Suspension bridges still hold the record for the world’s longest spans. For a short time, that record was held by Samuel Brown’s Union Bridge, twixt England and Scotland, still the oldest to carry road traffic. Another of his bridges is in Aberdeen. Important experiments were made by blacksmiths in the Borders, and Eric’s photos show the elegant form of Gattonside Bridge before its brutal reconstruction. He also captured bridges in Inverness-shire by James Dredge of Bath before those at the Ness Islands were removed and that at Oich is now looked after by Historic Scotland. Two cable suspension bridges for foot traffic in Inverness and Tain are by Rose Street Foundry. The Forth Road Bridge opened in 1964, for two years the longest span in Europe, Eric documented the construction from the ferry that it was to replace.
