Locals call for historic aqueduct to be saved

LOCALS have called for a 173-yearold Dundee footbridge to be rebuilt after its partial collapse at the weekend.

A middle section of Finlathen Aqueduct, a well-used link between the communities of Fintry and Linlathen, crumbled overnight on Friday.

A night of heavy rain is believed to have exacerbated a growing bulge in a wall on the side of the walkway.

It had been closed and cordoned off at the start of the month amid concerns over safety.

Engineers from a council contractor were on the site early on Saturday to assess the damage and ensure the structure does not crumble further.

John Rae, 67, who has lived in Fintry his whole life, said he feared it would now be knocked down.

“It’ll likely be too expensive to rebuild,” he said.

“I think they’ll go with a smaller concrete bridge unfortunately.

“I noticed it had a slight bulge a while before it was closed but in the days after the fencing went up it started to subside a lot.

“It is probably not as heavily-used as it once was but it is still constantly in use. It’s a part of the history here.

“I remember using it every day when I was just a wee boy. Hundreds of kids would walk over it on their way to school. It’s a real shame.”

After its closure, some locals had continued to use it, despite the council putting out a warning.

Residents of both communities have taken to social media to call for the aqueduct, which was built in 1846, to be saved. Many described the path as a “landmark” and said it is “vital” to the two areas.

The structure is 500ft long, with 13 arches and was originally built by the Dundee Water Company to carry the first water pipeline from Monikie over the Dighty valley to Dundee.

The Dighty Burn, which also passes through Drumgeith Park, was previously known as Scotland’s hardest working stream, with more than 30 mills using its water.

The two parks were created in place of the mills when they became derelict.

Engineers are expected to further assess the state of the aqueduct this week before council officers make a recommendation on its future.

The side crumbled.