Long distance
Formartine and Buchan Way
Follows a disused railway line from Dyce on the edge of Aberdeen to Maud, where it splits for Fraserburgh and Peterhead. Flat, easy and entirely off-road, for walkers and cyclists alike. Dyce to Fraserburgh is 66 km (41 mi) with around 420 m of climbing; most parties take 3 days walking south-to-north.
Quick facts
- Distance
- 66 km/ 41 mi
- Typical days
- 3
- Total ascent
- 420 m
- Difficulty
- easy
- Start → Finish
- Dyce (Aberdeen) → Fraserburgh
- Best direction
- South to North
- Water sources
- Refill in Dyce, Ellon, Maud, Strichen and Fraserburgh (Mintlaw and Peterhead if you take the eastern branch). Burns along the line drain farmland — do not drink from them.
- Mobile signal
- EE/Vodafone reliable along the populated Aberdeenshire corridor. The route is rarely far from a B-road, so coverage is generally continuous.
✔ Waymarked throughout
Approximate profile derived from per-stage ascent — accurate on total climb and pattern, not a pixel-precise GPX trace.
Our take
The Formartine and Buchan Way is as flat as Scotland gets — a converted railway line with negligible ascent. It splits at Maud into branches to Fraserburgh (16 miles) and Peterhead (14–15 miles); this page follows the Fraserburgh branch. Useful as a gentle walking or cycling route through Aberdeenshire farming country, but lacks the scenery of coastal or highland routes. Best suited to beginners or as a cycling route.
Highlights
- Maud Railway Museum at the old junction station
- White Horse on Mormond Hill, above the Fraserburgh branch
- Museum of Scottish Lighthouses at Fraserburgh
- On the Peterhead branch instead: Old Deer and Deer Abbey, and Aden Country Park
Day-by-day itinerary
A suggested 3-day schedule. Adjust to your fitness and conditions.
1Dyce to Ellon22.5km
Along the disused railway via Newmachar and Udny Station through Formartine farming country to the market town of Ellon on the River Ythan.
- Terrain
- Disused railway trackbed, tarmac through the towns. Flat.
- Overnight
- Ellon has hotels and B&Bs, and shops for resupply.
- Stats
- Dyce → Ellon · 22.5km
2Ellon to Maud18.5km
Continue along the line via Auchnagatt through Buchan farmland to Maud, the old junction where the route splits for Fraserburgh and Peterhead.
- Terrain
- Disused railway trackbed. Flat; can be wet underfoot where fields drain onto it.
- Overnight
- Aberdeenshire Council's route card (2010) names the Station Hotel at Maud, but says its service details may not be current — confirm before booking. Otherwise arrange a lift, or take the Peterhead branch to Mintlaw (about 9 km).
- Stats
- Ellon → Maud · 18.5km
3Maud to Fraserburgh25.7km
The northern branch via Strichen, below the White Horse on Mormond Hill, to Fraserburgh. The Museum of Scottish Lighthouses at Kinnaird Head is the finish highlight.
- Terrain
- Disused railway trackbed, approaching town on paths. Flat.
- Overnight
- Fraserburgh has hotels and B&Bs.
- Stats
- Maud → Fraserburgh · 25.7km
Transport
To start (Dyce (Aberdeen))
Train · ScotRail
Dyce station (Aberdeen–Inverness line) directly at the trailhead
Check times & book →
From finish (Fraserburgh)
Bus · Stagecoach North Scotland
Services 68, X68 and X67 from Fraserburgh back to Aberdeen
Check times & book →
Best months
Accommodation
The line passes through many communities, but beds are thin between the towns. Ellon has the most choice mid-route; Fraserburgh has hotels and B&Bs. At Maud, the council's 2010 route card names the Station Hotel, but warns its service information may not be current — check before relying on it. SGT knows of no baggage-transfer or support service for this route. Mintlaw is not on the Fraserburgh branch — it is about 9 km from Maud on the Peterhead branch.
Night-by-night guide: where to stay →Resupply
Shops at Dyce, Ellon and Fraserburgh, with smaller village shops along the way. No genuinely remote sections; the longest stretch without a town is the 18.5 km from Ellon to Maud.
Current conditions
Weather at the start point (Dyce (Aberdeen))
Daylight Today
- Sunrise
- 07:10
- Sunset
- 16:35
- Civil dawn
- 06:30
- Civil dusk
- 17:15
NOAA Solar Calculator · 28 October 2026
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Getting to and from the Formartine and Buchan Way
Train and town anchors at each end of the route — on TripSCOT.