The Clachan Bridge is a simple, single-arched, hump-backed, masonry bridge spanning the Clachan Sound, southwest of

Oban Oban ( ; ' in Scottish Gaelic meaning ''The Little Bay'') is a resort town within the Argyll and Bute council area of Scotland. Despite its small size, it is the largest town between Helensburgh and Fort William. During the tourist season, th ...

in Argyll, Scotland. It links the west coast of the Scottish mainland to the island of Seil. The bridge was originally designed by John Stevenson of Oban (and not by Thomas Telford as sometimes quoted) and was built between 1792 and 1793 by engineer Robert Mylne. The original design had two arches, but it was finally built with a single high arch, of roughly span and about above the bed of the channel, to allow the passage of

vessels Vessel(s) or The Vessel may refer to: Biology *Blood vessel, a part of the circulatory system and function to transport blood throughout the body *Lymphatic vessel, a thin walled, valved structure that carries lymph *Vessel element, a narrow wat ...

of up to at high tide. The bridge is still in use today, forming part of the B844 road, and is in the care of Historic Scotland. Because the Clachan Sound connects at both ends to the Atlantic Ocean, and might therefore be considered part of that ocean, the bridge came to be known as the Bridge over the Atlantic ( gd, a' Dhrochaid thar a' Chuain Siar). Such an appellation has also been applied to certain other bridges having similar situations, such as the Brúgvin um Streymin in the Faroe Islands and between Lewis and Great Bernera in the

Outer Hebrides The Outer Hebrides () or Western Isles ( gd, Na h-Eileanan Siar or or ("islands of the strangers"); sco, Waster Isles), sometimes known as the Long Isle/Long Island ( gd, An t-Eilean Fada, links=no), is an island chain off the west coast ...

Wildlife

The south wall of the bridge has been colonised by

fairy foxglove ''Erinus alpinus'', the fairy foxglove, alpine balsam, starflower, or liver balsam, is a species of flowering plant in the family Plantaginaceae (previously in the family Scrophulariaceae), native to Central and Southern Europe. and also to Moroc ...

(''Erinus alpinus''). Occasionally whales have become trapped in the narrow Clachan Sound. In 1835 a whale measuring with a lower jaw of was stranded having become trapped in shallow water and unable to reverse out. In 1837, 192 pilot whales were caught in a similar fashion, the largest being long.

References

{{coord, 56, 19, 04, N, 5, 34, 59, W, display=title, region:GB-AGB_type:landmark_source:dewiki Seil Bridges completed in 1793 Category A listed buildings in Argyll and Bute Listed bridges in Scotland Road bridges in Scotland Bridges in Argyll and Bute 1793 establishments in Great Britain