{"id":12318,"date":"2024-07-20T16:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-07-20T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/?p=12318"},"modified":"2024-07-18T22:33:09","modified_gmt":"2024-07-18T21:33:09","slug":"corrieshalloch-gorge-celebrating-150-years-of-engineering-heritage-at-geological-wonder","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/2024\/07\/20\/corrieshalloch-gorge-celebrating-150-years-of-engineering-heritage-at-geological-wonder\/","title":{"rendered":"Corrieshalloch Gorge: Celebrating 150 years of engineering heritage at geological wonder"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The article below appeared in the Spring 2024 edition of the National Trust for Scotland<\/a> members’ magazine to mark the 150th anniversary of the suspension bridge that was built across the Falls of Measach.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Corrieshalloch Gorge<\/a> is today a popular tourist attraction situated on the North Coast 500 route close to the Braemore junction near Ullapool, and Aidan Bell of the NTS explained to me the significance of the bridge and its developer – who is better known for the Forth Bridge and the world’s first underground railway in London – while operations manager at the venue, Martin Hughes, shared his ambitions for the future.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can read the full article on the pdf below (best on a laptop\/desktop) or via the text below.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A bridge through time<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

This year the suspension bridge across Corrieshalloch Gorge in the Highlands will be a remarkable 150 years old. John Davidson<\/strong> visits this extraordinary National Nature Reserve to learn the story of its engineering heritage<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/object>Corrieshalloch-gorge-single-pages<\/a>Download<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Peering over the edge of the narrow suspension bridge that hangs 60 metres above the dramatic Falls of Measach, it can be a little unsettling to feel yourself sway gently back and forth. The fact that this bridge has spanned the River Droma for no fewer than 150 years should give you some reassurance, however. And what\u2019s even more reassuring is to be told that it\u2019s meant to move that way!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The spectacular Corrieshalloch Gorge \u2013 nestled in a hollow between the main road to Ullapool and the Destitution Road to Dundonnell \u2013 is a true hidden gem. It\u2019s not only hidden from those who dash past on their way around the North Coast 500, but the 1.5km-long, 60m-high slot gorge, and its waterfalls, are hidden from sight until the moment you step onto that bridge deck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A century and a half is an impressive lifespan for a bridge, especially in such a grand location. And as Aidan Bell, the National Trust for Scotland\u2019s estate supervisor at Corrieshalloch, highlights: \u2018The fact that we can experience this landscape in the same way it was intended to be experienced when the bridge was built 150 years ago \u2013 that is a tangible connection with history.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

GATEWAY TO NATURE<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Corrieshalloch Gorge was designated a National Nature Reserve in 1967. \u2018There are 43 NNRs in Scotland and this is the smallest, but it\u2019s by no means the least spectacular,\u2019 explains Aidan. \u2018Because of where it is \u2013 in a narrow strip between two main roads \u2013 people drive past and don\u2019t even know it\u2019s here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018Even when you\u2019re standing next to it, it\u2019s not until you step onto the bridge that you fully appreciate the scale and the grandeur of the gorge.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Looking up the gorge towards the suspension bridge.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In April last year, the new Corrieshalloch Gateway to Nature Centre opened to the public, thanks to support from the Natural and Cultural Heritage Fund (led by NatureScot and part funded through the European Regional Development Fund) and from players of People\u2019s Postcode Lottery. This brought additional facilities and a new path to reach the bridge and the network of trails first created in the 19th century.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wander down through the native birches, Aidan points out the two previously hidden waterfalls \u2013 Eas Stapach and Eas Creagach \u2013 that can now be seen as you make your way to the main attraction. They tumble down steps of moine schist rock that splinters in cracks to create blocks \u2013 a small-scale version of what we are about to see below us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The land here was covered by huge glaciers during a series of ice ages. The cracks in the bedrock were caused by the weight of the ice above, which the glacier meltwater then exploited to make bigger, finally creating the gorge itself and the magnificent Falls of Measach. As we approach, I try to peer round the corner and get a glimpse of the falls, but there is nothing to see… yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, within two steps of crossing the bridge, the view opens out \u2013 in front, the vast chasm of the gorge, with the waterfall crashing through the rocks directly below. Behind, huge cliffs plummet from the edge of an otherwise sedate forest floor. Aidan says: \u2018The two things that always surprise people when they step onto the bridge are, one, that it moves slightly \u2013 which it\u2019s meant to! That\u2019s the way it functions as a structure. But also, this sudden abyss that opens out beneath you.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

