Fairy Bridge of Glen Creran

Tucked away in the west highlands is this strange and unusual bridge spanning a stream in the woodlands of Glen Creran. It's not an easy place to get to and your nearest car park is a 3.5km walk away up steep hills and along muddy paths. On the day we visited it was pouring with rain but we soldiered on anyway, following the 'Pine Marten Trail' in the main and veering off a little as we got towards the bridge. Strangely, the bridge isn't marked on any of the trails so we had to make our own way there after a certain point. The paths were rocky, slippery and muddy as we got closer to the bridge so hiking boots are a must.

We were excited but sceptical about a walk named the 'Pine Marten Trail' and information boards warned us it was unlikely we would see a Pine Marten, but we may encounter their 'scats' or poop. About 15 minutes into the walk we saw a dog bounding along, which I thought was odd as there were no other cars in the car park, then suddenly realised it was actually an elusive Pine Marten. We got some excellent views of it and saw it carrying some kind of food up the hillside, maybe for its kits. We were kicking ourselves that we had left cameras in the car as it was raining too heavily but it was still great to see.

After all the excitement we continued our walk through beautiful woodland and admired views over to Beinn Sgulaird - stunning even in the rain. We made it to our destination in about 45 minutes and it's a spectacular sight as you see the bridge in all its glory. The shards of stone that stick out of the bridge look like daggers or glass, and give it this other-worldly feel. The bridge's stones are covered in moss too, which gives it quite an ethereal quality and the magic continues with the sound of rushing water from the Falls of Glen Creran nearby which are spectacular in their own right.

There does not appear to be much on the bridge's history, but a couple of different sources say that it was built during the 16th century. In Celtic folklore, bridges that cross streams or rivers are seen as critical crossing points for both humans and fairies and become places where these two worlds meet. Fairies were once seen as powerful beings and allegedly if you cross the Glen Creran bridge, your life will change for the better, so I will keep you all updated on how that goes.