Old Bridge of Dee

The Bridge of Dee or Brig o' Dee is a road bridge over the River Dee in Aberdeen, Scotland. The term is also used for the surrounding area of the city. Dating from 1527, the bridge crosses at what was once the City of Aberdeen's southern boundary. This was the site of a battle in 1639 between the Royalists under Viscount Aboyne and the Covenanters who were led by the Marquess of Montrose and Earl Marischal.

The Bridge of Dee is approximately 30 feet (10 m) above typical water height and consists of seven nearly semicircular ribbed arches, built using granite and Elgin sandstone. Today the bridge carries the main A90 road into Aberdeen from the south.

The bridge was built following a bequest of £20,000 by Bishop William Elphinstone who died in 1514. The bridge was completed by Bishop Gavin Dunbar. It was nearly all rebuilt between 1718 and 1723, and in 1841 was widened from 14 to 26 feet under the direction of Aberdeen City Architect John Smith. Smith also designed the Shakkin' Briggie, (Which I photographed early in 2014),and worked on the Bridge of Don with Telford and Wellington Bridge with Captain Samuel Brown.

The bridge is a nationally important Scheduled monument and is protected by law.

Heavy rains and melting snows can turn the river’s serene flow into a raging torrent. Major floods occurred in 1769, 1920 and the Cairngorm Flood of 1956. Reportedly, the flood of 1920 drove the river into its old course at Inch of Culter, swept away crops and inundated the Maryculter bridge. Most notable of all, though, was the Muckle Spate of August 1829.
River crossings

There are presently 24 bridges over the River Dee, wheras prior to 1800 there were only four: the Bridge of Dee (1520-27), Old Bridge of Invercauld (1752), Bridge of Ballater (1783), and Bridge of Banchory (1799).