Misty Deveron Bridge, Banff
"We had a lovely spot of warm weather last weekend and as it was a local holiday on the Monday we decided to visit the beach. As we got closer to the coast we could see the threat of the sea haar (coastal mist) very much in evidence. However, we decided not to let this put us off and continued on and had a great time. While the others were playing rugby on the beach I wandered off with my camera.
"Smeaton's seven-arch masonry bridge across the River Deveron at Banff is similar in both design and structure to his earlier bridge at Perth. The arches at Banff are smaller, however, each spanning 50ft.
As is characteristic of Smeaton's major bridges, the weight of Banff Bridge is in the foundations, while the spandrels incorporate voids between parallel walls. This technique allowed the engineer to minimise the thickness of the arch and thus save money on materials.
The spandrel walls were rebuilt in 1881 and so, although Smeaton's signature ornamental circles were preserved, they are no longer picked out in the original black rubble masonry." "
