North Bridge, Edinburgh

The North Bridge is an important road bridge and street in Edinburgh. It links the High Street with Princes Street, connecting the Old Town with the New Town. This bridge helps people travel between two busy parts of the city.

The current North Bridge that we see today was built between 1894 and 1897. Before this, there was an older bridge that stood in the same place. That first bridge was built between 1763 and 1772, and it stayed there until 1896 when it was replaced.

First North Bridge

The first North Bridge in Edinburgh was started in 1763. The stone for the bridge was placed by George Drummond, who helped modernize the city. The bridge took many years to build, and it finally opened in 1772.

During construction, part of the bridge fell down and caused some problems, but workers fixed it and finished the bridge. The bridge had many arches and was quite long, stretching from the High Street to Princes Street. Later, buildings were added near the bridge, making it a bit wider in some places.

Current North Bridge

The current North Bridge in Edinburgh is 525 feet long and 75 feet wide. It has three big arched sections, each 175 feet long. It was built between 1894 and 1897 by Sir William Arrol & Co., the same company that built the Forth Bridge. A special stone to start building was placed on May 25, 1896, and the bridge officially opened on September 15, 1897.

The bridge has a memorial for soldiers who served between 1878 and 1902. At the south end, near the Royal Mile, there is a hotel called The Scotsman Hotel. At the north end, near Princes Street, stands the Balmoral Hotel, which was once a train hotel for Waverley Station.

Refurbishment

In 2021, work began to fix up the North Bridge. This included updating the surface, fixing water issues, and repairing the concrete. Traffic had to change routes during this time. The project took longer than expected and was finished in spring 2026. The total cost was at least £85 million.