Бонар-Бридж: История и археологические сокровища Шотландии

Bonar Bridge (Drochaid a' Bhanna, ) is a village on the north bank of the Kyle of Sutherland to the west and the Dornoch Firth to the east in the Parish of Creich in the Highland council area of Scotland. The Kyle of Sutherland ("the Kyle" for locals) is a river estuary of the Rivers Oykel, Cassley, Shin and Carron that all enter the Kyle above the bridge at Bonar. 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.

Evidence of pre historic inhabitance abounds in the area with many ancient hut circles and cairns. One excavation was performed in 2004 by the Time Team UK Television program. It excavated a small henge and a crannog (artificial island home) in Loch Migdale.

In May 1900, a priceless collection of early Bronze Age jewellery known as the Migdale Hoard was discovered by workmen blasting a granite knoll behind Bonar Bridge, near what is known as "Tulloch Hill". Dating from about 2000BC, the artifacts are in the custody of the National Museums Scotland in Edinburgh. The Migdale Hoard includes a bronze axe head, sets of bronze bangles and anklets, and a series of beautifully carved jet and cannel coal buttons that may well have adorned a Bronze Age jacket, bronze hair ornaments and fragments of an elaborate bronze headdress.

There are a number of Pictish Symbol stones in the surrounding area, the closest being at Creich (in field near graveyard), Kincardine Church and Edderton (one at Church, one in field).

Sutherland was named so (Sudrland) by the Norse of Orkney as it formed the Southern part of the Norse province of "Cat". Modern Caithness was the "Ness" part, with the third part "Strathnavern" (modern StrathNaver) being the third part (now mostly in modern Sutherland). The Dornoch Firth was the boundary between "Cat" and Ross and was called "Ekkjal" (Oykell) by the Norse and it is mentioned in the Orkneyinga saga. "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, [Meikle Ferry]. The extraordinary number of tumuli [Cairns] or graves on the scene of [the] 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".

The oldest records of local place names (on North 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) (a mixed Norse Gaelic name with "Beag" meaning small in Gaelic) 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 Sutherland, Strath Okel & Strath Charron of Robert Gordon's from 1654 or the Bleu Atlas of 1654, both found in the National Library of Scotland. On the South side of the Kyle, MidFearn (Ferne 1573) is the oldest location shown, with Kincardine (with its church) appearing next.

The Battles of Invercarron and Carbisdale took place in 1650 during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms close to the village of Culrain, which lies to the West of Bonar Bridge. The battles were fought between the forces of the Scottish Covenantor Government and royalist forces loyal to the King, led by James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose. The royalists were defeated.

In 1746 the Earl of Cromartie and his forces returning South were attacked by Clan Sutherland near Bonar Bridge, in what became known as the Battle of Bonar Bridge. Most of the Jacobite officers were captured, many of the men were killed and the rest were driven onto the shore where several were drowned trying to swim the Kyle of Sutherland. Thus Clan MacKenzie were prevented from joining the Jacobite army at the Battle of Culloden.

Until 1812 the only means of crossing the Dornoch Firth was by ferry. On the night of 16 August 1809 over 100 people boarded the ferry boat on the Dornoch side along with goods and stock for the market in Tain. The over laden ferryboat set off and, though conditions were calm, the boat was dangerously low in the water. About halfway across the boat turned broadside to the tide and began to take in water. It sank almost immediately with the loss of some 99 lives, including the Sheriff of Dornoch, Hugh MacCulloch. Over £2,900 were raised for disaster relief, much of it coming from overseas. It resulted in the construction of Bonar Bridge in 1812, designed by John Simpson (1755 1815).

The village is at the junction of the A836 road with the A949. The A836 leads north towards Lairg and Tongue and east over the Kyle for 4 miles to the B9176 junction to the A9 at Skiach, near Alness. Then runs along the south bank of the Dornoch Firth to the A9 near Tain. The A949 runs east along the north bank of the Firth to the A9 near Dornoch, at the other extreme of the Dornoch Firth bridge that takes the A9 over the Dornoch Firth from Tain here. The village is a transport hub for pupils travelling to Dornoch Academy, Golspie High School and Tain Royal Academy. Stagecoach North Scotland provide numerous services via Bonar Bridge including the 25X Inverness to Dornoch, 62 Tain to Lairg, 166 Bonar Bridge to Helmsdale, 167 Lairg to Dornoch and the X99 Wick to Inverness. The village is 1 mile (1.6 km) from Ardgay railway station, which lies south of the Kyle. Ardgay is on the Far North Line, the railway line linking Inverness with Wick and Thurso. For a long time, Ardgay Station was called Bonar Bridge Station. Light airplanes can land at Dornoch aerodrome; otherwise the closest airport is Inverness.

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 replacement bridge of steel and granite was "built by The County Councils of Ross and Cromarty and Sutherland 1893 Opened 6th, July, 1893" (taken from an engraving in a marble plaque on the Bonar end of this bridge).

The third bridge built at Bonar is the currently standing bridge. It was designed by Crouch and Hogg consulting engineers and was built alongside the older bridge while it was still standing (but considered weak and needing renewal). After it was opened to traffic on 14 December 1973, the second bridge was dismantled.

Traffic and commerce through Bonar Bridge has decreased since the construction of the Dornoch Firth Bridge, further down the estuary to the east, and other roads direct to the north west from Dingwall.

Atlantic Salmon, Sea Trout, Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Buzzards, Osprey, Grey Seal, Oyster Catcher, etc.

Bonar Bridge/Ardgay Golf Club— a 9 hole woodland style course in beautiful countryside overlooking Migdale Loch. Bonar Bridge F. C. Football club