Bridging Perthshire’s Past
Highland Perthshire boasts some of the best surviving 18th century military roads and bridges in Scotland, part of the larger network covering most of the Highlands that were initially conceived by General George Wade as a response to Jacobite uprising of 1715.
Between 1725 and 1733, General Wade supervised the construction of approximately 250 miles of roads and 40 bridges to allow the rapid movement of troops and supplies between existing and planned forts and barracks. Wade’s road building programme cumulated in 1733 with what he saw as one of his greatest achievements, the Tay Bridge, Aberfeldy, which remains an outstanding monument to his achievement. His work was followed by Major William Caulfeild who actually constructed just over three times the length of road than his predecessor.
In addition to conserving several bridges, this 3-year project provided public engagement with measured drawing, site clearance, conservation and archaeological excavation, while promoting the history of the system through online education resource for schools, a series of on-site interpretation panels and a new publication on the subject, General Wade’s Legacy, accompanied by a guide map to field remains.
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