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Culloden Viaduct Railway Bridge

The Culloden Viaduct is an impressive railway bridge with multiple arches, located on the Highland Mainline. It spans the River Nairn near Clava, east of Inverness, and is sometimes known as the Clava Viaduct or Nairn Viaduct.

A Highland Railway Bridge

The longest masonry railway viaduct in Scotland

History of Culloden Viaduct

Designed by Murdoch Paterson, Chief Engineer of the Highland Railway, the bridge was built between 1893 and 1898 and is still in use today. The curved stone structure with concrete foundations is 1800 feet in length. So this makes it the longest masonry railway viaduct in Scotland. It has 29 arches in total. One wider central arch over the river, with 14 on each side. It was built using local red sandstone from the Leanach Quarry on Culloden Moor. As a place of special architectural interest, it has protection as a Category A listed structure.

Viaduct Viewpoints

If you’re travelling by train on the Perth-Inverness main line, which includes routes between Inverness and Glasgow or Edinburgh, you should pass over this bridge just outside of Inverness. If you have a car, you can also view it from the roadside. You can actually drive right through one of the arches if you drive along the narrow country road that runs underneath it. There are some lovely spots by the banks of the River Nairn with excellent views of the viaduct, so remember to bring a picnic.

More to see

Visit sites close by, such as the Clava Cairns and Culloden Battlefield

Visiting Clava and Culloden

Why not make a day of it? The Culloden Viaduct is located in a historic area near Clava and Culloden. The ancient Clava Cairns burial ground, which is around 4000 years old, is close by. Also Culloden Battlefield, the site where the tragic Battle of Culloden took place in 1745. In addition, there is a popular local pub. the Culloden Moor Inn, where you can grab lunch, dinner or refreshments.

Address

Inverness IV2 5EJ

Find Out More

Historical Sites

Clava Cairns

Culloden Battlefield