![Bridge over the Aray taken from the castle grounds - geograph](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/69/Bridge_over_the_Aray_taken_from_the_castle_grounds_-_geograph.org.uk_-_870047.jpg)
Aray Bridge, also known as Inveraray Bridge, is a stone two-arch public road bridge on the
Inveraray Castle
Inveraray Castle (pronounced or ; Scottish Gaelic ''Caisteal Inbhir Aora'' ) is a country house near Inveraray in the county of Argyll, in western Scotland, on the shore of Loch Fyne, Scotland's longest sea loch. It is one of the earliest ex ...
estate near
Inveraray
Inveraray ( or ; gd, Inbhir Aora meaning "mouth of the Aray") is a town in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It is on the western shore of Loch Fyne, near its head, and on the A83 road. It is a former royal burgh, the traditional county town of Arg ...
in
Argyll and Bute
Argyll and Bute ( sco, Argyll an Buit; gd, Earra-Ghàidheal agus Bòd, ) is one of 32 unitary authority council areas in Scotland and a lieutenancy area. The current lord-lieutenant for Argyll and Bute is Jane Margaret MacLeod (14 July 2020) ...
,
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
, carrying the
A83 road
The A83 is a major road in the south of Argyll and Bute, Scotland, running from Tarbet, on the western shore of Loch Lomond, where it splits from the A82, to Campbeltown at the southern end of the Kintyre peninsula.
Route
From Tarbet the A8 ...
over the mouth of the
River Aray
This list of rivers in Scotland is organised geographically, taken anti-clockwise, from Berwick-upon-Tweed. Tributaries are listed down the page in an upstream direction. (L) indicates a left-bank tributary and (R) indicates a right-bank tribu ...
where it flows into
Loch Fyne
Loch Fyne ( gd, Loch Fìne, ; meaning "Loch of the Vine/Wine"), is a sea loch off the Firth of Clyde and forms part of the coast of the Cowal peninsula. Located on the west coast of Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It extends inland from the Sound o ...
.
History
The present structure replaces a military bridge of 1758 designed by
John Adam which was destroyed by floods in 1772.
It was planned in 1773 by
Robert Mylne for the
Board of Ordnance
The Board of Ordnance was a British government body. Established in the Tudor period, it had its headquarters in the Tower of London. Its primary responsibilities were 'to act as custodian of the lands, depots and forts required for the defence ...
and Colonel
John Campbell, 5th Duke of Argyll
Field Marshal John Campbell, 5th Duke of Argyll (June 1723 – 24 May 1806), styled Marquess of Lorne from 1761 to 1770, was a Scottish soldier and nobleman. After serving as a junior officer in Flanders during the War of the Austrian Succe ...
, on whose estate it stands. The contractor was J. Brown and it was completed in 1775/6.
[
It was placed at Category A (the highest) on ]Historic Scotland
Historic Scotland ( gd, Alba Aosmhor) was an executive agency of the Scottish Office and later the Scottish Government from 1991 to 2015, responsible for safeguarding Scotland's built heritage, and promoting its understanding and enjoyment. ...
's listed building
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
designations in 1971.[ The Arrochar trunk road over the bridge now operates as a single carriageway controlled by traffic lights.
]
Description
The bridge consists of two equal segmental arch spans of built of rubble with all faces of dressed masonry and partly balustraded parapets; the central spandrel is pierced and the pier is angular.[
]
References
{{coord, 56.1493, -5.4119, type:landmark_region:GB, display=inline,title
Bridges in Argyll and Bute
Road bridges in Scotland
Bridges completed in 1776
Category A listed buildings in Argyll and Bute
Listed bridges in Scotland
1776 establishments in Scotland