North Bridge: The story behind one of Edinburgh’s most iconic yet problematic landmarks
The story behind North Bridge
For more than 125 years, North Bridge has been one of Edinburgh's defining landmarks connecting the city's Old and New Towns while carrying millions of people over the railway lines of Waverley station.
Today it is hard to imagine the Capital without it, but before it was built, travelling between the medieval Old Town and the expanding Georgian New Town was far from straightforward.
The first North Bridge opened in 1772 after years of construction. It was designed by architect William Mylne and was built to improve access between the two halves of the city as Edinburgh rapidly expanded north.
However, disaster struck the bridge before it was even completed when seven arches in the structure collapsed in 1769, killing five workers.
The bridge was eventually finished, but concerns over its stability remained throughout its lifetime. The tragedy damaged public confidence and many remained wary of crossing the bridge.
As Edinburgh continued to grow in the 19th century, the original bridge was no longer capable of meeting the city’s needs. It was therefore demolished to make way for a much larger replacement, with construction of the current North Bridge having taken place between 1894 and 1897.
Contractors Sir William Arrol & Co made sure that the new structure was built to accommodate those needing access to the Waverly station below. The engineers, Cunningham, Blyth & Westland oversaw the project, while City Architect, Robert Morham was the designer of the bridge elevations.
The foundation stone was laid on 25 May 1896 by Lord Provost Andrew McDonald and it opened in 1897.
Alongside the bridge becoming one of the city’s main transport routes, it also paved the way for The Scotsman newspaper to open its new headquarters. It replaced what used to be meat markets, inns, oyster shops and coffee houses at the south-end of the bridge.
The last major refurbishment works on the bridge were undertaken in 1933. In the early 1990s, the decorative facings were painted and new parapets were installed with decorative covers of spheroidal cast iron.
As of recent, North Bridge has been undergoing repairs since 2018 after an inspection uncovered serious defects. However, Edinburgh’s iconic North Bridge is set to fully reopen this Friday July 31, marking the end of an eight-year restoration process that has transformed one of Edinburgh’s most remarkable landmarks once again.
Both pavements have now reopened, much to the delight of Edinburgh locals as they anticipate the busy rush of the Festival Fringe-goers.