Royal Deeside Railway

06/09/2026

September might be a little quieter at the railway… but we’re not done for 2026 yet 🚂

We don’t have any public running days during September, but there’s still plenty happening behind the scenes as our volunteers continue working across the railway.

And the good news is, we’ll be back running again in October.

So if you missed us over the summer, or you’re already thinking about your next visit, keep an eye on the page for our October dates and what we have planned.

The trains may be taking a short break from public running, but the railway certainly isn’t.

01/09/2026

Santa is coming back to the Royal Deeside Railway!!!🎅🏻🚂

Our Santa Special tickets are now on sale for 2026 and we’re delighted to welcome families back for what is always our biggest and most popular event of the year!

Join us at Milton of Crathes this Christmas for a festive experience something the whole family can enjoy.

On arrival at the railway, visitors will receive their refreshments on the platform before boarding our over 100 year old steam engine Bon Accord and take a ride down the line, complete with festive singing along the way.

When you return to the station, children will head to Santa’s grotto to receive their present from Santa himself!!

✨ The full Santa experience lasts approximately 30-45 minutes
🎟️ Adult tickets: £17.50
🎁 Child tickets: £22.50
🚗 Ample free parking available at Milton of Crathes
🪑 All train seating is self-allocated at the time of booking

2026 Santa Special dates:
📅 Sunday 29th November
📅 Saturday 5th December
📅 Sunday 6th December
📅 Saturday 12th December
📅 Sunday 13th December
📅 Saturday 19th December
📅 Sunday 20th December

🚂 First service: 9:45am
🚂 Last service: 4:45pm

Our Santa Specials are always hugely popular, so if you’re hoping to join us this year, we’d recommend booking early.

Grab your tickets here: https://www.deeside-railway.co.uk/phoenix/santa-specials/

We cannot wait to welcome you all at this most wonderful time of the year 🥰🎅🏻

Send a message to learn more

27/08/2026

EDIT: Tickets are on sale now!! 🎉🎅🏻

🎶 It’s the most wonderful time… of the year 🎅🏻

Tickets coming soon! 👀🎟️

24/08/2026

Our final Cream Tea of 2026 is almost here!! 🍰🚂

After such a brilliant response to our Cream Tea Specials this year, we thought long and hard and decided to add ONE FINAL DATE and that last Cream Tea takes place this Sunday 30/08/2026.

We now have limited spaces remaining on our 3pm service, with the best availability at 11am if you fancy starting the day with an early Cream Tea.

This really is your last chance to enjoy one of our Cream Tea experiences this year. Once Sunday is over, you’ll have to wait until 2027 to get your next Cream Tea fix! 😬

We’re incredibly grateful for the support our community has shown throughout 2026. Seeing so many Cream Tea’s sell strongly, and so many people choosing to spend part of their day with us, has meant a lot to everyone involved at the Deeside Railway.

We can’t wait to welcome our final Cream Tea guests of the year to Milton of Crathes this Sunday. ❤️

If you’ve been thinking about booking, now’s the time.

🎟️ Book your tickets here: https://www.deeside-railway.co.uk/phoenix/cream-teas/

20/08/2026

What a weekend that was… and we’re not done yet! 🚂

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us at Milton of Crathes for the Deeside Steam & Vintage Rally weekend.

It was brilliant to see the railway so busy, with hundreds of families, familiar faces and first-time visitors all coming along to enjoy the atmosphere, the vintage vehicles and trips behind Bon Accord.

A weekend like that only happens because so many people give up their time to make it possible, so thank you to all of our volunteers, everyone involved with the rally, and of course everyone who came along to support us.

And if you missed us last weekend, you’ve got another chance very soon…

We’ll be running again this Sunday 23rd August, with trains operating from 11am - 4pm at Milton of Crathes.

🚂 Adults £8
🚂 Concessions £6
🚂 Children £4

So whether you’re visiting for the first time, coming back for another trip, or simply looking for something to do this Sunday, we’d love to see you.

