Discover Plaidy

Three themes come together in Plaidy for travel planning: the Turriff Circular, geological features and historical connections. The named cycle route has a specific length and difficulty rating; the geological and historical themes range from clay and fossils to the railway and woollen cloth production. Cycling and geological or local history therefore offer different focuses.

The Turriff Circular as a cycle route

The Turriff Circular is an 11-mile cycle route of moderate difficulty. This short route passes through the fertile farmland around Turriff and over Bogs of Plaidy; it also runs via Hill of Brackans and Delgatie. The length and rating provide two separate points of reference: at 11 miles, the extent of the circuit is clear, while the moderate category indicates its difficulty. If cycling is one of the main focuses of your trip, you can use this information to plan your itinerary. Bogs of Plaidy is a named landscape feature on the Turriff Circular in Aberdeenshire. It is worth checking current trail conditions before setting out.

Geology and fossils

During construction of the railway cutting, a mass of Lias clay enclosed in till was discovered at Plaidy. Till is material deposited by ice; here, it surrounded the clay body. One geological interpretation suggests that the clay was eroded from its original place of deposition by ice, transported on or in ice over a seabed, and left at its present location. This interpretation adds a possible transport history to the find. North of Turriff, Plaidy is classified as an erratic mass of Jurassic mudstone. An erratic mass is a body of rock that has been displaced from its original context. Plaidy's blue clay contains fossils assigned to the Oxford Clay horizon. For travellers interested in Earth's history, the material, the inferred movement by ice and the fossils offer different points of interest.

Historical connections

In 1375, Plaidy was part of a grant that included Delgaty, Auchins-thogill, Plaidy and Loncardy in the Barony of Kin-Edward. The year provides a clear medieval time reference for this connection; besides Plaidy, the grant names three other places within the barony. The railway is another historical connection: Plaidy railway station opened on the Banff, Macduff and Turriff Extension Railway. Woollen cloth was also produced in Plaidy. These add a medieval grant, a railway station and woollen cloth production as distinct historical themes.

Choose your travel focus

Different questions can guide your planning: for the Turriff Circular, the route length and moderate difficulty are concrete points of reference for a cycling trip. Plaidy's geology and local history, by contrast, concern rock type, the interpretation of transport by ice and historical connections. If you are looking for hotels for a trip to Plaidy, consider which of these approaches you would like to shape your stay.

Discover more destinations: Kincardine O'Neil, Tyrie, Pitmedden, Aberchirder, Westhill, Inverallochy, Banff, Inchmarlo

Return to the main travel overview: Aberdeenshire.