The bridge over the River Ythan

A visit to the market town of Ellon this morning to take the cat to the vet for his annual check up.


The main road into Ellon used to cross the River Ythan via a ford but in 1793 this fine arched stone bridge was built. Eventually the old bridge could no longer cope with the increasing traffic and in 1941 it was replaced by a modern concrete bridge. 

The "modern work of art" that I blipped yesterday was in fact not made by human hands but is a natural feature that sits under the modern concrete bridge.  It is the result of water percolating through the structure of the bridge and dissolving the lime from the mortar in the bridge. When the water droplets hit the ground the lime precipitates out and gradually builds up a layer of limestone, known as tufa. It is exactly the same process that produces stalactites, stalagmites and tufa screens in underground limestone caves.