Spey Viaduct

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Spey Viaduct
Garmouth Spey Viaduct.jpg
The Spey Viaduct before its collapse
Coordinates 57°39′46″N3°05′52″W / 57.6627°N 3.0979°W / 57.6627; -3.0979
OS grid reference NJ345641
Carried Moray Coast Trail
Crossed River Spey
Locale Garmouth
Other name(s)Spey Bay Viaduct
Garmouth Viaduct
Speymouth Railway Viaduct
Named for River Spey
Owner Moray Council
Characteristics
Total length947.5 feet (288.8 m)
Longest span350 feet (110 m)
No. of spans7
History
Construction cost£40,000 (1886)
Opened1886
Collapsed14 December 2025
Closed14 December 2025
Location
Spey Viaduct
Interactive map of Spey Viaduct

Spey Viaduct is a former railway bridge which spans the mouth of the River Spey in northern Scotland. The line opened in 1886, closed to railway traffic in 1968, and has been used as a cycle and footpath since rail closure. The structure is listed as Category B with Historic Environment Scotland. The bridge was built on dry land with the river being diverted underneath it on completion, and it cost £40,000, which was a seventh of the total coast of the entire Moray Coast Line. In December 2025, the viaduct partially collapsed into the river below.

Contents

History

The design of the bridge was down to Patrick Barnett and the contract for the ironwork on the bridge was awarded to the Blaikie Brothers of Aberdeen. [1] [2] The bridge has three sets of 100-foot (30 m) spans on either side which meet in the middle with a 350 feet (110 m) bowed central truss section. The central section reaches a height above the viaduct's deck of 43 feet (13 m), [1] and the girder tops on the six approach spans are 11 feet (3.4 m) high above the deck. [3] The supports for the bridge are all cylindrical iron pipes at a diameter of 13 feet (4 m) and cladded with stone, though they had to be sunk quite deep (about 50 feet (15 m) below the surface) due to a lack of a suitable bedrock beneath the bridge. [4] [5] [3] [6] The combined length of the viaduct at 950 feet (290 m), [i] made it the longest single-track viaduct in Britain. [7] The necessity for such a long viaduct was due to the River Spey becoming a delta in the area as it approached the sea. The bridge is quite low above the water level, and for the most part, covers rocks and grassy islands which are only underwater at times of flooding. [8]

The bridge had been engineered on dry land and the river was diverted under the viaduct after it had been completed so that the main flow of the river would go underneath the western end and the central part of the viaduct, but soon after opening, the river changed its course eastwards underneath the eastern end of the viaduct. [6] This led to a court case brought by the Duke of Richmond for loss of fishing rights and by the Fishery Board for the "diminution in the salmon [stock of the river]." [9] The central truss section largely came to be located over a floodplain in the middle of the river mouth. [10]

The viaduct had a total weight of 588 tonnes (579 long tons; 648 short tons) and was built between 1883 and 1886 at a cost of £40,000 (equivalent to £5,504,000in 2023) which was a seventh of the overall cost of the whole Moray Coast Line. [6] [5] [11] It was tested by Major Marindin (an inspector from the Board of Trade) on 22 April 1886 when six engines were positioned on the bridge with a combined wight of 420 tonnes (410 long tons; 460 short tons). [12] It was opened for passenger traffic on 1 May 1886, goods services having started earlier. [13]

Naming

Most documents refer to the bridge as Spey Viaduct; however, Historic Environment Scotland has an official listing for Speymouth Railway Viaduct. [14] It is also known as Spey Bay Viaduct, and Garmouth Viaduct. [15] [16] [17] [18]

Another viaduct which is still in daily railway use on the old Inverness and Aberdeen Junction Railway (now the Aberdeen–Inverness line) is also called Spey Viaduct. [19] This span was opened in August 1858. [20]

Post rail-closure

The viaduct closed to rail traffic in 1968, since when it has been maintained and owned by Moray Council, who opened it as a public walkway in 1978. [21] [22] The bridge carries the Moray Coast Trail, and National Cycle Route 1 (NCN1). [23] On 14 December 2025, the viaduct partially collapsed with two of the approach spans falling into the river after the piers had suffered scour from the action of the water passing beneath the bridge. [24] [25] The council have intimated that the finances to repair or replace the bridge may be beyond their means. [17]

Notes

  1. ↑ Smith states the actual entire length of the structure to be 947.5 feet (288.8 m).

