Search is on to establish ownership of another iconic bridge

A MISSION HAS BEEN LAUNCHED to track down the owners of one of Scotland’s most iconic bridges.

Richard Lochhead MSP said that despite the fame of the Craigellachie Bridge it is yet to be established who actually owns it.

Now he is supporting the Friends of Craigellachie group in achieving their ambition to maximise the potential of one of Speyside’s major attractions. The group contacted the Moray MSP saying that they had always believed Moray Council were the bridge owners.

However, in a scenario that is remarkably similar to that undergone by the Lossiemouth community who searched for years to discover the ownership of the Seatown Bridge, the local authority have denied that they are owners – and say they have no idea who the owners are.

Mr Lochhead has revealed that on learning that he checked with the Registers of Scotland – and was told that, in fact, Moray Council are the owners.

The MSP said: “The Craigellachie Bridge is one of Scotland’s most famous bridges and is an iconic landmark in Speyside.

“I’ve been working with the local community, the Friends of Craigellachie Bridge, to ascertain exactly who owns it.

“We all thought the Moray Council owned the bridge but they say they don’t own it and they don’t know who owns it. However, I’ve since been contacted by the Registers of Scotland who tell me they believe the Council do own the bridge.

“So we have to solve this mystery and that’s what I’m working on just now with the Friends. The local community want to have more of a say over maintaining the bridge and of course celebrating this amazing landmark to attract more visitors to the area, and to educate people about its fantastic heritage.

“We are doing our best to solve this mystery, to work out who owns this bridge and to work out how the community can have a greater say over its future.”

Following years of searching, it emerged earlier this year that the Seatown Bridge in Lossiemouth did, in fact, have no owner – the Lossiemouth Community Development Trust are now in the progress of putting in place a plan of action for its future.