Big Water of Fleet Viaduct
Location type
BridgeName and dates
Big Water of Fleet Viaduct (1861-1965)Opened on the Portpatrick Railway.
Description
This is a disused large granite single track viaduct 900ft long and 70 ft high with 20 arches.
Repairs were required many times. The viaduct piers were buttressed from 1926 with the piers being encased in red brick, giving the bridge a striking appearance. During this work there was a halt at the west end. Arches have been braced with old rails.
The line closed in 1965. Unlike the nearby Little Water of Fleet Viaduct (blown up in 1987) the viaduct still stands. Access is fenced off at either end.
The viaduct is east of the former Gatehouse of Fleet station. The cliffs of the Clints of Dromore to the north west are a striking backdrop.
The viaduct is now owned by Sustrans.
Engineer: Blyth and Blyth.
Tags
Viaduct Big Water of FleetExternal links
Canmore site recordNLS Collection OS map of 1892-1914
NLS Collection OS map of 1944-67
| Nearby stations Gatehouse of Fleet Loch Skerrow Creetown Palnure New Galloway Parton Causewayend [WR] Tarff Mains Crossing Newton Stewart Wigtown Crossmichael Bridge of Dee Kirkcudbright Kirkinner | Little Water of Fleet Viaduct Culcronchie Viaduct Graddoch Viaduct Stroan Viaduct Palnure Viaduct Kilmabreck Quarry Cree Viaduct Tourist/other Loch Skerrow [Loch] Gatehouse of Fleet [Town] Cardoness Castle Stroan Loch Cairn Holy Chambered Cairns Cassencary Quarry Quay Carsluith Castle Catteringshaws Loch |
| Location names in dark blue are on the same original line. | |
News items
| 03/09/2021 | Man talked down from viaduct after stand-off [Daily Record] |
Books
 Portpatrick and Wigtownshire Railways (Library of Railway History) | Rails to Portpatrick (Local History Series) |  The Port Road: Dumfries to Stranraer, Portpatrick, Kirkcudbright and Whithorn |
