Tummel Bridge

The small village of Tummel Bridge at the head of Loch Tummel takes its name from the Bridge that General Wade built here in 1733 to carry his Military Road south from Dalnacradoch on the A9 to his bridge at Aberfeldy. That old bridge still stands, although today it is only open to pedestrians, cyclists etc., with a much more boring structure carrying the road alongside.

Wade's Bridge

The old bridge, built in 1733-4 is a rather unusual plan, presumably built as such to cross the river as easily as possible. On the north side, a small arch sits on the river bank, before a kink to the right on the steadily climbing roadway takes us on to the hump-backed main arch across the river. The bridge parapets almost take on a triangular shape at the top, with a small weathered datestone above the arch. The whole structure is built of local rubble stone.

Modern Bridge

The New bridge

Whilst shrouded in scaffolding on a recent visit, the new bridge is a dual-span girder bridge, with the northern span being the shorter of the two. The middle pier appears to be built of concrete, and balanced on rocks on the northern river bank, with only the southern span crossing the river (as with the old bridge). Unlike most girder bridges, where the girders sit under the deck, here the girders form the parapets like a Truss Bridge.