Baird's Brae

It was a beautiful morning, but I had to scrape the ice off the car. On the way into Glasgow we saw two accidents due to the icy conditions. There had been no gritters out to salt the roads, so not a good sign for the rest of the winter.

At lunchtime I had to go to the Post Office, so managed a quick blip at Baird's Brae on the way back to work. As I was taking the shot I could hear the two women crossing the bridge saying 'that man has taken a photo of us'.

The bascule bridge at Bairds Brae marks the point where the original Glasgow branch of the Forth and Clyde Canal, opened to Hamiltonhill in 1777.

A bascule bridge is a moveable bridge with a counterweight that continuously balances the span, or "leaf," throughout the entire upward swing in providing clearance for boat traffic.

The bridge was rebuilt in about 1990 as part of the Glasgow Canal Project.