50th anniversary of iconic Garry Bridge
The Garry Bridge is known these days for being the spot where tourists come to take the plunge at the end of a bungee cord.
But this week the Highland Perthshire community marks the 50th anniversary of the structure.
As well as being a functional bridge, it doubles as a viewing platform and a bungee jump destination.
In October 1969, standing 40 metres above the river spanning a truly dizzying gorge, the Garry Bridge opened and the first people joyfully walked across before cars made the crossing.
Tomorrow (Saturday, October 26) the Provost of Perth and Kinross Dennis Melloy will host a civic reception at Killiecrankie Visitor Centre with some of the people who helped build the bridge.
The project was a key bit of infrastructure taking the B8019 across the River Garry just north of the Linn of Tummel. It linked what was then the old A9 with the Queen’s View and Rannoch Moor to the west.
The bridge cost £220,000 to build, around £4 million in today’s money.
The construction process began in 1967, but progress was hampered by pre-war machinery breaking down.
There was also the“horrendous cold”in the winter of 1967/68 and a less stringent health and safety culture back then - those that worked on building the Garry bridge have commented they were surprised no-one was killed during the project.
Highland ward SNP councillor Mike
Williamson has been researching the history of The Garry Bridge.
He said:“Garry Bridge was the first box girder bridge in Perth and Kinross.
“The church even donated a brass plaque. It predated the Friarton Bridge in Perth.”
He found out the new bridge of 1969 replaced a structure created by the Royal Engineers to replace the stone bridge over the River Garry.
They constructed a prefabricated
Bailey bridge, to facilitate the transport of equipment being used in the hydro schemes.
Before it was put in, there had been numerous bad accidents in the gorge area where the footbridge is now.