Boat O' Brig, Old Bridge

NJ35SW 1 3180 5170

For (successor and present) New Bridge, see NJ 3184 5173.

(NJ 3180 5170) Bridge (NR) (Site of)

OS 6" map, (1959)

The site of a bridge across the Spey which was maintained by the Bishop and Chapter of Elgin from the 13th century until the Reformation, after which it was allowed to fall into decay, and was swept away by the river. Its place was taken by a ferry-boat, the 'Boat O' Brig' which was in turn supplanted by an iron bridge in 1830

Name Book 1870; A Jervise 1875-9; L Shaw 1882.

NJ 318 516: About 20 wooden posts, much eroded and under water, occur about 60m upstream from the road- bridge on the east side of the Spey at Boat O' Brig. The posts are 100-125 mm across and the position in the bed of the river is such that they could not have been re-inforcing for the bank. They may represent the remains of the medieval bridge, last observed a century ago.

I Keillar 1970.

No trace of the old bridge. The posts noted by Keiller can only be seen at very low water. On reflection he believes that they are more likely to be part of a more recent structure, possibly a fishing pier, as the river is wide here and the bridge would be most likely at the narrowest spot which the present bridge occupies.

Visited by OS (A A) 6 April 1971; Information from I Keillar, Hon Secretary, The Elgin Society.

The River Spey here forms the boundary between the parishes of Boharm and Rothes.

Information from RCAHMS (RJCM), 1 June 1998.