Kirkcudbright Bridge to Tongland Bridge

Well, having arrived at Kirkcudbright Harbour, I was excited to discover more.

_{Kirkcudbright Harbour}

The harbour was a lovely introduction to the obvious buzz of the town. It instilled a growing excitement to roam some more. As I walked along the river to Kirkcudbright Bridge, I saw a sign labelled: Dee Walk. I took that as a signal to a] explore the bridge and b] walk the Dee.

Kirkcudbright Bridge

Views of Kirkcudbright Bridge

The Kirkcudbright Bridge [also known as the Dee Bridge] crosses the River Dee. The bridge was built in 1926, replacing an earlier iron bridge that was built in 1868. Apparently, the former bridge had a similar appearance, with 6 spans instead of 5. I learned that the current bridge retained the former ornate, cast iron lamps which can be seen at the end of each span. Before 1868, the river could only be crossed by ferry.

I walked the bridge and stopped midway to get a view of the entire harbour. There are times I wished I was a little taller. This was one of those times, only so that I could take advantage of the prospect from a higher view point. But instead I had to take delight through an opening on the bridge. It was good to see the harbour this way. I was also lucky for the still water of the river as it became a reflective mirror for the town and harbour.

Dee Walk

After paying homage to the bridge, the Dee Walk was next on my list. The Dee Walk was well signposted and the path itself beckoned those near to follow it, so that is what I did. Without hesitation, my walk began. I was intrigued by what looked like abandoned boats along the first lap of the walk. It conjured up all kinds of shipwreck stories. Okay, they weren’t exactly ships but it did stimulate my imagination. I had to take a few photos because of that.

Abandon Boats on the Banks of the River Dee

I continued the walk along the river. The water appeared muddy, wide and quite low. The banks near Kirkcudbright were well-maintained and offered plenty of seating to admire the view.

Views of the River Dee in Kirkcudbright

As the river curved just outside the town, I arrived at a wooden bridge where I saw a signpost for Tongland Bridge. Why not? I extended my walk to Tongland Bridge. The footpath continued along the top of a narrow embankment. I have since learned that the embankment protected the adjacent fields from flooding.

Views along the River Dee

Mudflats of the River Dee

The River Dee is tidal and it was low-tide when I did this walk, All along the river I could see the exposed mudflats, especially at the halfway mark.

Tongland Bridge

After walking for about 3 miles, I climbed the stairs of the river bank to arrive at Tongland Bridge.

Approaching the stairs to Tongland Bridge

Top of Tongland Bridge

Tongland bridge was built by Thomas Telford and completed in 1808. With its large masonry arch, it is considered to be one of Telford’s best Scottish bridges. The river rises and falls by over 6 metres with the tides. Therefore, the bridge had to be built with additional arches on either side to ease the passage of the water at high tide.

I was a little challenged to get a view of the bridge in its entirety, but the section I was able to capture looked rather grand. It looked like a bridge that would not appear out of place surrounding a castle. But perhaps that is my imagination going awry, yet again.

Views from the Top of Tongland Bridge

Views of Tongland Bridge from the river bank

Further up the river I also saw the remains of the old railway bridge. The old railway crossed the river and the road on the other side of the river.

The Kirkcudbright Railway was a branch line linking Kirkcudbright to Castle Douglas and onward to Dumfries. It opened in 1864 and closed in 1965. [Source Kirkcudbright History Society]

Remains of the Old Railway

Return Walk to Kirkcudbright

Having walked the river banks to Tongland Bridge, I decided to return to Kirkcudbright by the street. I was drawn to a neighbouring ranch and the surrounding farms which undoubtedly swayed my decision.

Dusk On The Water

My walk ended where it started, on Kirkcudbridge Bridge and the Harbour. But now it was dusk. It seems fitting to mark the end of this little adventure with a photo of the reflective mirror at dusk by the water. It was a pretty sight.