Bonar Bridge: Guide, Hotels, Map & Photos
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GBP 38 - 63 Dunroamin Hotel
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Bonar Bridge: Guide
Bonar Bridge (Ordnance Survey ) is a village on the north bank of the Kyle of Sutherland, a river estuary, in the Parish of Creich in Sutherland , Highland Region, Scotland, United Kingdom.
Geography
In the Highland area of Scotland. The Kyle of Sutherland ("the Kyle" for locals) is the estuary of the Rivers River Oykel|Oykel, River Cassley|Cassley, River Shin|Shin and River Carron, Sutherland|Carron that all enter it above the bridge-town. The estuary (downstream) and the rivers (upstream) separate Sutherland from Ross and Cromarty to the south, and the estuary opens into the Dornoch Firth to the east.
History
Bronze-age and Iron-age
Evidence of pre-historic inhabitance abounds in the area with many acient hut circles and cairns. One recent excavation done by the UK Television program can be seen . It excavated a small Henge and Crannog (artificial island home) in Loch Migdale.
Viking invasion of Caithness and Sutherland: Sutherland was named so as it was southern for the Norsemen|Norse of Orkney who named it. (state my source).
First Modern Settlements
The oldest records of local place names (on Sutherland side of the Kyle) found on maps are (in order from oldest) Sordel (Swordale, from Norse name) which is now a part of Bonar Bridge and has Swordale Farm, Little Swordale (Sordel Beg) which is now abandoned, Creich (sometimes with Little Creich called out), Migdale then later Tulloch . A name "Eam" occurs several times towards Invershin, past Drumliach.
One such map is this manuscript or this beautiful map from the , both found in the National Library of Scotland.
On the Ardgay side of the Kyle, MidFearn (Ferne 1573 ) is the oldest shown, and Kincardine (with the church there) appears next.
Ford
Originally, the Kyle of Sutherland and the rivers feeding it were crossed where Bonar Bridge lies, and at other points downstream such as Creich (where the small "Stell" ferry ruin still stands) and at what was called "Portnacoulter" (Meikle Ferry) and upstream at what was called Portinleck (Culrain-Invershin) by small ferry boats (or Cobbles) and much further upstream by small bridges (e.g. Oykel bridge).
The Bonar Bridge site provided the best point to ford the water without having to travel too far West to cross a bridge. Thus it was the preferred place to cross while droving cattle from the North and North East to Market further south. The fording point lies slightly downstream from the current bridge, more or less where the "Bonar shot" salmon fishing station was, below the old ice-house below Dornoch Road.
The Bridges
After the defeat of the Highland clans at Culloden, and the "taming of the north" a network of highland were constructed the government, with many done by General Wade at the end of the 18th century.
In November 1812 the first bridge was constructed across the Kyle at Bonar Bridge by Telford, after considering sites at Meikle (too wide), Creich (wide) and "Portinleck" (further up the estuary and requiring a second bridge across the River Carron). A new road was built between Bonar Bridge and Creich closer to the shore, the old road used to pass behind Bonar, through Swordale (past Swordale farm and Orden farm) along the top of a low hill past Little Swordale before dropping back down to the coastal area at Creich.
With these developments Bonar Bridge became a crossroads for traffic to the North, North West and North East, and the village grew.
(state citation from NSaS...)
Second Bridge
Third Bridge
Since the construction of the Dornoch Bridge further down the estuary (to the east) and other roads direct to the North West from Dingwall, traffic and commerce has decreased.
Toponomy
The Scottish Gaelic language|Scottish Gaelic word for ford is “Àth” (pronounced “Ah”). The place where the Kyle was forded became called “Am Ban Àth”, “Ban” meaning 'fair'. Over time “Ban Àht” became recorded as "Banna" (shown on this 18th century map as part of "Banna Ferry") and then “Bona” (see military map from 1730 ) and later to “Bonar” (see 1744 map showing "Bonar Ferry" ).
When the ford was superseded by the first bridge (a Telford Iron bridge built in 1812) the word “Bridge” was appended to the name.
Locals refer to the village as “Bonar”, not usually using “Bridge” and pronounced as if it didn't have an “r” at the end, no doubt an oral legacy from it's original Gaelic name.
