The last railway line in the Formartine and Buchan districts of Aberdeenshire was closed in 1979. Formartine is the geographical district south of the Ythan river, Buchan is north of the Ythan. The thirty-eight mile route from Dyce (six miles north of Aberdeen on the main railway line to Inverness) to Peterhead, plus the sixteen mile route from Maud Junction to Fraserburgh, now form the Formartine & Buchan Walkway. The railway line from Dyce to Peterhead was opened to traffic in 1862. The Maud to Fraserburgh branch opened three years later, in 1865.

Though the railway has now gone, there is still much interest in its history. The small Railway Museum at Maud is located within what was the administration office on the "Peterhead Platform" of Maud's former station. Amongst the exhibits is a model recalling Maud Junction in its heyday; when thousands of head of cattle and sheep were transported by rail to and from the livestock markets at Maud three days per week; when passenger trains ran regular services to all stops on the Buchan Line; when fully-laden fish trains ran daily from Peterhead and Fraserburgh during the busy herring season; and when mixed-freight trains hauled coal, livestock feed and the other necessities of life to all points north of Dyce and delivered the engineering, food, and farm produce of Buchan southwards. Also in the museum are photographs and displays of railway memorabilia of all sorts from the Great North of Scotland Railway (1861-1922), from LNER days (1923-1947), and latterly British Rail (1948-1979). The museum gives an insight into our Railway Heritage.

The museum "shop" sells books, souvenirs and collectables. Maud Railway Museum is open on special occasions and for Group Visits by arrangement - contact Aberdeenshire Heritage at Aden Country Park, telephone 01771-622906