Publication Account

Date 1993

Event ID 589754

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Publication Account

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/589754

This tunnel and associated incline were built in 1829. The incline was 1160 yards in length and in 1830-31 two 25 HP steam engines were installed at its top end. A survey by Scottish Industrial Heritage on 5 and 6 September 1992 showed that the tunnel had been well constructed using dressed masonry. In recent times the rails have been removed in order to institute a tarmac footpath and cycleway down the middle of the tunnel floor. Due to the fact that the new "Maltings" housing development road is higher than the level of the Incline the floor at the N end of the tunnel has been raised to diminish the gradient.

Horizontally the length of the tunnel is approximately 522.9m. The height from existing ground level to the crown of the arch is 3.17m and 4.06m at the mouths of the W and E ends respectively. The average gradient for the roof of the tunnel is -1:28 as the cown of the arch at the W end is 17.731m higher than the same point at the E end. Throughout the tunnnel are a good number of mason's marks.

G Douglas, A Jervis, M McDonald, N Niblock and W Barr 1993.