Historical Events
Battle of Drumliadh (?)
The second Statistical Account for Scotland (page 18 of Sutherlandshire section) states: "In the 11th or 12th century a contest of the inhabitants with the Danes is recorded to have occurred at Drin-leah (Drum Leadh), near Bonar Bridge, whence the invaders were driven back with great loss to their ships at Portnacoulter, - now Meikle Ferry. The extraordinary number of tumuli (Cairns?( or graves on the scene of action, while they attenst the truth of the tradition, and the greatness of the slaughter, cannot fail to excite the wonder of reflecting persons at the great numbers who must have been engaged and the consequent density of the population at that remote time".
This event doesn't appear in other sources I know of or local lore, but I have found the site marked as a battle site on a map in the National Library of Scotland, and will add a link here to that. Contributions welcome!
Lost of the first Bridge
Migdale Hoard discovered
May 1900
The original report on the discovery of the Loch Migdale hoard was written by J Anderson in Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland 35 (1901), p266.
A priceless collection of early Bronze Age jewellery was discovered by workmen blasting a granite knoll behind Bonar Bridge, near what is known as "Tulloch Hill". Dating from about 2000BC, the artefacts are in the custody of the National Museums of Scotland in Edinburgh. The Migdale Hoard includes a bronze axe head, bronze hair ornaments, sets of bronze bangles and anklets, and a series of beautifully carved jet and shale buttons that may well have adorned a Bronze Age jacket.
Meikle Ferry disaster
Sinking of the Ferry boat at Meikle Ferry in 1809, with the loss of many lives. May have been a detonator for the construction of a bridge across the Dornoch Firth.
Whales
School of Pilot Whales grounded in the Bay between Bonar Bridge and Ardgay...
Getting there
The village is at the junction of the A836 road|A836 road with the A949 road|A949. The A836 leads north towards Lairg and Tongue, Highland|Tongue and east across a Thomas Telford|Telford iron bridge over the Kyle, and then south, curving and east, to run along the south bank of the Dornoch Firth to the A9 road|A9 near Tain. The A949 runs south and then east along the north bank of the Firth to the A9 near Dornoch.
The village is also near Ardgay, south of the Kyle, which is on the Far North Line, the railway line linking Inverness with Wick, Highland|Wick and Thurso. For a long time, Ardgay Station () was called Bonar Bridge Station.
Economy
Amenities
- Bonar Bridge/Ardgay Golf Club —a woodland style course in lovely countryside overlooking Migdale Loch.
Local businesses
Bell Ingram ,
Accommodation
Castles
- Carbisdale Castle (which can be hired for Weddings, Banquets, etc).
- Skibo Castle (Andrew Carnegie's Castle, now hosts the Carnegie Club, and is an exclusive retreat for the rich and famous (e.g. Maddonna) See Wikipedia entry here.
Lodges
- Aultnagar Lodge Hotel & Conference Centre
Hotels
- The Dunroamin Hotel
- The Bridge Hotel ,
Bed and Breakfast in the village
- Kyle House ,
Cottages
- Unique Cottages
- Highlands and Islands Self Catering Cottages
Tourism
Most years, the village celebrates it Gala Week or the Salmon Queen Week, in August.
Nearby places of interest for tourists visiting the area include The Falls of Shin where you may see salmon attempt to jump up the falls on the way upstream to spawn, or Carbisdale Castle (Scottish Youth Hostel) a folly castle build by the dowager duchess of Sutherland, Dornoch a picuturesque Royal Burgh with famous golf course (Royal Dornoch), a great beach and camping area, and others.
Croick Church is nearby (map), with it's evocative engravings on the church windows from sufferers of the Highland Clearances in the Amat area. Undiscovered Scotland Page
Surrounding area
Dornoch Firth
Ardgay ,
Culrain village with Carbisdale Castle
Rosehall
Invershin
Skibo
Spinningdale
Ospisdale
Dornoch
Lairg
External links
This "Travel Guide" section is drawn from the Wikipedia article "Bonar Bridge". We hope you will edit and improve it. It is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.