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Repair Kilbride Bridge to reinstate access to the Inveraray-Furnace shore track

Proposal code: AP-2025-06-147

Repairing Kilbride bridge enables walkers, cyclists and nature-lovers to access the historic shore track and reinstates vital 'Inveraray-side' entry and exit for residents of the Kenmore community.

(1) Kenmore Community Association (KCA) seeks a funded solution to repair Kilbride Bridge, which closed following damage sustained during Storm Babet October 2023. As well as structural damage to one of the bridge 'feet' (or concrete pads), the storm caused erosion of the road leading onto the bridge. KCA in partnership with Argyll Estates commissioned a provisional engineers report (by Will Rudd) to confirm a repair is viable and provide outline cost estimates. Activities needing funded are:

• A detailed engineers report, to enable KCA to issue a formal tender from local contractors.
• Assistance of a consultant surveyor or engineer to provide professional oversight of the tender process, awarding of contract and drafting final scope of work. The consultant will also assist KCA in getting SEPA clearance for the work scoped
• The repair work itself, which will be construction requiring heavy lifting equipment/plant
• The cost of essential signage to show the bridge is re-opened and notify bridge users of usual restrictions

2) The project - the bridge repair - is essential because:

• Kilbride Bridge is the only public access link (in a west-bound direction) onto the historic 5 mile stretch of the Inveraray-Furnace shore road and into the network of tracks within Kenmore Forest. Since the bridge was closed, access onto the shore road has been mostly impossible for walkers, cyclists, nature-lovers, historians and adventure enthusiasts such as divers - a diverse cohort of locals from mid-Argyll and visitors from further afield who normally enjoy exploring along the track and forest year-round  
• Residents of the 14 properties along the shore road, who comprise the KCA, have been unable to access the bridge via car (which we are entitled to do) on the 'Inveraray' side. This presents challenges. The long detour to access the A83 via Furnace adds 50 minutes to what was a simple 15min return trip to Inveraray. For two elderly residents who live by Kilbride Bridge, this detour is unviable leaving them semi-isolated; an acute problem for one resident who receives home visits from NHS carers whose time is restricted because of access challenges 
• As long as Kilbride Bridge is unusable by vehicular traffic, it presents a serious impediment to blue light services accessing properties and people on the shore road in event of emergency
• For context, Kilbride Bridge is private infrastracture and a legacy asset of Argyll Estates. Whilst Argyll Estates no longer have use for the bridge, they have in recent years assisted Kenmore Community householders with bridge maintenance, signage. Over the last 30 years the bridge has been maintained by private householders of the Kenmore / Shore Track community in partnership with Argyll Estates for the benefit of Kenmore community householders, utility company and blue light service vehicles and, significantly, the wider mid-Argyll community and visitors to the region who freely use it year-round to access the Core Path amenity and all the varied leisure aspects along the track and within Kenmore Forest.

3) By repairing the bridge and restoring westerly access onto the shore road, the following positive change will be realised:

• Enable the broad cohort of outdoor enthusiasts, walkers, cyclists, historians and others to once again have convenient 'westerly' and safe access onto the historic shore road. This restores the full potential of the shore road (a designated Core Path by Argyll & Bute Council - Path C199) as a popular year-round outdoor amenity for mid-Argyll locals and visitors alike 

• Remove the impediment to local blue light services gaining access onto the shore road at the most convenient point in event of an emergency. This is a risk weighing heavily on the minds of all KCA householders and one we wish to mitigate ASAP
• Prevent 'rogue' and unsafe attempts to access the shore road in a westerly direction. KCA is concerned members of the public will attempt unsafe river crossings or try accessing via the private Argyll caravan park, which is not a public thoroughfare
• With damage to Kilbride bridge a likely outcome of climate change (during storm babet, Argyll experienced its heaviest rainfall in 48 hrs since 1898) this repair will ensure more resiliance to disruption from similar/future climate-change related events
• Reinstate the vital 'Inveraray-side' access for private vehicles of householders along the shore road to Kenmore.

4) The Kilbride Bridge repair project is expected to run from August 2025 until November 2026, assuming grant funding can be acquired around this starting point. Preliminary engineering consultancy has been completed in order KCA could establish (a) a repair was viable and (b) what sort of repair is required. If the Aug-Nov25 timescale wasn't possible (i.e. grant funding isn't in place) then KCA would propose a revised timescale of April-July 2026 for the repair works.

Organisations and entities the Kenmore Community Association will work in partnership with include:

- Argyll Estates

- Resurgum Holdings Limited (Forestry owners)

- SEPA

- Argyll Caravan Park

- Argyll and Bute Council

- Local Emergency Services and A&B NHS

- SSE (who maintain power lines along the track)

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