Clapper Bridge near Achnamara Forestry Village
This drawing of the Clapper Bridge which was produced by Mrs Hunter who ran the Knap Studio.
Fiona Green recalls “I don't know exactly when Mrs Hunter bought the roadman's cottage at the bottom of Gariob brae but I believe it was in the early 1960's. The last roadman who lived at Gariob Cottage was Colin Turner who died there on the 2 Oct 1960. Cariob Cottage is at the head of a branch of Loch Sween about a half mile before the creosote tank at the side of the loch.”
This is actually a well constructed bridge and has ably stood the test of time and probably many a flood. Fiona has taken some photographs of the bridge from a recent visit to the village with her husband Billy Green an employee initially with Forestry Commission Scotland but now under its new status as Forestry and Land Scotland.
The images are in the attached PDF. Note the holes drilled in the long but quite thin bridging stones. They may have at one time held oak pegs to add some strength to the structure and avoid those large stones shearing off in a high flood but that is conjecture – any other possible reasons for the holes?
Groups: Buildings in Forests