Inside the Lattice

The Spey Viaduct (which I always just thought of as the "Spey Bridge" until I looked it up just now!), opened in 1886. It carried the Elgin-Buckie section of the Moray Firth coastal route of the Great North of Scotland Railway over the river near its mouth, between Garmouth and Spey Bay.

For those who love facts and figures:

The viaduct, 950 ft long, was built to carry a single-track railway. It has an impressive 350 ft long wrought-iron lattice bow girder span over the main channel of the river and three parallel-sided wrought-iron lattice girder approach spans of 100 ft at either end. The lattice members of the main arch, 41 ft deep at mid-span, rise from open box girders at each side of the deck. Cast-iron caissons filled with concrete form the piers of the viaduct. These were sunk to bedrock at depths of 25–35 ft except for the piers at the west end of the central span where it was necessary to sink them to a depth of 75 ft.

And apparently, when new, it was tested with a load of two tons of gravel in 20 trucks; it was deflected by 29mm.

Though the railway closed in 1968, the viaduct can still be crossed on foot (its east end connects to the Speyside Way). I remember crossing it one late summer evening, years ago, and stopping to watch adult ospreys teaching the young ones how to catch salmon near the mouth of the Spey. It was an amazing thing to see - I must try to get back there at the right time this year!

This shot was taken from inside the main arch, looking up.