Places ⋆ Ross and Cromarty Heritage

Conon Bridge Places

Attribution: Riverbank Nursery

Burial Grounds

The old cemetery at Logieside, Conon Bridge.

Attribution: Photo courtesy of Jonathan McColl

Churches

Ferintosh Church of Scotland - possibly 1920s

Attribution: photo courtesy of Tony Innes

Commercial Property

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Conon » Conon History

1979 Building of the new bridge - photo 1

Building of the new bridge underway (source of all three photos unknown)

1979 Building of the new bridge - photo 2

Building of the new bridge underway, with small observers in foreground! (source of all three photos unknown)

1979 Building of the new bridge - photo 3

Building of the new bridge underway, with small observers in foreground! (source of all three photos unknown)

Conon Flooding - late 1960s

Ferintosh Church of Scotland - possibly 1920s

Back to possibly the 1920s with this photograph of Ferintosh Church of Scotland. (source Tony Innes)

Conon railway bridge plaque

Conon railway bridge plaque. [Photo courtesy of Douglas Chisholm] The contractor responsible for building the bridge was George Meakin, Birkenhead.

The rail bridge 150 years after construction.

[Photo courtesy of Highland Railway Society]

Early photo of Conon Hotel

Early photo of Conon Hotel with policeman, gentleman with impressive watchchain and cyclist - a tourist setting off from the hotel? (photograph courtesy of W J McCulloch)

View of Conon Hotel from bridge

View of Conon Hotel from bridge, showing horse waiting patiently for owner and boy with bicycle. House on right is now 'The Drouthy Duck'. The postcard, dated 12 June, with a George V stamp and dated 1934, is addressed to an Anthony Browne, in Esher, and reads: "We have just arrived here. Our bedroom is the window over the front door by the lamp." (photograph courtesy of W J McCulloch)

Progress on Conon high street with cars instead of horse and cart.

(photograph courtesy of W J McCulloch)

The Telford Bridge

In 1809 this bridge, constructed under the supervision of the renowned engineer, Thomas Telford, became the means of crossing the River Conon, replacing the ferry which existed upstream. In the background is the railway bridge and on the right can be seen the toll house. By the 1970s the condition of the bridge had deteriorated and it had superimposed a 'Bailey' bridge controlled by traffic lights. A modern bridge was constructed, downstream, a short distance away. (photograph courtesy of W J McCulloch)

Downstream view of Telford Bridge

A downstream view of the bridge with the toll house to the right and Frank Menzies' garage appearing over the parapet. (photograph courtesy of W J McCulloch)

Conon River, looking downstream from the bridge

Conon River, looking downstream from the bridge. On the left there is a horse at the water's edge and two figures bending over in a boat. The right bank of the river shows a more pleasant view than exists in 2008. This same bank has been occupied at various times by Logan's stone and aggregate plant, Pescanova's fish factory and (2015) has planning permission for housing. At one stage there was a proposal to build a joint school for Maryburgh and Conon there. (photograph courtesy of W J McCulloch)

The avenue leading from Maryburgh to Conon Bridge

The avenue leading from Maryburgh to Conon Bridge, with the Telford bridge on the left. The trees have long since vanished and the area on the left has modern bungalows while the area on the right was built as local authority housing and is known as Wrightfield Park.

The Toll House at the Maryburgh end of Conon Bridge

The Toll House at the Maryburgh end of Conon Bridge with the extension built by the then owner, Mr Robert Dougall, in the 1960s, by using stone from the former ice house which lay in the curtilage of his property. (photograph courtesy of W J McCulloch)

A view of the main street in Conon, possibly in the 1930s

A view of the main street in Conon, possibly in the 1930s. On the left is Ferintosh Church and the wall, which no longer exists, is the boundary of the area which is now a car park. The small building, second on right, is where the petrol station existed for some years. (photograph courtesy of W J McCulloch)

Main Street - possibly late 1940s

Another view of main street - unknown date, possibly late 1940s. Can anyone identify the large building with the curved roof which existed on what is now the entrance to Riverbank Road? Also, can anyone identify the large, white building beyond Conon Hotel? Since posing these questions, RCHS has received an e.mail from Cameron Gilpin, who can recall that, in the early 60's, he and his friends played in the ruins of the white building which was always referred to as being an ice house. The actual ice house is remembered as the usual domed structure, most of which was set deep into the ground. It, too, was demolished and the stones used to extend the adjacent toll house. Could it be that the large white building was an ornate "cover" for the ice house? Anyone with detailed information about the building please contact RCHS. (photograph courtesy of W J McCulloch)

Another view of the main street - in the 1950s?

