Location type

Bridge

Name and dates

Spey Viaduct (1886-1968)

Opened on the Moray Coast Railway (Great North of Scotland Railway).

Description

This single track viaduct is out of use, now used as a footpath. The bridge crossed the River Spey close to its mouth between the former Garmouth and Spey Bay stations. Sometimes also known as the Garmouth Viaduct. The viaduct has three sections: a central 350ft bowstring approached on either side by three 100ft plain truss girders. The overall length is 947.5ft.

The viaduct has this great length due to its proximity to the mouth of the River Spey, the course of the main channel and width of the river in spate varying.

It took three years to build. The engineer was Patrick Barnett, the chief engineer of the Great North of Scotland Railway, with consulting engineers Blyth and Cunningham.. This led to the nickname 'Barnett's Monument'.

Construction of the viaduct, and others at Cullen, delayed complete opening of the line until 1886. It was opened from the west to Garmouth in 1884 and from the east to Tochieneal also in 1884.

The course of the river has altered to the east after construction and has moved a little west again, showing the sense of building such a long viaduct. To its north is the appropriately named 'Railway Arch Pool'.

There were many more Spey viaducts.

Another bridge, the Boat o' Brig Viaduct which still in use, is further south at Orton.

To the south is Craigellachie Bridge close to the former Craigellachie station.

Bridge of Carron crosses the Spey near the former Carron station.

A temporary railway, the Knockando Timber Extraction Railway, had a bridge near Knockando station.

Ballindalloch Viaduct crosses the Spey by the former Ballindalloch station.

Yet another crossing of the Spey was at Spey Viaduct [Broomhill], close to Broomhill Junction.

Finally there is Spey Viaduct [Newtonmore] just south of Newtonmore station.

Local

The viaduct now carries the Moray Coast Trail and National Cycle Route 1 .

Tags

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