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Poldullie Bridge's single stone arch over the Don among autumn trees.
Aberdeenshire

Poldullie Bridge

A high single-arched bridge of 1715 over the River Don in Strathdon, built by John Forbes of Inverernan just before he rode out for the Jacobites.

Welcome

In the upper valley of the Don, near the village of Bellabeg, a narrow road crosses the river on a single soaring arch of rough stone, climbing steeply up to its crown and down again.

Poldullie Bridge spans the dark, winding Don in one leap of some seventy feet.

It was built in 1715 by John Forbes of Inverernan, and a stone tablet over the keystone still carries his name and the date. He had little time to enjoy it. That autumn he followed the Earl of Mar into the Jacobite rising, fought at Sheriffmuir in November, and was taken prisoner and held in Carlisle Castle.

His bridge was built to last. In August 1829 the great flood known as the Muckle Spate swept down the Don and carried away bridges all along the river, but Poldullie stood. A path along the river from Bellabeg leads to it.

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The Daily for 31 October, from Scotland with love. A ring of standing stones set among mist and autumn birch
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Before you go

Free, at any time.

The bridge carries a minor road over the Don near Strathdon; there is room to pull in nearby, and paths along the river from Bellabeg.

Where
Over the River Don, near Strathdon and Bellabeg.
Built
1715, by John Forbes of Inverernan.

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Where it is

Over the River Don in Strathdon, just west of Bellabeg.

Close byStrathdon.
  1. The steep grassy side of the Doune of Invernochty mound against the sky.Doune of InvernochtyA huge earthwork castle mound of the Earls of Mar.Under a mile 1 min by road
  2. Road sign reading "Lost" with an arrow, surrounded by bare winter shrubsThe Famous Lost SignUnder a mile 1 min by road
  3. Stone cottage with lit doorways and slate roof at dusk, forest behindSteading BarThe Steading is a bar in Strathdon, in a quiet part of the Cairngorms.1 mile 3 min by road
  4. The dining room at Kildrummy Inn, with iron chandeliers under the beams, tables laid with glasses and candles and gilt-framed Highland paintings on the walls.Kildrummy InnA family-run inn of 1828 on the A97 in upper Donside, with two AA Rosettes, a place in the Michelin Guide, a whisky snug and four bedrooms.8 miles as the crow flies
  5. Corgarff CastleCorgarff CastleA white tower house turned Redcoat barracks at the head of the glen.8 miles 11 min by road
  6. Kildrummy Castle's D-shaped ruin seen from the air above its ravine.Kildrummy CastleThe ruined stronghold of the Earls of Mar on Donside.10 miles 14 min by road
Directions
A stone farmhouse with dormer windows stands beside a picnic bench within a wooden fence enclosure.GlenkindieTornahatnachSleeps 5 · 8.9 miles
A stone house with three dormer windows and a yellow front door sits behind a lawn, terracotta pots flanking the entrance.GlenkindieGreenstyleSleeps 6 · 8.9 miles
A stone cottage with green-framed dormer windows and matching door stands behind a gravel drive, trees and open fields beyond.GlenkindieDalgrassickSleeps 4 · 8.9 miles
A stone farmhouse with a gabled dormer window sits behind a timber picket fence, trees shading the drive.GlenkindieHome FarmSleeps 6 · 8.9 miles
A stone farmhouse with a slated roof and green door sits behind a lawn, a timber garden room extending to one side.GlenkindieChapeltonSleeps 6 · 8.9 miles
Two grey linen sofas face each other across a dark wooden coffee table, checked roman blinds at the windows and a framed landscape print on the wall.BallaterOld School CottageSleeps 7 · 11 miles
A wooden table and chairs with green cushions stand on a stone patio beside a gabled stone house, a lawn stretching in front.BallaterLaggan CottageSleeps 8 · 11 miles
A grand stone house with multiple gables and chimneys stands on a lawn at dusk, a Land Rover parked in the drive under a stormy sky.GlengairnGairnshiel LodgeSleeps 16 · 11 miles
Inverenzie Cottage, AberdeenshireBallaterInverenzie CottageSleeps 4 · 13 miles

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Stay nearby

Places to stay near the bridge, and when each is next free.

A stone farmhouse with dormer windows stands beside a picnic bench within a wooden fence enclosure.Tornahatnach
  • Sleeps 5
  • In Glenkindie
  • 6 miles from Poldullie Bridge
Free 18–21 NovA stone house with three dormer windows and a yellow front door sits behind a lawn, terracotta pots flanking the entrance.Greenstyle
  • Sleeps 6
  • In Glenkindie
  • 6 miles from Poldullie Bridge
Free 2–5 NovA stone cottage with green-framed dormer windows and matching door stands behind a gravel drive, trees and open fields beyond.Dalgrassick
  • Sleeps 4
  • In Glenkindie
  • 6 miles from Poldullie Bridge
Free 9–12 NovA stone farmhouse with a gabled dormer window sits behind a timber picket fence, trees shading the drive.Home Farm
  • Sleeps 6
  • In Glenkindie
  • 6 miles from Poldullie Bridge
Free 31 Oct – 3 NovPlaces to stayEvery stay in AberdeenshireAll our places to stay nearby, to search by date and by who is coming.See them all
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