Ballindalloch Railway Bridge

19th century railway bridge in Moray, Scotland

Ballindalloch Railway Bridge

The view along the bridge

Coordinates| 57°24′50″N 3°23′08″W﻿ / ﻿57.41389°N 3.38556°W﻿ / 57.41389; -3.38556
Carries| Pedestrians, cyclists (formerly railway)
Crosses| River Spey
Heritage status| Category A listed building
Characteristics
Material| Wrought iron
Longest span| 195 ft (59 m)
History
Architect| Alexander Gibb
Fabrication by| G McFarlane, Dundee
Opened| 1863
Location

The Ballindalloch Railway Bridge is a former railway bridge on the crossing the River Spey at Ballindalloch in Moray, Scotland. Built in 1863 as a part of the Strathspey Railway, it was in use until the line was closed in 1968. It is now designated as a Category A listed building, and carries pedestrians and cyclists over the river as a part of the Speyside Way.

## Description

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The Ballindalloch Railway Bridge crosses the Spey at Ballindaloch, linking the parishes of Inveravon in Banffshire and Knockando in Moray.[1] It is a wrought iron lattice girder bridge, with a single-span of 195 feet (59 metres),[2] supported by rubble abutments, and with plate girder spans at either end giving an overall length of around 250 feet (75 metres).[3]

## History

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The Ballindalloch Railway Bridge was constructed in 1863 for the Strathspey Railway.[4] It was designed by Alexander Gibb,[2] an engineer for the Great North of Scotland Railway,[5] and the ironwork was fabricated by G. MacFarlane of Dundee.[2] The Strathspey Railway was absorbed into the Great North of Scotland Railway in 1866,[6] and the bridge was in regular use on the line, carrying passengers and large volumes of whisky from the nearby distilleries,[3] until it was closed to regular passenger traffic in 1965, and closed completely in 1968.[7] The bridge was designated a Category A listed building in 1987, and was a scheduled monument until 2006.[3] It is open to pedestrians and cyclists, forming a part of the Speyside Way.[3]

## References

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1. ^ "Railway Bridge over the Spey". Dictionary of Scottish Architects. Dictionary of Scottish Architects. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
2. ^ a b c Paxton, Roland; Shipway, Jim (2007). Civil Engineering Heritage - Scotland Highlands and Islands. ICE Publishing. pp. 135–136\. ISBN 978-0727734884. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
3. ^ a b c d Historic Environment Scotland. "Ballindalloch, former railway bridge over River Spey (Category A Listed Building LB8466)". Retrieved 7 July 2019.
4. ^ Hume, John R (1977). The Industrial Archaeology of Scotland 2. The Highlands and Islands. London: B.T. Batsford Ltd. p. 234\. ISBN 071340809X.
5. ^ Paxton, Roland; Shipway, Jim (2007). Civil Engineering Heritage - Scotland Highlands and Islands. ICE Publishing. ISBN 978-0727734884. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
6. ^ Vallance, H. A. (27 June 1991). Great North of Scotland Railway. The History of the Railways of the Scottish Highlands Vol. 3. David St John Thomas. ISBN 978-0-946537-60-0.
7. ^ "Ballindalloch, Railway Bridge". CANMORE. Historic Environment Scotland. Retrieved 7 July 2019.