Publication Account
Date 1987
Event ID 1016833
Category Descriptive Accounts
Type Publication Account
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1016833
Built in 1824 to designs by John Justice (Junior) of Justice & Co, Dundee, this small metal suspension bridge carries a footpath across the River Isla. The bridge is important not only for its ingenious structure but as a prototype for the larger suspension bridge at Haughs of Drimmie, Perthshire (NO 170502) by the same designer.
The footpath of the Glenisla bridge is 1m wide and the bridge has a clear span of 18.85m between the stone abutments. The bridge is suspended from four short iron pylons, two on the edge of each abutment. Each pair of pylons is tied together at the head by a curved yoke and has decorative scroll brackets at the base of each pylon to increase the lateral stability. Each pylon is tied to the bank by three anchor stays. The deck of the bridge is suspended from the pylons by sixteen suspension rods, four from each pylon. These provide equally-spaced supports with the longest rods meeting in mid-span. These straight suspension rods are supplemented by four curved suspension members, two of which are incorporated within the depth of each handrail parapet and form the bottom two members of the parapet structure for about half of the total span. The straight stays and parapet rails are coupled together for additional stability.
The bridge is signed and dated 'Jn. Justice, Dundee, 1824' on the connecting yokes between the pylons.
Information from ‘Exploring Scotland’s Heritage: Fife and Tayside’, (1987).
