Monument record MHG34945 - CREAGAN MHARTAINN BRIDGE

A mid-late C18 single arch bridge spanning a small burn near Achlain on a stretch of the military road between Fort Augustus and Fort William.

This bridge over a burn heading up into the Creagan Mhartainn is of military construction. It is 4.1m wide with a span of 1.8m. The arch ring is complete, although upper stonework is starting to disintegrate.
Visited by OS April 1979.

The bridge was visited by M Logie of Historic Scotland in 1997 during a project involving a rapid assessment of the state of the military roads and associated features within the boundaries of the Highland Council area. This bridge was noted as being a single span stone culvert/bridge, 1.8m wide with arch ring complete and its upper stone work beginning to disintegrate. <1>

The bridge was included in the scheduling of this particular stretch of military road by Historic Scotland in 2007.

The bridge was included in a survey in 2009 by Forestry Commission Scotland of C18 military roads under their ownership within their Highlands estate and within the districts of Inverness, Ross and Skye, Lochaber and the North Highland Forest in order to enable it to develop sustainable management strategies. <2>

AOC Archaeology Group was commissioned by Forestry Commission Scotland in 2011 to undertake a Structural Costed Conservation Plan for the Achlain Bridges, Fort Augustus, in line with their aspirations to conserve the bridges as a heritage asset through repair and maintenance as necessary. The three bridges date to the mid-C18 and form part of the military road constructed between Fort Augustus and Bernera by Major Caulfeild, the successor to General Wade, in response to the Jacobite uprisings. The plan incorporated an assessment of the significance of the bridges, an assessment of its current condition and conservation requirements and the identification of the long-term needs to maintain them. Archaeological recording of the bridge (designated bridge 008) included a detailed measured survey, a 3D Laser scan, a general and detailed photographic record and a detailed written record. Bridge 008 is very similar in construction and size to Bridge 007 in that it is a single span segmental arched bridge constructed of sandstone with stone pinnings resting on low abutment walls of three courses in height. No parapet walls now exist (or are completely covered with moss and vegetation if they do survive) and looks on initial inspection, to be of drystone construction, although its appearance is the result of washed away lime mortar. <3>

Ross and Cromarty Archaeological Services were commissioned by Forestry Commission Scotland to undertake a programme of recording and excavation in advance of conservation of three military bridges located by Achlain in Invermoriston during the second half of 2012. On Bridge 008, the entire bridge arch and surrounding surface was excavated prior to conservation. The excavation allowed for recording of the bridge prior to any changes made by conservation work to the structures. <4>