References

  1. 1 2 Shephard, Ian A. G. (1986). Grampian. Edinburgh: Her Majesty's Stationery Office. p. 66. ISBN   0114924538.
  2. ↑ Ross, David (2015). The Great North of Scotland Railway: a new history. Catrine: Stenlake Publishing. p. 108. ISBN   9781840337013.
  3. 1 2 "The Spey Viaduct". Aberdeen Journal, and General Advertiser for the North of Scotland. No. 9388. 14 March 1885. p. 2. OCLC   614973510.
  4. ↑ Biddle, Gordon; Nock, Oswald S. (1983). "Scottish Region". The railway heritage of Britain: 150 years of railway architecture and engineering. London: Joseph. p. 166. ISBN   0718123557.
  5. 1 2 Lockhart, Douglas (2017). Old Fochabers: with Lhanbryde, Urquhart, Garmouth, Kingston and Spey Bay. Catrine: Stenlake. p. 40. ISBN   9781840337914.
  6. 1 2 3 "The New Spey Viaduct". Aberdeen Journal, and General Advertiser for the North of Scotland. No. 9742. 1 May 1886. p. 2. OCLC   614973510.
  7. ↑ Smith, Martin (1994). British railway bridges & viaducts. Shepperton: Ian Allan. p. 129. ISBN   0711022739.
  8. ↑ Scott, W. J. (1898). "Little and good; the Great North of Scotland Railway". The Railway Magazine. Vol. 11. London: Economic Printing & Publishing Company. p. 23. OCLC   931658199.
  9. ↑ Ross, David (2015). The Great North of Scotland Railway: a new history. Catrine: Stenlake Publishing. p. 123. ISBN   9781840337013.
  10. ↑ Thomas, John; Turnock, David (1993). A regional history of the railways of Great Britain, volume 15: the North of Scotland (2 ed.). Nairn: Thomas. p. 172. ISBN   0946537038.
  11. ↑ "Garmouth/Spey Viaduct update - 15 December 2025". Moray Council News. 15 December 2025. Retrieved 21 December 2025.
  12. ↑ "Board of Trade inspection for the coast railway". Aberdeen Journal, and General Advertiser for the North of Scotland. No. 9736. 23 April 1886. p. 4. OCLC   614973510.
  13. ↑ "Spey Viaduct". forgottenrelics.org. Retrieved 21 December 2025.
  14. ↑ Historic Environment Scotland. "Speymouth Railway Viaduct (Category B Listed Building LB14873)" . Retrieved 21 December 2025.
  15. ↑ MacErlean, Feargal (2012). Cycling in Scotland. Basingtoke: AA. p. 122. ISBN   0749572515.
  16. ↑ Kennedy, Andrew (January 2026). "Stepping into the past with railway ramblers". Steam Days. No. 437. Kelsey Media. p. 58. ISSN   0269-0020.
  17. 1 2 Banks, Ken; MacLennan, Chris (15 December 2025). "Replacing collapsed bridge 'nigh on impossible' cost for council". BBC News. Retrieved 21 December 2025. The local authority said in a statement on Monday evening: "Engineers have now assessed the Garmouth Viaduct and on initial inspection can confirm the collapse appears to be due to scour.
  18. ↑ Cameron, Lucinda (17 December 2025). "Collapse of historic viaduct like due to soil erosion, say engineers". The Herald. p. 12. ISSN   0965-9434.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: ignored ISSN errors (link)
  19. ↑ Kelman, Leanne (2017). Railway track diagrams 1: Scotland & Isle of Man (6 ed.). Frome: Trackmaps. 17F. ISBN   978-0-9549866-9-8.
  20. ↑ Slater, J. N., ed. (February 1974). "Commemorations". Railway Magazine. Vol. 120, no. 874. London: IPC. p. 87. ISSN   0033-8923.
  21. ↑ Hakimian, Rob (18 December 2025). "Council confirms scour as cause of Spey viaduct collapse after 'river flow path changed'". New Civil Engineer. Retrieved 21 December 2025.
  22. ↑ Slater, J. N., ed. (November 1978). "Spey Viaduct opened as walkway". The Railway Magazine. Vol. 124, no. 931. London: IPC. p. 561. ISSN   0033-8923.
  23. ↑ Duncan, Abbie (19 December 2025). "Moray Council have known for three years that the Spey Viaduct was at risk of collapse". Press and Journal. Retrieved 21 December 2025.
  24. ↑ Andonova, Denny (18 December 2025). "Environment agency told to give more control to local people after Spey Viaduct collapse". Press and Journal. Retrieved 21 December 2025.
  25. ↑ Gallagher, Tony, ed. (15 December 2025). "Spey Viaduct collapses". The Times. No. 74, 904. p. 10. ISSN   0140-0460.
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