Bridge Of Mucomir, Caledonian Canal, Gairlochy

This is a substantial three-arched rubble bridge, constructed around 1815 as part of Thomas Telford’s Caledonian Canal. The bridge crosses the River Lochy, which was re-cut and realigned in the early 19th century to allow the canal to run in a straight course, effectively defining the parish boundary with Kilmallie. The arches are tall, with differing spans and placed at irregular intervals, and feature tooled ashlar dressings. The exterior of the bridge is punctuated by five columnar buttresses on each face, each decorated with single blind vertical and cruciform arrow slits. Splayed approaches lead to the bridge. Rubble abutments retain the river banks alongside the bridge. Later walling has been added to accommodate the modern hydroelectric station at Mucomir. The bridge and its setting demonstrate a remarkable engineering project undertaken to integrate the canal into the existing landscape.