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Bridge built in 1693. It was originally located 35 yards to the west of the present site where it was re-erected in 1923. See also NJ90SW1003 for earlier site. Ruthrieston Pack Bridge crosses the Ruthrieston Burn and is on the road leading from the Bridge of Dee into Aberdeen. it is a 3-span hump-back round arched bridge, built of coursed lightly tooled granite with granite arch rings, and a cobbled road. The parapet was added in 1923. The cutwaters are surmounted by two tooled coats of arms to the east. There is a panel reading 'ERECTED IN 1693 35 YARDS WEST OF THIS SITE - RE-ERECTED HERE IN 1923' to the west and a panel with a Latin inscription to the inside east parapet. Although the first evidence for this bridge comes from the 17th century there is evidence from Council Registers of an earlier bridge in the approximate area. First on 20 October 1540 Aberdeen council instructed Walter Cullane, master of Kirkwork to arrange for timber from St Nicholas church to be used to 'mend [th]e blind bryg on [th]is syd of [th]e bryg of dee'. On 17 March 1541 Aberdeen council resolved to erect a 'bryg of tre our the pot burne'. These are both tantalising references: it may be that the repairs ordered in 1540 were never carried out and the timber bridge built after March 1541 was a replacement. At any rate they were both, probably, in the area where the Ruthrieston Pack Bridge sat. It is not known how long the older version of the bridge lasted for. However the bridge that we see today dates to the years 1693-4 according to G.M.Fraser. The bridge itself has an interesting tale attached to the carved stones on it. On 13 February 1698 the council resolved that 'the Bridge of Ruthrestone was perfited [when] Robert Cruickshank of Banchory being then provost he did clandestinely caus put up his armes on the said Bridge without any act of councill albeit he contribute nothing for building thereof and that the same was begune and near ended in Provost Cochran's time and was builded on the money of the bridge of dee Dee therefor appoint the said Robert Cruickshank's Armes to be taken doun and to be given to him he paying the price thereof'. They went on to order that a new stone be placed on the bridge and to read: 'Senatus Aberdonensis hunc pontem, impensis ex Aere ad pontem Dee spectante extruendum Curavit, 1693' (The Town Council of Aberdeen caused this bridge to be built with money from the Bridge of Dee Fund, 1693). There are two reasons why ex provost Cruickshank was not in the council's good graces. Fraser suggests that they were 'keenly opposed in ecclesiastical affairs.' Unfortunately he does not elaborate on what these reasons were and cites Munro as a source for this suggestion. Munro, however, suggests that the source of bad feeling between the council and Cruickshank stemmed from his tactics in getting himself elected year after year, despite protests at the time of the 1696 elections. Seven years later the council had something of a change of heart. It seems that the stone bearing Cruickshank's arms was never actually removed but rather had be turned around so that its inscription could not be seen. On 13 September 1705 the council resolved that the stone should be turned back and the words 'Provost of Aberdeen' added to it. It was on the reverse of the stone that the council had their 1698 inscription carved. The bridge was superseded when Holburn Street was laid out after 1796. This provided a new road from the Bridge of Dee into Aberdeen. The pack bridge however survived as did the old road leading from the Bridge of Dee. Anderson reported that it was repaired in 1877 at which time the stone bearing Cruickshank's arms were removed. He reported that the 1698 inscription was still visible on its reverse. In 1887 the trustees of Ruthrieston estate attempted to block the public right of way be erecting a wall. A delegation from the Town Council, headed by Baillie Charles Gordon, visited on 4 April and had the wall demolished. The bridge is currently listed and was moved to its current location in 1923.
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Historic Environment Records (HER) 
Aberdeen City
HER -
NJ90SW0023 - RUTHRIESTON PACK BRIDGE