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Ballachulish Bridge

Road Bridge (20th Century)

Site Name Ballachulish Bridge

Classification Road Bridge (20th Century)

Canmore ID 76815

Site Number NN05NE 14

NGR NN 05198 59754

NGR Description From NN 05205 59936 to NN 05194 59644

Datum OSGB36 - NGR

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/76815

Ordnance Survey licence number AC0000807262. All rights reserved.
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Administrative Areas

  • Council Highland
  • Parish Lismore And Appin (Lochaber)
  • Former Region Highland
  • Former District Lochaber
  • Former County Argyll

Recording Your Heritage Online

South Ballachulish Important ferry crossing point at the perilous narrows of Loch Leven, linking Netherlochaber to North Appin. In 1975 the ferry was replaced by that now familiar but not particularly edifying landmark of heavy steel, the Ballachulish Bridge.

Taken from "Western Seaboard: An Illustrated Architectural Guide", by Mary Miers, 2008. Published by the Rutland Press http://www.rias.org.uk

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Publication Account

This bridge over Loch Etive, erected in 1974, replaced the Ballachulish Ferry on the A82 road between Glencoe and Fort William. An arch bridge was originally suggested because of the scenic nature of the site, but eventually the somewhat utilitarian asymmetrical N-truss was chosen.

Various paint schemes have been tried of which the present dark green olive colour blends in well with the landscape.

The bridge has spans from the south of 95 ft, 600 ft and 269 ft in the form of a continuous beam. It was created as a design and build project and constructed in steel by the Cleveland Bridge & Engineering Company and superintended by consulting engineers W. A. Fairhurst and Partners.

By way of contrast, about 25 miles west is the Ardtonish Estate suspension footbridge [NW 6992 501] erected in 1892. Although of less than 40 ft main span,

and late for a wrought iron example, it is probably unique in Scotland in having a single Catenarian suspension cable (iron rod) with walk-through cradle-type

hangers beneath supporting a timber deck. It crosses the Abhainna Ghlinne Ghill water and was designed by Samuel Barrham, architect.

R Paxton and J Shipway 2007b

Reproduced from 'Civil Engineering heritage: Scotland - Lowlands and Borders' with kind permission of Thomas Telford Publishers.

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