British Railways The First 25 Years Volume 16:Scotland – Ex-Great North of Scotland Railway Lines

The original Great North of Scotland Railway (GNoSR) scheme was for a main line from Aberdeen to Inverness, via Inverurie, Huntly, Keith, Elgin, Forres, and Nairn with branches to Banff, Portsoy, Garmouth, and Burghead. Construction only from Kittybrewster to Huntly, opening in 1854. When Keith was reached in 1856 the route mileage was around one-third of that authorised in 1846. Over the next decade this figure was almost quadrupled by the opening of several branches and extensions including one from Dyce to Peterhead and Fraserburgh, the Speyside line to Boat of Garten and the Morayshire line from Elgin to Craigellachie. In 1866 the GNoSR leased the Deeside Railway between Aberdeen and Ballater and absorbed it in 1876. The remaining lines were constructed by the company and the most important of these was the Moray Firth Coast line, from Portsoy to Elgin, which was opened between 1884 and 1886. The last addition was the standard-gauge light railway from Fraserburgh to St. Combs, opened in 1903.