White Bridge (Cawdor)

This article is about the bridge across the River Nairn near Cawdor.
For other White Bridges, see White Bridge.

This White Bridge carries the B9090 across the River Nairn to the west of Cawdor. It lies on the route of one of old military roads, the bridge dating from sometime between 1749 and 1754. This coincides perfectly with the 1747-56 build time of the military road from Coupar Angus to Fort George via Braemar, although there is no firm attribution. The bridge is a classic example of the period, with a steep hump-backed profile across the larger arch.

Signals and signage for the bridge

There are 2 arches across the river, the larger to the north, where the bank is higher. The roadway is only single track, and so requires traffic signals at either end to control traffic crossing the blind summit of the bridge. One particularly unusual feature is that the stones of the arch ring dictate the 'courses' of the stonework right out to the parapets, rather than the courses running horizontally as is more usual.

New Bridge

In 2018 the Highland Council started work on a new bridge across the River Nairn a little to the west of the existing bridge. This includes a new alignment for the B9090, removing the kink on the north bank. The new bridge will also mean a removal of the signals and vehicle restrictions on the route, thus improving access to Cawdor and its hinterland. The new bridge opened on 25 May 2019. The old bridge has been retained as a pedestrian / cycle route, its historical importance prohibiting removal.