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Isle of Skye

Sligachan Old Bridge

A humped stone bridge of about 1810 to 1818 by Thomas Telford, with the Cuillin rising behind it.

Welcome

Of all the views of the Cuillin, this may be the one most people carry home: an old stone bridge humped over the River Sligachan, the water running brown and clear over its stony bed, and the dark peaks rising straight up behind.

Visited and photographed by Simon Hird

It stands just east of the Sligachan Hotel, beside the road it once carried, and is easy to miss from the car.

Stop at Sligachan and walk over. From the middle of the bridge you look straight up Glen Sligachan into the mountains, and from the riverbank below you can frame the peaks through its arches. Come early or late, when the light lies low across the moor and the crowds are thin. Skye tells a story about the water beneath the bridge, too: that anyone who dips their face in it for seven seconds will keep their beauty for ever. The river is cold, and you are welcome to try.

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The Daily for 4 November, from Scotland with love. A pink sandstone castle bristling with conical turrets and a Union Jack flag rises above a gravel forecourt, autumn-tinged ivy climbing one wing beside cannon displayed on the lawn.
A three-arched stone bridge spans a shallow river with the Cuillins rising behind.
Telford's old bridge over the River Sligachan, the Cuillin behind.Press a mark to look closer.
Before you go

The old bridge stands beside the A87 at Sligachan, just east of the hotel.

It no longer carries traffic, so you can walk onto it.

Where
Beside the A87 at Sligachan, a short way above the head of Loch Sligachan and east of the Sligachan Hotel.
Protected
A Category B listed building.

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Did you know

A stone arched bridge spans a rocky river with a mountain peak lit gold behind.
Did you know

One of Telford's roads.

The bridge was built between about 1810 and 1818 by the engineer Thomas Telford, on the line of the old A87.

White blossom frames a stone arched bridge over a river before the Cuillin mountains.
Did you know

Built by tender, 1811.

Builders were invited to tender for the work in the Inverness Journal in September 1811, and again in the early months of 1822.

White blossom borders a rocky river beneath a stone bridge with the Cuillins beyond.
Did you know

Replaced alongside.

The old road now crosses on a new bridge just to the north, a single concrete arch faced in stone, and Telford's bridge now carries no traffic.

A shallow river winds over rocky shelves toward the Cuillin mountains.
Did you know

Once a scheduled monument.

The bridge was scheduled as a monument of national importance in the 1970s. It was taken off the schedule in 2016, but stays a listed building.

Ben Lerwill

From our guide to Skye

Glance to your left as you pass through the settlement of Sligachan on the A87 and you’ll spy a piece of history: a triple-span stone bridge built by Thomas Telford in the early 19th century. Now disused, the bridge still straddles the river – and it’s said that by washing your face in the waters that flow beneath it, you’ll gain eternal beauty. Gotta be worth a try.

Read more
A stone arched bridge spans a rocky river with a mountain peak lit gold behind.
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Where it is

Over the River Sligachan at Sligachan, beside the A87, just east of the hotel.

Close byThe places nearest the bridge, by road.
  1. SligachanSligachanThe old crossroads inn at the foot of the Cuillin, where the roads to Portree and Dunvegan part.Under a mile 1 min by road
  2. Cuillin BreweryCuillin BreweryBeer brewed with the soft water of the Cuillin, from a Seaweed IPA to the 7% Cuillin Beast.Under a mile 1 min by road
  3. The back bar at Seumas' lined with whiskies.Seumas' BarA lively walkers' bar with over 400 whiskies, next door to the brewery.Under a mile 1 min by road
  4. Café CùilCafé CùilA café in a red-roofed building above Loch Harport, run by the chef Clare Coghill.6 miles 8 min by road
  5. RaasayRaasayThe island across the water, 25 minutes by ferry from Sconser.11 miles 36 min by road
  6. The Fairy Pools in Glen Brittle: white water spilling over dark rock into a clear pool, the jagged ridge of the Black Cuillin rising behind.Fairy PoolsClear pools and waterfalls at the foot of the Black Cuillin.11 miles 14 min by road
  7. Cuillin MountainsCuillin MountainsThe inside of a 60-million-year-old volcano, and the highest mountains in Britain off the mainland.14 miles 18 min by road
Directions
A canyoner in helmet and drysuit coming through the fall of a gorge, water breaking white over the shoulders.AttractionsSkye AdventureA step away
Wood-burning stove alight beside floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking a hillside pathSligachanSligachan BlackhousesSleeps 6 · 0.2 miles
Glen Sligachan opening south from the road, the Cuillin rising on either side and the river running through the moor.WalksGlen Sligachan0.2 miles
A white house sits beside a stone bridge over a river, misty mountains rising behind.SligachanSligachan CampsitePlace to stay · 0.3 miles
Talisker distillery entrance, whitewashed wall with crossed oars beside the doorAttractionsTalisker Distillery7.8 miles
White cottage with dormer windows beside "The Old Byre" sign overlooking the lochRestaurantsThe Old Inn7.9 miles
Café interior with blue counter, glass display case and framed bird prints on the wallCafeCaora Dhubh Coffee Company7.9 miles
White painted building marked Talisker Distillery, with a footbridge crossing the burn belowAttractionsThe Bar at Talisker Distillery8.0 miles
Dining table beside floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Talisker distillery and the lochRestaurantsThe Three Chimneys at Talisker8.0 miles

Recommend to a friend

Stay nearby

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

Wood-burning stove alight beside floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking a hillside pathSligachan Blackhouses
  • Sleeps 6
  • In Sligachan
  • Under a mile from the bridge
Check datesA white house sits beside a stone bridge over a river, misty mountains rising behind.Sligachan Campsite
  • To stay
  • In Sligachan
  • Under a mile from the bridge
Check datesRound table and chairs by a bay window overlooking a loch and hillsRaasay House Hotel
  • A hotel
  • In Raasay
  • 6 miles from the bridge
Check datesAttic bedroom with white panelled walls, double bed and framed floral printThe Crofter's House
  • Sleeps 2
  • In Camustianavaig
  • 6 miles from the bridge
Check datesPlaces to stayEvery stay on SkyeAll our places to stay nearby, to search by date and by who is coming.See them all
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