The highway from Blairgowrie to Braemar (A 93) follows the line of an old military road, including a series of bridges built in the 18th Century to allow the movement of English Troops through Scotland, though the work is often attributed, wrongly, to Wade;

For more information on the bridges please click hee to see "THE MILITARY ROAD FROM BRAEMAR TO THE SPITTAL OF GLEN SHEE" kindly reproduced for Educational use under the terms of the Arts and Humanities Data Services web site (http://www.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/access-common-access.htm)

This bridge is located at the start of The Monega Pass, the highest public path in Scotland.There is historical evidence that a bridge was built at this point by William Farquharson in the 16th Century. The present bridge was built in 1749, the master mason being James Robertson of Dunkeld.The bridge was in danger of collapsing and the Braemar Community undertook the repair and conservation of it in 1990.

The original footbridge had been close for many years because of the dangerous state it was in The Braemar Community contacted Scotrail and invited them to replace it.

A group of volunteers from Scotrail including engineers responsible for the Forth Railway Bridge accepted the challenge.

Mar Lodge Estate provided the materials and the volunteers took down the old bridge and built the new one in three days.

This car park gives walkers. Stalkers and shepherds access to the Monega Pass and the Munros East of the Cairnwell Road. The Cairnwell Burn is a major obstacle.

The vast catchment areas of the hills around Braemar mean that river levels rise and fall rapidly.

The volume of water passing through this bridge after a few hours of heavy rain is testament to the skill of the builders in 1749.

When in spate this is an awe inspiring spectacle.

For many years the only access to The Monega Pass was via the rudimentary bridge put in by the shepherd to move bales of wool from the sheep fank on the east bank of the burn

The challenge of crossing aluminium telegraph poles, especially in frosty weather often proved too much for some walkers. There were several reports of people taking involuntary dips in the burn, fortunately none when the water was high.

Braemar Community Ltd decided that the telegraph poles at Monega should be replaced with a bridge that would be robust and echo the standards of other Deeside bridges. The Garbh Allt Bridge in Ballochbuie was chosen as the design model.

John Addison, one of the country?s well known bridging engineers produced the design for use on two river crossings

Glenshee Ltd undertook the prefabrication of the bridges in their workshops at The Cairnwell Ski Centre.

The bridge having been built in the workshop was dismantled and transported to its site.

Placing the bridge accurately required a lot of care and skillful handling. The Managing Director of Glenshee Ltd had a hands on role.

The use of oval section main beams was the first time this method had been used and the curvature of the beams had to be absolutely precise.

The days of the telegraph poles are over.

The days of the telegraph poles are over.

The Seann Spiddal, The telegraph poles and the new Monega Bridge The only time they will be seen together.

The final stages and the official opening only days away.

HRH The Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay meets the team who built the bridge.

The finished bridge with Cairn Tuirc in the background.

The Braemar Royal Highland Society provided a bridge over the Clunie to serve the car parks on the A93 on Games Days. This bridge was swept away by ice many years ago and only the footings remained.

The challenge of replacing the Society Bridge meant that the power of the river had to be the governing factor.

Once again the system devised for the Monega Bridge was used to span The Clunie

Removing the old concrete buttress and spanning the river proved to be no problem for the team from Glenshee Ltd.

Inherently strong, the beams had to be securely anchored in to the banks

The satisfaction of a job well done and on time.

There is nothing quite like standing on a bridge and contemplating a view like this.

There was quite a gathering of interested spectators to see HRH The Prince Charles open the bridge. Once again official schedules were tossed aside as he enjoyed meeting and talking with people.

It was not long before the Clunie showed its strength and the bridge was given its first test.

The value of the arched construction is clearly evident

The completed bridge set against Creag Choinnich

There has long been a need for a footbridge to connect Braemar to the Cairngorms. This is the view from the proposed location looking east.

Not only will this bridge give access to the mountains, it will give other visitors an excellent opportunity to enjoy the vistas.

Designed by John Addison this bridge will again echo the the construction of other Dees Bridges. When installed it will also help to reduce the village?s carbon footprint by reducing the number of car journeys.