Connel Bridge

Went a few miles north of Oban this afternoon to look at a job, expecting to find a Blip subject en route. Before I knew it, the beautiful day had gone sour, the sun had disappeared and the sky was dark.

I stopped at North Connel on my way home to photograph the Connel Bridge, a bridge which has been photographed many times before by every tourist who visits Oban!

The bridge was built to carry the Oban to Ballachulish railway line across the narrows of Loch Etive, and was opened in 1903. In 1909 it became possible to drive your car on to a wagon to cross by rail. Later on, in 1919, a roadway was laid beside the track to enable cars to drive over, though there wasn't enough room for cars and trains at the same time!

When the line closed in 1966 the bridge became a normal road bridge, though only single track. There is a law of nature which applies here - whenever you approach the bridge, from either direction, the traffic lights are always red!