New home to be built on site of long lost Aberdeenshire railway station

A new home is set to be built on the site of a former Aberdeenshire railway station that fell victim to Dr Beeching's axe.

Glassel station served passengers from 1859 until 1966 when the old Aberdeen to Ballater line was ripped up and stations along its route shut for good.

Situated between the former Banchory and Torphins stations, members of the Royal Family used to trundle along the tracks to their Balmoral residence, while locals would travel to and from Aberdeen.

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All that remains today is a village hall, houses built over the former line, and the home of the former station master - but that could soon look very different.

Aberdeenshire Council has approved plans for the modern three-bedroom property to be built just yards away from where steam trains ran many decades ago.

Architects who have designed the property delved into the history of the location, noting: "The adjacent houses situated within Glassel have evolved from the original Glassel Rail Station, Station Masters House, and Glassel Post Office which were converted to dwellings in the mid-20th Century.

"All of the above conversions evolved following the closure of Glassel station and the removal of the railway line in the 1960’s.

"Numerous nearby railway bridges which had originally routed over the Beltie Burn as well as the aforementioned unnamed access road were also dismantled during the mid-20th Century."

Designers added it would "provide a distinctive, safe, pleasant, welcoming, adaptable, efficient and well connected dwelling."

Council planning chiefs had recommended the plans be refused owing to them not according with the local development plan.

However, permission was granted to construct the three-bed home, which developers say has been designed to allow for a modern layout with 'maximised solar gain' given the orientation of the building.

It would include an open living, kitchen and dining space, generous windows to allow natural light into the home, and a single car garage coupled with a car port.