(47) Plate XXI/a

                                                                Plate XXI.

                                            DULSIE BRIDGE.

IT is over that part of the river Findhorn, which runs through the parish of Edenkeillie, in the county of
Moray, that the Bridge of Dulsie affords a passage to the military road from Granton to Fort George. This
river takes its rise about fifty miles from the sea, and after rolling its rapid waters through a very moun-
tainous tract of country, and receiving the tributary stream of the Divie, in a course nearly from south-
west to north-east, it loses itself in the Moray (Murray) Firth about four miles below Forres. The bridges
over this, as well as other rivers in this part of North Britain, are not so frequent as they should be: at
present there are only two, besides a sort of natural one near Relugas, where the rocks of the opposite
banks approach within seven feet of each other, and which are connected by a plank, that serves as a bridge
to a great part of the parish, which lies on one side, while the church, to which this is the only road, is
situated upon the other. From this sudden contraction of the channel, the waters of the Findhorn often
rise from floods to the height of thirty feet above their common level. This river also crosses the great
post road to Nairne, Inverness, &c. and although it often detains the mail several hours, and many lives
are annually lost in attempting the passage at dangerous seasons, there is at present no bridge. Some few
years ago indeed Miss Brodie, of Lethen, procured some aid from the funds of the county, and from private
subscription, with which, added to her own spirited benevolence, she caused one to be erected about a mile
below the house of Coulmony, with an arch of seventy-two feet: but unfortunately, through some defect
in the workmanship, it one night gave way and fell into the river, about a month after it had become
passable. In this view, which was taken in 1799, the inn of Dulsie is seen in the distance to the left.