Mount Melville Railway Station

Cairnsmill Burn flowing between bridges that once allowed access from the east to Mount Melville Station

About a mile or so south of where I live in St Andrews, a short way into the countryside, is the site of an old railway station called Mount Melville. It didn't have a terribly long life, opening in 1887 and closing 43 years later. Not much of an innings really as these things go.

It's purpose was to serve the small village of Mount Melville about a mile to the west although it was also used by local farmers and farm workers. As can be seen from the picture below, the actual station building existed well past its actual closure. The photo is dated 1958 although I'm not sure how long it would have still been standing beyond that time.

Today, nothing at all of the station building - at least as far as my searches have shown me - exists. Nature has done her job very well and reclaimed the site with great energy. It's heavily overgrown with trees and bushes and underpinned by possibly my latest favourite of plants, the bramble. I've only penetrated the centre of a site that measures about 80 by 30 yards once and emerged with not a few scratches to show for my frequent skirmishes with the barbed psycho.

I “discovered” the site when I was out for a walk along the local country roads. A road bridge over the Cairnsmill Burn provided a good vantage point and it was from there that I noticed what appeared to be two small foot bridges in the distance - surrounded by much greenery - seemingly leading from nowhere and heading in the same direction.

A bit of research revealed the site's past history which, being an incomer, was unknown to me. I suspect most locals will be unaware of the station site as well. It hasn’t really been visible for a good 60 years after all.

A postcard dating back to the early part of last century. I think the two bridges in my first photo would have been behind the house with the green roof.

I took the shot at the top of the post on the D700 from the bridge and resolved to return to check the site out in more detail. The two bridges I'd seen appeared to enter the railway station site from the rear, presumably one for foot traffic and the other for horse and cart. They seem sturdy enough even now and should be around for a long time to come.

The undergrowth isn't too bad around the bridges - it's getting into the area that's the hard and painful bit. It's difficult putting an age to this bridge but it's reasonable to assume it was built concurrently with the station. It would seem more likely that the bridges would have been constructed to provide access to the station rather than the station being built near a couple of bridges apparently serving no one. This bridge below is the first one you can see in the picture at the start of the post.

Mount Melville is quite an interesting little place, set near the top of a slight rise and quite exclusive with most of the houses costing a fortune. Of course, this being just outside of St Andrews, one of the dearest places in Scotland in which to buy a house, doesn't mean that they're all big homes by any stretch of the imagination. Just expensive.

Right next door is Craigtoun Park, a nice public space that is a lovely place for a stroll with a camera. The old mansion house just outside the park, closed for about 32 years now, continues to fascinate me, as do most old ruins. They're like old luxury cars - once someone's pride and joy but simply left to rot away.

There's a fair bit of security around Craigtoun House - it's fenced off and there are some cameras on the walls - and it was not too long ago the subject of a planning application so there's still a chance it will be preserved for future generations.

A stretch of road between the railway station and Mount Melville village

The south-facing side of Craigtoun House

Between the former station and the mansion at Mount Melville is an area of land which for years developers have threatened to turn into a golf course. Work has resumed again and it now looks certain that, this time, they’ll go through with it. Wouldn’t it have been lovely to have been able to take the train to Mount Melville station, golf clubs in tow, and alight right next to the golf course - much more of an adventure than just driving into the car park.

It’s my birthday today - 64 if you must know - and it’s hard not to reflect on how quickly time passes, and how even places that were once quite bustling can fade into obscurity. The brambles and thick growth that now cover the site are a reminder that nature often reclaims what we leave behind. It’s true that the station may only have existed for a relatively short time but it obviously served a purpose in its day, connecting people from all over the country to this little corner of the world. Funny how some places can thrive for decade after decade while others are forgotten and feature only in the memories of those who remember them and, as I said earlier, there can’t be too many who still fit that description.

I suppose Mount Melville Station lives on in the wee details, the bridges, the old postcard and even the land itself. There must be lots of hidden stories like this lying beneath our feet waiting for the right person to stumble upon them. That’s what I find fascinating about local history so I’ll continue to explore (I must have been down almost every road within a 30 mile radius of St Andrews), document and reflect in the knowledge that although it’s not always easy to find, history is never really gone - it just waits to be uncovered.