The 'Bridge Over the Atlantic'

The Bridge Over the Atlantic. ssm67alba (Atlas Obscura User)

This quaint humpbacked bridge spans a narrow channel waterway called the Clachan Sound. Because both ends of the sound spill into the Atlantic Ocean, the little one-arched bridge has been dubbed the “Bridge Over the Atlantic.”

The stone overpass threads the Hebridean island of Seil to mainland Scotland. It was originally designed by John Stevenson of Oban in 1792 and built by engineer Robert Mylne between 1792 and ‘93.

Crossing the bridge reveals outstanding views up and down the Firth of Lorn. If you head from mainland Scotland to Seil, you’ll come across a curiously named building.

The first inn you will encounter on the island is called Tigh an Truish (The House of the Trousers). It’s named this because several years after the Jacobite rebellion—when the British government tried to suppress Gaelic culture banning kilts, tartan, bagpipes, and language—islanders heading for work on the mainland would change into trousers here and back into their kilts when returning home.

Know Before You Go

The Bridge is 11 miles south of Oban on the B844. To admire the views from the bridge, park on either side and walk over. There is plenty of room for pedestrians in the bridge, but no room for parking.

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