Proposed bridge at Braemar

[Alastair S]

I've just found out (via Twitter) about a proposed footbridge over the River Dee at Braemar. After a bit of poking about I've discovered that this isn't particularly new, but at the same time its hardly high profile.

I guess this has come to light as a design for the foot (& horse) bridge has recently been published - see details at the Architects Journal and the Urban Realm (the latter has more detail). Personally I like the design (its an update of several suspension bridges that already span the Dee) and would welcome the addition of a crossing at Braemar.

I wanted to know exactly where this crossing is to be and came up with this PDF from the Cairngorms National Park Authority. The location is pretty much as expected (NO146922 & comes out to the track between the Linn of Quoich & Invercauld House) but this document is from June 2010. While it says "There is much support for a new bridge over the River Dee" this is the first I've heard of it.

So, does anyone know any more? The client is Braemar Community Ltd who currently look after Braemar Castle, but what I'd really like to know is how likely is this to proceed?

[Caberfeidh]

That has been discussed for years, I thought they had done it already. I guess, as ever, funding is tricky.

[Lastofthesummerwine]

It sounds like a good idea to me. It would make access to the north side of the Dee so much easier. If it was a footbridge it would probably accommodate bikes as well making a nice little circuit round via Invercauld and back or indeed to Mar Lodge and back.

[Alastair S]

There's a piece in today's Scotsman about this. The only new bit is "Braemar Community Ltd will shortly submit a formal planning application for the bridge". So don't expect to hear anything for another year or so

[Cairngormwanderer]

Had a bit in my blog a few weeks back when the architects revealed their plans and don't know if there's anything particularly new now. I presume the planning application will be submitted fairly soon and after that the next stage will be to get approval from the council and the national park authority. Assuming all the relevant bodies want it to go ahead (and there's been no word otherwise that I've heard) it could get permission within a couple of months or so. Once that happens there's usually a condition on planning permission that the project has to take place within a certain time.
So, in short, some of the younger members of this forum might see a new footbridge over the Dee in their lifetimes.

[dannyblue]

Does anyone know if this bridge over the Dee at Braemar has been built yet? I'd be very pleased if it has been.

Thanks!

[bydand_loon]

No, it hasn't.

They're still arguing about it and probably will until such a time as they can call it the "new millennium bridge" or some such snappy easy to remember moniker.

[dannyblue]

Thanks very much for the reply. We're camping out for three nights and I guess that means we won't be coming out of the wilds blinking into the bright lights of Braemar to resupply.

[Kevin29035]

Last summer I asked around the staff of the Fife Arms and no one had even heard of it (to be fair they seemed to be foreign workers there for the summer??), I was looking to go straight out of Braemar into Gleann an t-Slugain. As it was I ended up going via Keiloch but I'd love to see a bridge there.