Perth Bridge

1774-1901 AD / 1901-present / City walls, gates and bridges / Commerce

Bridgend Toll House

This is one of three toll houses in Perth, the others being on the Edinburgh Road and on the Dundee Road. Now vacant, it housed a greengrocers for many years. The Bye Law on the notice board on the toll house sets out the rules for a locomotive (traction engine) crossing the bridge by requiring a person bearing a red flag to go on in front. The regulations were imposed on 21st February, 1902 after a steam propelled locomotive with spiked wheels was accused of damaging the tarmac. Evidence about the event was given by the driver William Adamson and…

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02/12/2023

1000-1603 AD / 1603-1774 AD / 1774-1901 AD

Bridges of Perth – Tay Street plaques

A modern notice board on Tay Street outlines the history of the Bridges of Perth. It is Panel 3 of the Perth Medieval Trail entitled Crossing the Tay and replaces an earlier board (also pictured). A little further south along Tay Street is another board (Panel 2) entitled Soggy Feet which explains changes in the ground level of Tay Street over history.

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27/11/2023

1000-1603 AD / 1603-1774 AD / 1774-1901 AD / City walls, gates and bridges

Bridges of Perth – North Inch plaques

At the gateway to the Memorial Garden, on the North Inch, there are two plaques, one on each side of the entrance. The left -hand side shows present Perth Bridge, the right-hand side shows the Old Perth Bridge. By comparison the new bridge has fewer arches each of which is higher and wider than in the Old Bridge. The Old Bridge being lower and the arches narrower it is clear there was a greater possibility of debris brought down by the river in flood could form a dam, which would cause the bridge to collapse.

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27/11/2023

1603-1774 AD / 1774-1901 AD / City walls, gates and bridges

A plaque on the bridge itself at its western end states that the building of Perth Bridge was started in 1766, following a proposal tabled in 1760, by the 9th Earl of Kinnoull in his capacity as Lord Provost William Stewart. John Smeaton an accomplished architect was appointed. Smeaton had built a varied number of projects including harbours and lighthouses such as the Eddystone Lighthouse. The bridge is often called Smeaton's Bridge. The bridge opened in 1771. In 1869 pavements were added, outside the main supports of the bridge. On the north side of the westmost pillar are flood level…

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27/11/2023

1603-1774 AD

Datestone at corner of George Street and High Street

This marks the date of the construction of the building as1774. George Street was first conceived in 1769. The Street opened in 1771 to provide access from the new Perth Bridge to the High Street. Although the street is one of the architecturally most interesting in Perth, this particular building was not considered worthy of special comment in Griffith’s review. (Griffith, J. Perth And Kinross, After Pevsner 2001 p619)

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27/11/2023