Callander Bridge

The Red Bridge

Callander Bridge carries the A81 across the River Teith towards the western end of Callander. It is constructed from Red Sandstone and consists of three broad flat arches spanning the river. The piers stand in the river bed and are protected by triangular cutwaters with an unusually heavy moulding around the edge. This is likely to be to help protect the structure as this stretch of the Teith is liable to rise quickly when the river is in spate, often causing localised flooding upstream of the bridge. The three arches are ever so slightly pointed, with a slight peak at the top. A series of corbelled courses above the arches lead to a sizeable ledge at road level, with the parapets then set back above. These, in turn, have stepped tops reflecting the curvature of the road, which is humped over the larger central arch. The road itself is a narrow S2 with a wide pavement on the upstream side only. It was constructed in 1906 by Perthshire County Council to replace the previous structure.

History

Before the new bridge was built in 1906, it is probable that there had been a bridge on or near this site for many centuries. Fortunately, the previous date stone has been preserved in the parapet of the current bridge, and whilst it is very badly worn it is still possible to make out the following information.

The previous bridge was constructed in 1766 (making it later than the Military Roads that were built across northern Scotland in the previous 4 decades). The money was raised from local subscriptions and also from the Government. The money provided from the government was likely to have been very controversial, as it came from the sale of forfeited / annexed Highland Estates after the 1745 Jacobite Rebellion. However, the people of Callander appear to have been proud enough of this fact to let it remain un vandalised on the bridge's date stone for nearly 250 years.