It was only during the nineteenth century that proper and serviceable highways were constructed. Prior to that time a few main roads had been made but side connections were few and badly kept, so that wheeled vehicles, if they had existed, would have been a useless luxury. Early in the eighteenth century wheeled vehicles were absolutely unknown. In 1765 the judges of the Circuit Court of Justiciary first travelled to Aberdeen in chaises instead of on horseback. The first mail coach did not arrive till 1798. It took 21 hours between Edinburgh and Aberdeen. Not till 1811 did passenger coaches begin to ply between Aberdeen and Huntly. Then only was it possible for the farmer to convey his products by cart, which superseded the pack-horse as a means of transport. The upkeep of the roads was secured by a system of tolls. Traces of the system still survive in the renovated toll-bar houses, which in some cases retain a window facing right and a window facing left to mark the approach of vehicles from either side. Aberdeenshire abolished tolls in 1865. The Railway system reached Aberdeen in 1848. Prior to that time for fifty years the stage coach plying between Edinburgh and Aberdeen had been, apart from the sea-routes, the only bond between this part of the country and the south. A few years later, in 1854, what is now the Great North of Scotland Railway was opened from Aberdeen to Huntly, and two years thereafter was extended as far as Keith. This is still the main line of railway in the county. It touches in its course Dyce, Kintore, Inverurie, Insch, and Huntly. By and by branch lines were constructed forking off from it at various points; _first_ from Inveramsay, through Wartle, Fyvie, to Turriff and ultimately to Macduff; _second_ from Inverurie across country to Old Meldrum; _third_ from Kintore up Donside by Kemnay and Monymusk to Alford; and lastly from Dyce through New Machar, Udny, Ellon to New Maud, where it bifurcates, one fork going on to Peterhead the other to Fraserburgh. This is the Buchan and Formartine branch. Recently a sub-branch was made from Ellon running to the coast and touching Cruden Bay, its terminus being at Boddam within half an hour’s distance of Peterhead. From Fraserburgh, a light railway runs to Cairnbulg, Inverallochy and St Combs. The only other line of railway in the county is the Deeside line, which runs up the Dee valley as far as Ballater. It was begun in 1853, and Banchory was the terminus till 1859, when an extension was made to Aboyne; then in 1866 it was extended to Ballater.