Highbridge, Scotland

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Highbridge is located near the village of Spean Bridge in the Scottish Highlands. The village takes its name from this bridge.

Originally built by General Wade in 1736 (at a cost of £1,087) as the crossing of the River Spean of his Inverness to Fort William road, it was a spectacular bridge of which only the piers now remain. It was last repaired in 1893, and partially collapsed in 1913.

It was the site of the first action of the Jacobite Rebellion of 1745, the High Bridge Skirmish, when a small number of Keppoch MacDonalds fooled a company of troops led by Captain Scott into thinking the bridge was heavily defended. The government troops retreated and were pursued to Loch Oich, where they surrendered.