Ballindalloch Viaduct
A lattice girder wrought iron railway bridge over the river Spey, now a cycle track. It is listed Grade A. and is a scheduled Ancient Monument.
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AB37 9AB
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The Great North of Scotland Railway was based in Aberdeen and for many years fought a commercial war with the Highland Railway for control of the route between there and Inverness. Meanwhile it developed its network and in the Speyside area took shares in the Keith & Dufftown and Strathspey Railways which gave it access to the whisky distilleries. The line from Craigellachie up the Spey and eventually to Boat of Garten was very picturesque, closely following the river Spey and, at Ballindalloch, crossing it on a fine lattice girder bridge.
The bridge's roadway was constructed of two flat-topped box girders and crossed the river at 6 m. (20ft) above water level, tied across the top by cross-girders. It was supported on each bank by a massive stone pier. The span measured 60 m. (198 ft.).
The railway was used largely for freight, servicing the distilleries. Since it closed in 1968 the tracks over the bridge have been replaced with a wooden walkway. The station survives on the south side of the bridge as a hostel for walkers.
Photo credit: Photo © Anne Burgess (cc-by-sa/2.0)
By road: On the Strathspey Way it is accessible off the A 95 then B 9137 in Ballindalloch. It is close to the Cragganmore Distillery.
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Biddle, Gordon and Simmons, J. The Oxford Companion to British Railway History. ISBN 0 19 211697 5 (1997)
Conolly, W. Philip, British Railways Pre-Grouping Atlas And Gazetteer, Ian Allan Publishing, ISBN 0-7110-0320-3 (1958/97)
Nelson, G. Highland Bridges. (1990)
Ransom, P.J.R. Iron Road: The Railway in Scotland. ISBN 1 84158 728 1 (2007)
Thomas, J. and Turnock,D. A Regional History of the Railways of Britain, North of Scotland. ISBN 0 946537 03 8 (1993)
Forgotten Relics - Listed Bridges and Viaducts