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Old Bridge of Earn is a historic river crossing in Perthshire, Scotland. The bridge spans the River Earn, which has cut through the Late Devonian sandstone and conglomerate bedrock of the Stratheden Group that underlies the locality. The river's course through this substantial geological formation has created the crossing point that this structure serves, with the alternating bands of sandstone and conglomerate providing both the landscape setting and the building stone available to the medieval builders.
The bridge represents an important communication route across the River Earn at a significant ford or shallow section of the watercourse. Its construction reflects the strategic importance of river crossings in medieval Perthshire, where such structures facilitated trade, travel and military movement across the Tay valley corridor. The bridge has endured considerable modification and repair through the centuries as the river's flow has shaped the riverbed around its foundations.
The monument is protected by Historic Environment Scotland as a scheduled ancient monument under reference SM9468, acknowledging its historical significance as infrastructure within the Scottish landscape. Its survival testifies to the durability of medieval masonry construction and the continuing importance of the River Earn crossing for local communities and wider communications across central Scotland.
Bridge of Earn, Old Bridge of Earn is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM9468. View the official record →
Old Bridge of Earn is a historic river crossing in Perthshire, Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM9468.
Bridge of Earn, Old Bridge of Earn is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic Environment Scotland — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Scotland. The official designation reference is SM9468.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Settlement, 130m NNE of Ballendrick House (1.6 km), Law of Dumbuils, fort (3.5 km), West Dron Cottages, cup-marked stone 800m SSW of (3.7 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Bridge of Earn, Old Bridge of Earn's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Bridge of Earn, Old Bridge of Earn stands on Stratheden Group, bedrock that formed in the Late Devonian. The rock here is sandstone and conglomerate, interbedded.