Bridge of Ruthven

Looking across the bridge

The Bridge of Ruthven carries the A926 over the River Isla in the tiny settlement of Ruthven on the north side of Strathmore. Although difficult to get access to the river banks, the bridge has a single, large stone arch spanning the river, with pilasters on the abutments carried up as shallow refuges in each corner of the roadway. These refuges are crowned with small pediments which rise above the parapets. The roadway itself is narrow, with priority now given to westbound traffic, although until fairly recently cars did squeeze past each other while crossing. The bridge is apparently dated 1855 on the keystones which look out over the river, but there are no other datestones or indications of who built it.

Old Bridge

Looking down at the old bridge

The current bridge replaced an old twin arch stone bridge which stood immediately upstream of the current crossing. It is believed to date from the Seventeenth Century, and was built as a packhorse bridge with a 3m wide roadway. If it ever had parapets, these have long since disappeared. It stood very close to the new bridge, and sat considerably lower down, all of which explains the need for a replacement in 1855. Old photographs confirm that the structure was, as recorded in 2002, in a dangerous condition. It is not clear (without a site visit) if it still stands. The trees that formerly grew on it have been removed, making it all but invisible from the available imagery. However, no record of its collapse has been found either.