Ballantrae celebrates the reopening of historic Ardstinchar Bridge
The community is marking the return of the 18th century bridge with a special event, after it lay inaccessible for roughly 30 years
Ballantrae is celebrating a key milestone today as the historic Ardstinchar Bridge officially reopens after a comprehensive restoration project.
The 18th-century bridge, which had fallen into disrepair over the years, was thought to have originally been built using stones from the nearby Ardstinchar Castle, dating back to the 15th century.
The bridge has long been an iconic feature of the town, providing a vital crossing over the River Stinchar.
It has been closed off to pedestrians since the 1990s.
Building commenced in the mid-1770s and was completed around 1780 as part of the military road between Ballantrae and Stranraer.
During the build, the masons faced considerable difficulty in forming the piers of the bridge. This was eventually completed at great expense, making it by far the most expensive bridge built by the Ayrshire commissioners in the eighteenth century.
Local residents and history enthusiasts have gathered today to mark the reopening of the structure, which is once again an important part of Ballantrae’s infrastructure.
The significance of the bridge goes beyond its engineering. Ardstinchar Castle, from which the bridge stones were allegedly sourced, was once visited by Mary, Queen of Scots in 1563.
The Queen’s visit to the castle adds an extra layer of history to the site, making today’s reopening a truly historic occasion.
Judie McCourt from the Ballantrae History Group said: "You can feel the generations of people who's footsteps your walking in.
"The village of Ballantrae, as far as we can tell, has been here since the 1400s.
"The bridge is very much part of the social history of the village, it connects us all, and it's really important.
"It's really great that we can now walk or cycle across it again.
"We'd like to encourage more people to come and see it, whether they're walking, cycling, exploring all of the Stinchar valley or the coast.
"People are always coming off the ferries - it'd be nice to encourage people to make a stop."
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