Qualla: Kylesku Bridge

Kylesku Bridge: Introduction

Sat, 30 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit b3tarev3 from England, Public domain. From the air, the bridge does something most bridges don't: it curves. Most engineers like a bridge to go straight from one bank to the other - it's stronger, cheaper, simpler. The Kylesku Bridge curves because the engineers at Ove Arup decided in 1979 that a curve fitted the landscape better than a straight line would. The result is one of the most photographed bridges in Scotland, the elegant signature of the North Coast 500 driving route, and - as of 2019 - a Category A listed structure recognised by Historic Environment Scotland as 'visually striking and technically innovative'. It cost £4 million in 1984 money. It replaced a ferry that had crossed the strait for centuries.

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Image: b3tarev3 from England | Public domain

Kylesku Bridge: Caolas Cumhann, the Narrow Strait

Sat, 30 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Hilmar Ilgenfritz, CC BY-SA 2.0. The water beneath the bridge is called Caolas Cumhann - Gaelic for 'narrow strait', pronounced approximately 'Kyles Cuan'. It connects Loch Glencoul and Loch Glendhu inland with Loch a' Chairn Bhain that opens onto the Minch. The channel is about 120 metres wide and up to 25 metr...

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Image: Hilmar Ilgenfritz | CC BY-SA 2.0

Kylesku Bridge: The Engineering Choice

Sat, 30 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Phil Williams, CC BY-SA 2.0. In June 1978 Highland Regional Council asked Ove Arup & Partners Scotland to study whether a bridge made sense. By March 1979 the feasibility study was complete. The engineers settled on a curved concrete box girder design with V-shaped inclined piers. The curve allowed the appro...

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Image: Phil Williams | CC BY-SA 2.0

Kylesku Bridge: The Build

Sat, 30 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Phil Richards from London, UK, CC BY-SA 2.0. Approach roads cost £4 million and began in summer 1981. The bridge itself started in August 1982. The main contractors were Morrison Construction and Lehane, Mackenzie and Shand. The total bridge cost £4 million against an initial budget of £2.75 million - an overrun of about 45...

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Image: Phil Richards from London, UK | CC BY-SA 2.0

Kylesku Bridge: Listed in 2019

Sat, 30 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Paul Hermans, CC BY-SA 3.0. In 2019, Historic Environment Scotland did something unusual: it Category-A listed a bridge that was only 35 years old. Category A is the highest grade of architectural protection in Scotland, normally reserved for buildings of national or international significance. The citation...

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Image: Paul Hermans | CC BY-SA 3.0