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MHG55926 - Bridge abutments - Glenshero, Laggan

Summary

Bridge abutments noted in a walkover survey by West Coast Archaeology Services in 2011, prior to a proposed woodland planting scheme.

Type and Period (1)

Protected Status

Full Description

Very degraded bridge abutments were noted in a walkover survey by West Coast Archaeology Services in 2011, prior to a proposed woodland planting scheme. To the south of the current road bridge were two abutments or revetment walls comprising drystone battered walling, one on each side of the stream. They are probably old bridge foundations. On the southwest side the abutment was 3m wide and standing to 1m high, on the northeast side the abutment was 7m long by 1.4m high. <1>

Although these abutments are just to the south of the current road known as 'General Wade's Military Road' this does not appear to be the original alignment of the road which would mean the abutments (and the bridge they supported) were not constructed on Wade's instruction. The road appears to have originally crossed the burn to the north, and there is documentary evidence for that bridge having been swept away in a flood in 1835 (see MHG34489 - though the area is not under the water of the reservoir as that record states). It would seem plausible that the road was later diverted upstream off the floodplain of the River Spey and that the recorded abutments were for a replacement bridge, itself superceded by the current bridge immediately to the north, with an accompanying slight re-routing of the road [IS-L 21/03/2024].

Sources/Archives (1)

Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred NN 5689 9293 (10m by 12m) (2 map features)
Map sheet	NN59SE
Civil Parish	LAGGAN
Geographical Area	BADENOCH AND STRATHSPEY

Finds (0)

Related Monuments/Buildings (0)

Related Investigations/Events (1)

External Links (1)