The Crossing of the Three Firths

Every day hundreds of cars drive north from Inverness on the A9

 

They first cross the Kessock Bridge over the Beauly Firth.

They then cross the Cromarty Bridge over the Cromarty Firth.

They then cross the Dornoch Bridge over the Dornoch Firth.

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What happened before these three Bridges were built?

 

Have you ever stopped to wonder?

 

It is important local history.

 

This is the story of how it happened - a long and hard fought battle.

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Without the following men, the three firths would not have been crossed.

It would still be a long meandering journey around the coast,

taking twice as long to get from Inverness to Dornoch as it does today.

 

Reay Clarke - the farmer,

John Smith - the geographer,

Pat Hunter Gordon - the industrialist, 

and

Gordon Campbell - the politician,

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When the project was first completed the bridges were affectionately

called and named after the three people involved with the initial concept.

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The Kessock Bridge was Pat's Bridge

The Cromarty Bridge was John's Bridge

The Dornoch Bridge was Reay's Bridge

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How sad that these names have now gone. How quickly we forget.

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In 2021 it will be 30 years since the completion of the project.

This is a good time to remember how it came about.