About
The Bridge of Oich is an elegant suspension bridge of 1854 over the River Oich at Aberchalder, beside the Caledonian Canal four miles south of Fort Augustus. Its designer was James Dredge, an English brewer turned engineer, who used his patented taper principle: the wrought-iron chains grow thinner towards the middle of the 46-metre span, making the bridge lighter, and in theory each cantilevered half would stay standing if the deck broke in the centre. Bypassed by the road in 1932, it was restored by Historic Scotland in the 1990s and reopened to walkers in 1997; only seven of the thirty Dredge bridges built in the British Isles survive. The deck is closed again for safety checks, so it is a bridge to look at from its approach for now. Reviewers watch dippers and kingfishers on the river and boats passing the canal swing bridge next door; the small car park is at the brown sign off the A82.
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- Bridge of OichBridge closed; view only from its approach, no reopening date
Opening times may change at short notice.
Historic Scotland: 'Bridge of Oich is free to visit, but is currently view only' and 'Please note the bridge is currently closed', with no date for the closure or reopening (20 October 2026); reviewers in 2026 mention safety checks. The grounds and approach stay open all year with no hours published.
Strong footwear is recommended; information panels and a viewing platform on site; no toilets or facilities. The Caledonian Canal's Aberchalder swing bridge and the Great Glen Way towpath are next door and are Scottish Canals', not part of this site.
Photo: The white iron chains and timber deck of the Bridge of Oich spanning the River Oich from its granite pylon, seen from the A82 bridge. Nilfanion, CC BY-SA 3.0. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bridge_of_Oich_from_new_bridge.jpg. Licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0. Resized and cropped for display; derivatives retain the source licence.
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