

In the era of the railroad, the New Maud junction station was situated 298 feet above sea level, with the vicinity rail line being noted for several embankments and shallow rock cuts.^[5]

Line notes

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Maud, Aberdeenshire.

• Official Tourism Web Site
• Maud Football Club
• Friends of Maud Railway Museum

Settlements and places of interest in Buchan, Aberdeenshire Primary settlements Boddam Crimond Cruden Bay Fetterangus Hatton Longside Maud Mintlaw New Deer New Pitsligo Peterhead St Combs St Fergus Strichen Stuartfield Other settlements Auchnagatt Buchanhaven Clola Inverugie Lonmay New Leeds Old Deer Rora Tyrie Whinnyfold Places of interest Aden Country Park/Aberdeenshire Farming Museum Bullers of Buchan Crimonmogate Deer Abbey Formartine and Buchan Way Loch of Strathbeg Maritime Heritage Museum Rattray Rattray Head Slains Castle

Areas and primary settlements in Aberdeenshire (see also: Aberdeen City) in Banff and Buchan Aberchirder Banff Fraserburgh Gardenstown Inverallochy and Cairnbulg Macduff Portsoy Rosehearty Sandhaven Whitehills in Buchan Boddam Crimond Cruden Bay Fetterangus Hatton Longside Maud Mintlaw New Deer New Pitsligo Peterhead St Combs St Fergus Strichen Stuartfield in Formartine Balmedie Cuminestown Ellon Fyvie Newburgh Oldmeldrum Pitmedden Potterton Rothienorman Tarves Turriff in Garioch Blackburn Insch Inverurie Kemnay Kintore Newmachar Westhill in Kincardine and Mearns Drumoak Fettercairn Gourdon Inverbervie Johnshaven Laurencekirk Newtonhill Portlethen St Cyrus Stonehaven in Marr Aboyne Alford Ballater Banchory Braemar Huntly Lumphanan Tarland Torphins

Coordinates: 57°31′20″N 2°07′37″W / 57.52210°N 2.12687°W / 57.52210; -2.12687