Delavine, Delavine Burn, Bridge
Ford (Period Unassigned), Road Bridge (Period Unassigned)
Site Name Delavine, Delavine Burn, Bridge
Classification Ford (Period Unassigned), Road Bridge (Period Unassigned)
Alternative Name(s) Ford; Old Military Road
Canmore ID 73380
Site Number NJ20NE 10
NGR NJ 28076 06923
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/73380
- Council Aberdeenshire
- Parish Strathdon
- Former Region Grampian
- Former District Gordon
- Former County Aberdeenshire
At Delavine there are the remains of a bridge, which was built in the mid-eighteenth century, as part of a military road. It underwent repair in 1998, after a partial collapse.
Constructed of rubble, the bridge consists of a single arch, and is just under 4m wide, with some of the parapet remaining.
During the eighteenth century, a series of military roads were built throughout highland Scotland, linking places of strategic importance. Major William Caulfeild, employed by General Wade as Inspector of Roads in 1732, built the section of road on which this bridge lay.
Text prepared by RCAHMS as part of the Accessing Scotland's Past project
NJ20NE 10 28076 06923
See also NJ20NE 8, NJ30NE 9 and NJ20NE 11.
This military-type bridge is on the line of the Coupar Angus - Fort George military road. It is in a very bad state of repair. (see NJ20NE 9 and NJ20NE 11 ).
Visited by OS (RB), August 1966.
On the date of visit this 18th-century military bridge was undergoing massive repairs and safe access could not be gained for the purpose of taking measurements. The bridge, however, is very similar to those nearby at Delachuper (NJ20NE 9) and Sleepy Hillock (NJ20NE 11).
Visited by RCAHMS (JRS, ATW), 17 March 1998.
This bridge carries the former line of the A939 public road over the Delavine Burn.
Information from RCAHMS (RJCM), 9 December 1998.
This bridge has 'recently' (1992) suffered partial collapse, two-thirds of the N half having become unstable due the undercutting by the stream of the W pier. The W approach has long gone.
NMRS, MS/712/41.
Scheduled as 'Bridge on Old Military Road over Delavine Burn... on the line of the Old Military Road connecting Coupar Angus to Fort George'.
Information from Historic Scotland, scheduling document dated 4 March 2002.
Specialist Report (1997 - 2000)
Delavine, Tornahaish and Allt Damh are small masonry arch bridges built by General George Wade’s successor in Scotland, Major General Edward Caulfield in 1753 after ‘Bonnie’ Prince Charlie’s military campaign against the Hanoverian Crown halted at Derby and finally ended in defeat and massacre of his troops in a battle at Culloden Moor, near Inverness, in 1746. The bridges are three of the many masonry structures which were built along the vast network of military roads covering the Scottish Highlands in order to make it accessible for military control and trade purposes.
These three bridges are situated along part of the military road (Braemar to Grantown upon Spey) now an Estate track, which was not absorbed into the public roads system and lay neglected for many years. One had collapsed over three quarters of its width, another had lost three quarters of one abutment and had partially collapsed, and another remained in good condition but in need of consolidation.
Each bridge was researched, surveyed and assessed in terms of structural conservation (they are Scheduled Monuments) and proposals for their preservation, as consolidated and stable ruins, were approved by Historic Scotland’s Ancient Monuments Branch.
Work commenced in 1997 after a worryingly prolonged period of shoring and emergency works to prevent collapse of the most seriously threatened structure at Delavine.
The work to all three bridges was completed in October 2000 after three summers of working in Highland terrain and weather conditions. It was funded by: Historic Scotland, The Heritage Lottery Fund, Historic Scotland, European Regional Development Fund, Leader II, Aberdeenshire Council, Gordon Enterprise Trust and Landfill Funds donated by a local company, McIntosh (Aberdeen) Ltd. The project cost was £250,000.00, which was initiated and organised by the Client, Gordon Enterprise Trust, Inverurie, Aberdeenshire. The Trust has the three bridges in care, having leased them from Candacraig Estate for 99 years.
John D Addison, Peter Stephen & Partners
Daniela Dobrescu-Parr, The Morrison Partnership
