Gilderland Bridge, Maspie Burn, House Of Falkland

Gilderland Bridge, built by the renowned architect William Burn around 1844, spans the Maspie Burn as part of the designed landscape of the House of Falkland Estate. The bridge is a tall structure with a main round arch and a smaller round-arched pedestrian arch to the east, set on a slightly curved plan.

The bridge is constructed of squared and snecked rubble with rusticated voussoirs. Its most distinctive feature is the corniced stone ashlar parapet, which is finished with a continuous arcaded balustrade. The bridge is terminated at each end with square-plan, coped piers.

Sitting high above the burn, the bridge makes a prominent contribution to the landscape of the gorge, with its arches particularly visible in views looking up the Maspie Burn. It forms part of a wider scheme of several bridges built across the burn to allow people to experience the rugged landscape of the Estate.

Burn was employed by Onesiphorus Tyndall Bruce and his wife Margaret (née Bruce) to design a new country house on the estate following their decision to demolish the existing Nuthill House. Work on the House of Falkland itself took place between 1839 and 1844. Beyond the main house, Burn improved the surrounding lands, building not only Gilderland Bridge but also the East Lodge and other features. The bridge represents Burn's integration of utilitarian structures into the picturesque landscape design of the estate.

William Burn (1789-1870) was one of Scotland's foremost architects of the 19th century. He began his career designing public buildings but became particularly celebrated for country house design, working for clients across Scotland and England. He was skilled in the internal planning of country houses and worked across a range of styles from Greek Revival to Scottish Baronial.