Boat O'Brig

Looking across the bridge

The word Boat in this bridges name should be enough to identify that it is on the site of a historic ferry crossing of the Spey. What is perhaps more surprising, however, is that there was a Medieval Bridge on the site, later replaced by a ferry.

History

The medieval bridge here was built by Muriel de Polloc, and seems to have served for many years, with the tolls supporting a local hospital. It seems most likely that the bridge was replaced by a ferry only after floodwater from a storm washed it away, although the date is not known at present.

In 1830, however, a bridge replaced the ferry once more. The structure was a Suspension Bridge designed and built by Captain Samuel Brown RN, and believed to be his only bridge. Due to the type of light traffic that used the roads at the time, it is probable that the bridge was a fairly lightweight structure. The tollhouse for this bridge still survives on the eastern shore.

The Bridge

The modern bridge was constructed in 1952 to replace the old Suspension Bridge. It consists of a single arch-topped steel truss through which a single file of traffic can pass, controlled by traffic lights. The abutments are stone, the one to the west bank set considerably back from the river channel to allow for floodwater. The bridge sits next to the railway line from Aberdeen to Inverness, with its steel truss bridge showing a trapezoid outline next door.

The other point of interest is that the bridge has its name cast into the small truss sections over the roadway at each end.