The Construction of Aberdeenshire's First Turnpike Roads

Abstract

Because Aberdeenshire was among the last counties in Britain to introduce turnpike roads, only the latest road making practices should have been used in their construction. This assumption is examined first by considering the administration and construction of roads built previously in Aberdeenshire, the topography of the county, and the availability of suitable local materials. The organizational and constructional practices adopted in building Aberdeenshire's turnpike roads are next compared with those used for earlier and contemporary turnpikes, and with road-making techniques developed later by Telford and McAdam.