FEAT OF ENGINEERING<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Aidan Bell is well qualified to tell the story of the Corrieshalloch Gorge suspension bridge, as he has recently published a detailed book on its creator, 19th century engineer Sir John Fowler.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps Fowler\u2019s most famous construction is the Forth Bridge, although he also created the world\u2019s first underground railway, the Metropolitan in London, which is still in use today as part of the London Underground. The same engineering skills he used on his many projects across Britain and the rest of the world were put to good use at Corrieshalloch and in the surrounding area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Martin Hughes and Aidan Bell beside Fowler’s 19th-century bridge.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Not far from the gorge, Fowler built himself a home, the now demolished Braemore House, in a dominating position 700ft up the hillside. He and his wife, Lady Fowler, also oversaw the planting of around 9 million trees on the estate, which was mostly barren open hillside when they bought it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018What\u2019s really interesting about this wider cultural landscape is that Fowler used his engineering skills to adapt and modify it,\u2019 says Aidan. \u2018Whether that was damming lochs to provide water for hydro-electricity or building a series of miniature bridges and creating this network of paths, which didn\u2019t just provide access but also views and vistas through the landscape.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the 18th and 19th centuries, the Romantic movement and the notion of the \u2018sublime\u2019 among artistic and intellectual circles encouraged an appreciation for wild landscapes and the value of immersing oneself among them. Today, Aidan would love people to come and visit the gorge and experience something of the emotions that those 19th century thinkers were seeking, while also appreciating the value of the bridge\u2019s engineering heritage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018In one sense, the bridge itself is a feature in the landscape to be looked at \u2013 from the viewing platform, when you look back up the gorge, you see the graceful span of the bridge, and it makes a very nice artistic composition,\u2019 he says. \u2018But at the same time, standing on the bridge really immerses you in the moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018What I often say to people is to consider the significance of the bridge\u2019s location \u2013 if the purpose was simply to get from one side to the other, Fowler could have just put a conventional bridge in further up the river. But by putting it over the gorge, and creating a suspension bridge as well, visitors peer into the abyss from the edge of safety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018You\u2019re standing on this gently swaying bridge and the waterfall is beneath you, you\u2019re right in the action, right in the picture. That\u2019s what Romanticism and the sublime were all about.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The path leading to the viewing platform.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

CARING FOR OUR HERITAGE<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The historic significance of the suspension bridge means that today it is B-listed by Historic Environment Scotland, and the Trust has a legal duty to maintain it. It is regularly inspected and cared for by a team of experts, including structural engineers who are more used to working on lighthouses. All of this comes at a cost of around \u00a315,000 a year just to look after the bridge, and many visitors are surprised to hear its true age given its carefully maintained, fresh appearance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Corrieshalloch\u2019s operations manager Martin Hughes says: \u2018I think that\u2019s a testament to the National Trust for Scotland, just how much we care for our places and care for that bridge. It does help having someone like Aidan who is particularly passionate about it, as we all are.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Martin is thrilled at the success of last year\u2019s project to open the Gateway to Nature Centre, which has brought more visitors to Corrieshalloch National Nature Reserve \u2013 the numbers exceeded 100,000 last year \u2013 but he is also very conscious that its famous suspension bridge does have a limited lifespan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018It\u2019s difficult to answer how long it will last, because there are a lot of complexities to it, but we do know that at some point we will have to have a plan B,\u2019 says Martin. But he\u2019s ambitious that there may eventually be opportunities to do even more exciting things at Corrieshalloch, enthusing: \u2018If we could put a second bridge in, we could then create a loop, so you come across the bridge and up the back of the gorge here to another bridge.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Corrieshalloch Gorge visitor centre.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For now, investment in the Gateway for Nature Centre has created three full-time jobs and other seasonal roles at Corrieshalloch \u2013 a significant boost for this part of the rural Highlands. There are electric car charging points, motorhome waste disposal facilities and, importantly, public toilets. \u2018We\u2019re providing much-needed facilities and infrastructure that the Highlands are in need of,\u2019 Martin explains, proudly adding: \u2018We\u2019ve also got the best toilets on the west coast of Scotland!\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After visiting the suspension bridge, it\u2019s worth taking the time to wander around the stunning circular route created by following Lady Fowler\u2019s Fern Walk above the gorge to a viewpoint that overlooks Loch Broom. New interpretation is being added to the path network and landscaping works are due to be completed soon, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the meantime, ongoing work to care for the bridge continues, and Aidan is grateful to everyone who supports it. \u2018It\u2019s through people\u2019s membership and admission fees that we are able to fund that conservation work, so that people can still experience Corrieshalloch in the same way it was intended to be experienced 150 years ago.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n