Potarch Bridge spans the River Dee between Banchory and Kincardine o'Neil. The bridge was built in 1811-13 by Thomas Telford as part of his commission on Highland roads and bridges, however, local people had been campaigning and fundraising for a bridge for over a century before hand, with records from 1698 detailing funds raised! The bridge was one of a small number Telford built in Aberdeenshire which were not constructed within a road project, but as stand alone structures which could provide great benefit on their own.
The bridge itself is a substantial 3 arch stone bridge with a slightly larger centre arch flanked by matching smaller arches. It is perhaps a little grander than the many smaller bridges built by Telford, with triangular cutwaters on the piers rising to hexagonal refuges on either side of the roadway. The road is a little narrow by modern standards, and with a slight rise over the centre arch, but 2 cars can pass with safety.
In 1860, local strongman Donald Dinnie carried two granite boulders, weighing a total of 332kg, across the width of the bridge with his bare hands. The stones were there to counterbalance scaffolding being used in bridge maintenance. They are now kept at the nearby Old Potarch Hotel and are still used for an annual weightlifting contest.
Junction
Immediately to the east of the bridge, the B993 meets the A93, and the two routes multiplex north west along the river bank. The junction is a simple T junction, and is so close to the bridge that there is insufficient room for large vehicles to clear the bridge at the give way line. However, both routes are generally quiet enough that this doesn't cause too many problems. Although originally classified as a B road, the road over the bridge was for many years the A973, which ran along the south side of the River to Crathie near Ballater.
