Prompted by a recent feature on Macduff depot, John Sinclair looked back through his archives and found a number of pictures from the area in years gone by
Our recent features looking at Stagecoach’s Macduff depot and its route 35 prompted a number of positive comments from readers, both in the industry and enthusiasts alike. “I really enjoyed the piece on Stagecoach Bluebird’s 35 route,” said John, who got in touch to share some of his images of the route over the years, “particularly as I have known it through various incarnations over the last 60 years, with at times the most varied and unlikely vehicles, and a particular period in the seventies when it was operated by 45 and 53-seat Fords with service bus seats.
I particularly liked the picture of the bus descending into Cullen, and you might be interested in this picture (above) taken in February 1966, featuring the same bridge, when the service was operated by Alexander Northern, the forerunner of Stagecoach Bluebird, when the route was numbered 05. The service which today runs from Aberdeen to Elgin at that time continued on to Inverness.”
John also included some images of Macduff depot, notably showing it without the wall which today protects it from the sea: “The whole area is most scenic, and often overlooked when it comes to bus transport and bus photography,” John continued. “I have included another couple of pictures, the first taken in October 1961, which shows the depot (non) wall. If I recall, they were constructing another wall at the time, or I assume so! The last picture was taken in 1974 when there was a substantial sea wall.
