Stronvar Bridge

Heritage listing

Category B Date Added 05/09/1973 Local Authority Stirling Planning Authority Stirling Parish Balquhidder National Park Loch Lomond And The Trossachs NGR NN 53500 20607 Coordinates 253500, 720607 — Loch Lomond And Trossachs National Park Planning Authority 1779-80, possibly incorporating earlier fabric. Long bridge of 3 segmental arches with triangular cutwaters to both elevations and 3 smaller flood arches diminishing in size to N. Waist-height parapet with flat copes. This is an unaltered and unusually long 18th century bridge of considerable architectural and historic interest. It is a notable local landmark. Materials: random rubble with roughly dressed voussoirs and copes. — This is an important river-crossing, linking the upland areas of the parish around Glen Buckie to the Kirkton of Balquhidder. It also linked Balquhidder to the drove road that went to Glasgow via Glen Buckie and Brig O' Turk. The bridge previous to this one, which was built 1705-6 and cost just over 436 pounds, is described by James Stewart: it had masonry piers and a timber superstructure. By the 1740s it was in a state of disrepair and was replaced with the present bridge in 1780. The bridge was paid for by the Commissioners of Annexed Estates, and several papers relating to its construction are held at the National Archives (see References). The tenants of Balquhidder petitioned the Commissioners for a bridge in February 1779, and by March that year plans had been drawn up (signed by Patrick McInnes, who was presumably employed by the commissioners) and an estimate prepared. By July 1780 building was well under way. The cost of the bridge came to about 215 pounds. The bridge at Strathyre was built at the same time and is similar in design but has only 2 arches.

From Historic Environment Scotland under OGL v3.