Duror Bridge

The A828 crosses the River Duror at the southern end of the village of Duror. Whilst for much of the year the river is a mere trickle of water, at times it can become a raging, muddy torrent, as the steep sided forested Glen Duror sheds water quickly after heavy rain.

The Old Bridge

The old bridge in the trees

Lying in the woodland a little to the south of the current road bridge, the old bridge survives as a footbridge across the river. The single stone arch stands neglected, with tumbledown parapets and bushes growing on the deck, but despite all that it still spans the river and serves the purpose for which it was designed. Its age is uncertain, in appearance it seems to date back to the 18th Century, but it may be early 19th Century in date. The bridge is little more than a single carriageway, but surprisingly still shows evidence of a tarred surface beneath the grass. This is despite 'local knowledge' asserting that the A828 was not surfaced until 1939 when it was rebuilt.

For a number of years there was a local campaign to have the bridge repaired and reopened as part of the NCN78 cycle route through the village. However, due to landowner issues further south, a different route was ultimately chosen and the bride remains neglected in the trees.

The New Bridge

The new bridge

The new bridge across the River Duror conveniently has a datestone on each parapet proclaiming that it was constructed in 1939. The structure is concrete, faced in stone, with stone parapets, as were all of the other bridges built in 1939 along the A828. The new bridge saw the A828 realigned, with the old road having forked past the school on the Cuil Bay road to reach the old bridge. Beyond this, and the bridge lying in the trees, there is no evidence remaining for the older alignment which would have rejoined the modern route just south of the 'School 20' warning sign.