Birkhall, 1880

Birkhall 1880

Built for the Prince of Wales, King Edward VII.

My son Ross and I visited this around 1985. We were allowed access to the Balmoral Estate and to the garden of Birkhall. Birkhall is situated on high ground to the north of the River Muick, a tributary of the Aberdeenshire Dee, a little distance below the Falls of Muick. The grounds stretch down to the river which is crossed by the bridge.

'WIRE BRIDGE AT BIRKHALL FOR THE PRINCE OF WALES.- Messrs Harper & Co, Aberdeen, have just finished the erection of one of their wire suspension bridges over the river Muick at Birkhall for His Royal highness the Prince of Wales. The bridge is 60 foot span, and is entirely constructed of steel wire, thoroughly galvanised. It has a platform or roadway of three and a half feet width - the sole not being of wood, as is commonly the case, but of finely woven netting, kept in its place both by tension, and by being supported by a diagonal framing between tightened ropes running from the cast iron columns at either side of the river. At the place where the new bridge crosses the Muick, nearly half a score of wooden bridges, that had been destroyed by ice, floods of wind during the last thirty years. The bridge, as usual, was erected under the superintendence of Mr John Harper, of Seafield, the patentee, whose experience enabled him, with the assistance of three men, to complete the structure within the comparative short space of a week, and a cost altogether of under £100. more...