And if you took any photos at the rally weekend, pop them in the comments below!! We’d love to see them! 🥰

13/08/2026

This weekend is the one we’ve been waiting for all summer long! 🚂

The Deeside Steam & Vintage Rally is here this Saturday 15th & Sunday 16th August and we’ll be running steam trains on both days. 🎉

That means two full days to enjoy Milton of Crathes at its busiest, with:

🚜 Vintage tractors
🚂 Steam engines
🚗 Classic cars
🚛 Classic lorries
🛍️ Local stalls
☕ Food and refreshments
🚂 And of course, trips behind Bon Accord

We don’t often get the chance to run on both Saturday and Sunday, so if you’ve been meaning to visit us this summer, this is a great weekend to do it.

Come for the train, stay for the rally, and make a full family day of it.

📍 Milton of Crathes
📅 Saturday 15th & Sunday 16th August
🕣 First and last train at 11am and 4pm

Who are you bringing along this weekend? Tag them below 👇

10/08/2026

This weekend is a little different at Milton of Crathes… 🚂

For one weekend only, the railway and the Deeside Steam & Vintage Rally come together and we’ll be running steam trains on both Saturday and Sunday.

So instead of just coming for a train ride, you and the family can make a full day of it!

Take a trip behind our 1897 built Bon Accord steam loco, wander around the rally, see vintage tractors, traction engines, classic cars and lorries, browse the local stalls and enjoy the atmosphere of one of the busiest weekends of the summer at Milton of Crathes.

And… because we don’t normally run on both days of a weekend, this is one of the few chances this year to choose Saturday or Sunday for your visit!

📅 15th & 16th August
📍 Milton of Crathes
🕣 11am first train, 4pm last train

If you’ve been meaning to visit us this summer, this is probably the weekend to do it.

Who would you bring along? Tag them below 👇

08/08/2026

A quick update for anyone planning a visit tomorrow 🚂

There will be no train services running at the Royal Deeside Railway tomorrow, Sunday 9th August.

We know some of you may have been planning to come along, so we wanted to make sure everyone had plenty of notice before travelling to Milton of Crathes.

The good news is you won’t have long to wait for your next chance to see Bon Accord in steam…

🚂 Saturday 15th & Sunday 16th August

We’ll be running on both days alongside the Deeside Steam & Vintage Rally - one of the biggest weekends of our summer season, with vintage tractors, steam engines, classic vehicles, stalls and plenty to see around Milton of Crathes.

We hope to see plenty of you there next weekend!

06/08/2026

You asked… we listened! 🍰🚂

After the incredible response to this year’s Cream Tea Specials, we’re delighted to announce that we’ve added one final date due to popular demand.

📅 Sunday 30th August

If you’ve missed out on any of our previous dates or simply fancy another visit, this is your chance to enjoy a relaxing afternoon at the Royal Deeside Railway.

Travel behind our over 120-year-old steam engine Bon Accord, before sitting down to a delicious Cream Tea with freshly made sandwiches, cakes and scones, with tea and coffee served to your table.

Our Cream Rea’s are not just about the food, it’s about slowing down, spending time with family and friends, and enjoying a unique experience in the heart of Royal Deeside.

🎟️ Tables are expected to book quickly, so don’t leave it too long if you’d like to join us.

https://www.deeside-railway.co.uk/phoenix/cream-teas/

We look forward to seeing you all on the last day of our Summer Season with a Cream Tea! 🥰☺️

03/08/2026

🚂 One weekend and so much to see!

If you’re looking for a great family day out this summer, make sure you pop the 15th & 16th August in your diary.

We’ll be running trains behind our historic steam locomotive Bon Accord on both days, something we only do a handful of times each year.

Alongside your train journey, the Deeside Steam & Vintage Rally will be bringing Milton of Crathes to life with:

🚜 Vintage tractors
🚂 Visiting steam engines
🚛 Classic lorries and vehicles
🛍️ Trade and craft stalls
🍔 Food and refreshments

Whether you’re passionate about heritage or simply looking for a different day out with the family, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.

We can’t wait to welcome families from across the town and shire!