Bridge of Poolinch

The Bridge of Poolinch crosses the Fiddich on the eastern side of the small Whisky town of Dufftown. Almost surrounded by distilleries, the bridge carries a lot of heavy traffic, and as a result the original 18th Century structure has now been bypassed by a concrete bridge, leaving the old bridge for pedestrians.

The Old Bridge

The older bridge over the Fiddich is believed to date from the late 18th Century. It is a single stone arch across the river, with the roadway peaking slightly in the centre, albeit not quite as pronounced as the low parapets. There are some minor repairs to the bridge at the eastern end, presumably caused by lorries manouvering across it before it was replaced. Otherwise, it is a very good example of the simple bridges built at this time across northern Scotland.

Way back in 1922, it originally carried the B9009, quickly upgraded to the A920. Whether it lasted long enough to carry the B9014, or whether it was already superseded is uncertain.

The New Bridge

The New Bridge

The new bridge across the Fiddich is a fairly ordinary single span concrete deck with steel parapet rails. Crossing the river on a pronounced splay has enabled the road to be straightened significantly from the kink created by the old bridge.

Junction

Immediately to the south west of the bridge, the B975 terminates on the B9014, after making its very short journey past the Glenfiddich Distillery from the A941. This is a simple give-way T-junction, albeit a busy one with a very wide splay to allow for turning artics accessing the distilleries.