Banavie Swing Bridge: The midday service to Mallaig crosses Banavie Swing Bridge over the Caledonian Canal in 2013.
Ewan Crawford 27/04/2013

Banavie Swing Bridge

Location type

Bridge

Name and dates

Banavie Swing Bridge (1901-)

Opened on the Mallaig Extension (West Highland Railway).
Opened on the Caledonian Canal.

Description

This single track railway swing bridge is immediately north of Banavie station. It carries the Fort William to Mallaig line at the foot of Neptune's Staircase, a series of interconnected locks on the Caledonian Canal.

The bridge was built by Alex Findlay and Co. Originally hand cranked it is now hydraulic. The bridge pivots at the south end, controlled from the nearby modern Banavie signalling centre which is to the south and overlooks the bridge.

It is one of three swing bridges which crossed the Caledonian Canal. The others were at Fort Augustus Swing Bridge (on the Invergarry and Fort Augustus Railway, removed) and Clachnaharry Swing Bridge (still open on the Inverness and Ross-shire Railway).

Local

To the north is Neptune's Staircase, a ladder, a series of connected locks on the Caledonian Canal.

Tags

Swing bridge

External links

Canmore site record
NLS Collection OS map of 1892-1914
NLS Collection OS map of 1944-67
03/06/2021




Chronology Dates

  /  /1912Mallaig Extension (West Highland Railway)
Tomonie Signal Box closes and Banavie Swing Bridge signal box becomes a block post.
14/06/1987West Highland Railway
Mallaig Extension (West Highland Railway)
New RETB signalling centre opened at Banavie - the first step is to take over operation of the Banavie Swing Bridge as a swing bridge and gate box. Banavie signal box closed.

Books


A Mallaig Boyhood (Flashbacks)
All Stations to Mallaig!: West Highland Line Since Nationalisation
Captains and Commanders: Memoirs of a Scottish West Coast Fisherman

Chapels of the Rough Bounds

Highland Steam: A Scrapbook of Images from the 'Kyle, Mallaig and Highland Lines

History of the Railways of the Scottish Highlands: West Highland Railway v. 1

History of the Railways of the Scottish Highlands: West Highland Railway v. 1

Iron Road to the Isles: A Travellers and Tourist Guide to the West Highland Lines

Iron Roads to the Isles: A Travellers and Tourists Souvenir Guide to the West Highland Lines

Landranger (40) Mallaig & Glenfinnan, Loch Shiel (OS Landranger Map)

Mallaig Line: An Illustrated History and Guide

Old Mallaig, Morar and Arisaig

On West Highland Lines

Railway World Special: Fort William and Mallaig

Railway World Special: West Highland Lines

Rannan Rathad Iarainn nan Eilean =: The West Highland Line
Steam to Mallaig
The Mallaig Railway
The Mallaig Railway: The West Highland Extension 1897-1901 (RCAHMS Broadsheet)
The Story of the West Highland

The Story of the West Highland: The 1940s LNER Guide to the Line

The West Highland Mallaig Extension in B.R.Days

The West Highland Railway

The West Highland Railway (Railways of the Scottish Highlands)

The West Highland Railway 120 Years

Walks from the West Highland Railway (Cicerone Guide)

West Highland Extension: Great Railway Journeys Through Time

West Highland Railway
West Highland Railway (History of the Railways of the Scottish Highlands v. 1): West Highland Railway v. 1