Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 16 hours ago
Craigellachie Bridge is a cast iron arch bridge across the River Spey at Craigellachie, near to the village of Aberlour in Moray, Scotland. It was designed by the renowned civil engineer Thomas Telford and built from 1812 to 1814. It is a Category A listed structure.
The bridge has a single span of approximately 46 metres and was revolutionary for its time, in that it used an extremely slender arch which was not possible using traditional masonry construction. The ironwork was cast at the Plas Kynaston iron foundry in Denbighshire by William Hazledine, who cast a number of Telford bridges. The ironwork was transported from the foundry through the Ellesmere Canal and Pontcysyllte Aqueduct then by sea to Speymouth, where it was loaded onto wagons and taken to the site. Testing in the 1960s revealed that the cast-iron had an unusually high tensile strength. This was probably specified by Telford because, unlike in traditional masonry arch bridges, some sections of the arch are not in compression under loading.
At each end of the structure there are two 15 m high masonry mock-medieval towers, featuring arrow slits and miniature crenelated battlements.
The bridge was in regular use until 1963, when it was closed for a major refurbishment. A plaque records the completion of this work in 1964. The side railings and spandrel members were replaced with new ironwork fabricated to match the originals. A 14 ton restriction was placed on the bridge at this point. This, along with the fact that the road to the north of the bridge takes a sharp right-angled turn to avoid a rock face, made it unsuitable for modern vehicles. Despite this, it carried foot and vehicle traffic across the River Spey until 1972, when its function was replaced by a reinforced concrete beam bridge which opened in 1970 and carries the A941 road today. Telford's bridge remains in good condition, and is still open to pedestrians and cyclists. The bridge has been given Category A listed status by Historic Scotland and has been designated a civil engineering landmark by the Institution of Civil Engineers and American Society of Civil Engineers.
In 1994, it hosted a parade upon the amalgamation of The Gordon Highlanders and The Queen's Own Highlanders (Seaforth and Cameron's) to form The Highlanders (Seaforth, Gordons and Cameron's). A plaque has been fitted to the bridge parapet to commemorate this.
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We do not to Drama, unless it is real. Join us as we explore the historic Cradalachie Bridge, an incredible example of **civil engineering** and a significant piece of **british history** from the **industrial revolution**. This **architectural marvel** offers stunning views of **scenic scotland** and the River Spey. @SergePavkinMusic Please subscribe for more Donders, Waffles and some History as well as views and park ups. Currently we are Nearly Full Time Warriors. We may go full time in the future but for now we continue our explorations. #Motorhome #DogsVanLife #Scotland We are on Facebook and Instagram links are on the about page.
Craigellachie Bridge is a cast iron arch bridge across the River Spey at Craigellachie, near to the village of Aberlour in Moray, Scotland. It was designed by the renowned civil engineer Thomas Telford and built from 1812 to 1814. It is a Category A listed structure.
The bridge has a single span of approximately 46 metres and was revolutionary for its time, in that it used an extremely slender arch which was not possible using traditional masonry construction. The ironwork was cast at the Plas Kynaston iron foundry in Denbighshire by William Hazledine, who cast a number of Telford bridges. The ironwork was transported from the foundry through the Ellesmere Canal and Pontcysyllte Aqueduct then by sea to Speymouth, where it was loaded onto wagons and taken to the site. Testing in the 1960s revealed that the cast-iron had an unusually high tensile strength. This was probably specified by Telford because, unlike in traditional masonry arch bridges, some sections of the arch are not in compression under loading.
At each end of the structure there are two 15 m high masonry mock-medieval towers, featuring arrow slits and miniature crenelated battlements.
The bridge was in regular use until 1963, when it was closed for a major refurbishment. A plaque records the completion of this work in 1964. The side railings and spandrel members were replaced with new ironwork fabricated to match the originals. A 14 ton restriction was placed on the bridge at this point. This, along with the fact that the road to the north of the bridge takes a sharp right-angled turn to avoid a rock face, made it unsuitable for modern vehicles. Despite this, it carried foot and vehicle traffic across the River Spey until 1972, when its function was replaced by a reinforced concrete beam bridge which opened in 1970 and carries the A941 road today. Telford's bridge remains in good condition, and is still open to pedestrians and cyclists. The bridge has been given Category A listed status by Historic Scotland and has been designated a civil engineering landmark by the Institution of Civil Engineers and American Society of Civil Engineers.
In 1994, it hosted a parade upon the amalgamation of The Gordon Highlanders and The Queen's Own Highlanders (Seaforth and Cameron's) to form The Highlanders (Seaforth, Gordons and Cameron's). A plaque has been fitted to the bridge parapet to commemorate this.
We do not to Drama, unless it is real.
@SergePavkinMusic
Please subscribe for more Donders, Waffles and some History as well as views and park ups
Currently we are Nearly Full Time Warriors. We may go full time in the future but for now we continue our explorations.
#Motorhome #DogsVanLife #Scotland
We are on Facebook and Instagram links are on the about page.
We do not to Drama, unless it is real. Join us as we explore the historic Cradalachie Bridge, an incredible example of **civil engineering** and a significant piece of **british history** from the **industrial revolution**. This **architectural marvel** offers stunning views of **scenic scotland** and the River Spey. @SergePavkinMusic Please subscribe for more Donders, Waffles and some History as well as views and park ups. Currently we are Nearly Full Time Warriors. We may go full time in the future but for now we continue our explorations. #Motorhome #DogsVanLife #Scotland We are on Facebook and Instagram links are on the about page.