(photograph courtesy of W J McCulloch)

Evening Conon Bridge

This postcard, entitled Evening Conon Bridge, has a George VI stamp and is dated July 1943. It is addressed to a Mrs W Ogston, Tarland, Aberdeenshire, and the message reads, "Having nice holiday. Lovely scenery and lovely weather. Did you get any strawberries?" (photograph courtesy of W J McCulloch)

Newspaper cutting, source and photographer unknown.

Apart from cars, more like the frontage of Conon Hotel as it exists

(photograph courtesy of W J McCulloch)

The avenue leading from Maryburgh to Conon Bridge

Entire River conon frozen - possibly 1911?

And, finally, back to an "Ice Age" (c.1911??) with the entire river frozen. The people, and dog, are standing west of the railway bridge, with Telford's road bridge in the background. (source RCHS)

Demolition of Telford's bridge.

Demolition of Telford's bridge. (source RCHS)

Demolition of Telford's bridge.

(source RCHS)

A new bridge.

(photograph courtesy of W J McCulloch)

The tollhouse in its location beside the bridge. (source unknown)

Features

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Conon Locations

Photograph of the Conon Bridge in the Easter Ross village of the same name in the late 1950s when it was still a temporary structure built over the original which had been damaged by heavy tanks using it during wartime. Crossing the bridge, on the old main A9 road between Dingwall and Inverness, is VGB 645 which was a Ford Prefect of 1958, being hotly pursued by a Highland Omnibuses Guy Arab on service from Dingwall to Inverness. Like so many other buses in this fleet it had an interesting pedigree, having originally operated as a double decker with London Transport during World War 2. The SMT group, of which ‘Highland’ was a member, purchased a number of these vehicles in 1952, rebuilt them in their workshops at Portobello to single deck specification as seen, and re-registered them, this one becoming JWS 124. Behind the bus at the end of the bridge on the left may be seen the garage premises where Frank Menzies built his famous vehicles.

Crossing the Conon bridge when it was the main A9 road

Attribution: unknown

Place Names of Ferintosh Parish

This extract was taken, with the permission of the Trustees, from Prof. W.J. Watson’s – ‘Place Names of Ross and Cromarty’. The most recent edition of this work was published by HIGHLAND HERITAGE BOOKS Tir nan Oran, 8 Culcairn Road, Evanton IV16 9YT

Place Names of Ross and Cromarty p113 onwards

Public Buildings

Conon Bridge Primary School on Leanaig Road which replaced the original on School Road and, in turn, was replaced on the same site by Ben Wyvis Primary School in 2014.

Attribution: unknown

Transport

The original Conon Bridge Station opened on 11 June 1862 and closed almost 100 years later, on 13 June 1960.

Through Network Rail and the Scottish Government the required finance was provided, estimated to be £600,000, and construction began in November 2012. Provision included a single platform around 15 metres in length, a waiting shelter, passenger information systems, cycle racks and lockers, and a new car park, plus wider road access and improved street lighting.

The new station was opened by Keith Brown, Scottish Government Transport Minister, on 8 February 2013, on schedule and on budget.

A link with the original station is provided through the excellent model created by Conon Bridge resident, Tony Innes.

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War Memorials

The information in this section is as prepared by Mr John W Bruce some years ago.

Conon Bridge Places

Burial Grounds

Churches

Commercial Property

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Features

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Conon Features

Conon Locations

Place Names of Ferintosh Parish

Public Buildings

Transport

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Conon Transport

War Memorials

The Secretary, Ross and Cromarty Heritage Society, Tigh na Cadalach, Hawthorn Road, Muir of Ord. IV6 7RL.

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