Dornie Bridge
| Dornie Bridge | |||||
| Location Map ( geo) | |||||
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| From: | Dornie | ||||
| To: | Ardelve | ||||
| Location | |||||
| Kintail | |||||
| County | |||||
| Ross-shire | |||||
| Highway Authority | |||||
| Transport Scotland | |||||
| Opening Date | |||||
| 1940, 1991 | |||||
| Additional Information | |||||
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| On road(s) | |||||
| A87 | |||||
| Crossings related to the A87 | |||||
Shiel Bridge (Kintail) • Uig - North Uist Ferry • Invergarry Bridge • Skye Bridge • Raasay Ferry • Glenelg - Kylerhea Ferry • Moriston Bridge • River Loyne Bridge • Clachan Duich Bridge • Eas-nan-Arm Bridge • Sligachan Bridge • Mam Ratagan Pass • Allt a' Chaorainn Bhig Bridge • Malagan Bridge • Uig - Harris Ferry • Croe Bridge | |||||
The current bridge crossing Loch Long between Dornie and Ardelve was built in 1990 to replace the older structure a little upstream. The new road, bypassing Carr Brae, had been built almost 20 years earlier. However, with the close proximity of Eilean Donan Castle, it is possible that very few people even notice the bridge as they drive across it!
The Old Bridge
Nothing now remains of the old bridge, as it was removed soon after the new bridge opened. However, the slipways used by the Airds Ferry that preceeded the bridge are still in use either side of Loch Long, albeit no longer by ferries!
The old bridge was a single track concrete structure, which spanned from the middle of Dornie Village to immediately north of the new bridge on the Ardelve side. When first opened on 30 April 1940, it was tolled although the toll was lifted in 1946, presumably once the bridge had been paid for. It was 300 yards long and had 16 spans. The centre span could be opened to allow the passage of shipping. The cost was £60,000 and it was opened by County Councillor Colin Campbell.
The New Bridge
The new bridge across Loch Long was opened on 19 April 1991 by James Douglas-Hamilton, Scottish Environment Minister. It provided a two-way road in place of the narrower old structure. It is 260m long and consists of ten spans across the river, supported by pairs of concrete piers under the deck. Cost including the bypass road was £8.8 million.
Ferry
Prior to the construction of the bridge in 1940, a car ferry operated from Ardelve, crossing regularly to Dornie, and on request to Totaig on the south side of Loch Duich. There is only one car ferry known to have operated on this service, as below, although a ferry had operated here for 2 centuries or more. It continued in operation after the opening of the bridge, providing a limited service across Loch Duich to Totaig. This latterly continued as a passenger service, which was maintained until the late 1960s with other vessels. Until the bridge opened, all routes to Lochalsh involved ferry crossings, either here, or at Strome Ferry, or from the Isle of Skye.
| Name | IMO | Operator | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Un-named | Alex Matheson? | 1920-50 | 1 car |
Links
Am Baile Highland History and Culture
| Dornie Bridge | ||
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