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Spean Bridge is 9 miles north of Fort
William, 56 miles south of Inverness, 55
miles southwest of Aviemore.
Spean Bridge is a small Village best known
for the Commando Monument next to the main road
to Inverness, half of a mile north of the
Village. The Spean Bridge
Mill is another attraction with a working
Weaving Machine, shop, whisky section, and cafe
/ diner. The Highland Bridge
Hotel, Smiddy House Restaurant with
Rooms, Riverside
Lodge, and Burnbank Lodges
provide accommodation.
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Camping & Touring Parks in
area
The Village is named after the Highbridge
built in 1736 by General Wade as part of his
Military Road between Fort William and
Inverness. The Road Bridge seen today was built
by Thomas Telford in 1819.
The Aonach Mor Hotel was renamed the
Highland Bridge Hotel around 2024.
The Speen Bridge Hotel closed in 2024, it
may re-open after an upgrade?
Spean Bridge History
1736 - General Wade built the Highbridge
about 1 mile down River from the Village, there
are ruins that can be seen today.
1745 - the Highbridge
Skirmish was the first engagement of the
Last Jacobite
Rising that began that year with Bonnie
Prince Charlie trying to gain the throne of
Great Britain for his father the Catholic,
James Francis Edward Stuart. Jacobite's claimed
Stuart had a greater claim to the throne than
the Protestant George II.
1746 April - the Jacobite's were defeated at
the Battle of Culloden by
Inverness, the last major Battle on the UK
Mainland.
1819 - the Road Bridge was completed at
Spean Bridge to designs of Thomas Telford.
There is a Pool below the Bridge popular for
Swimming in summer. Large
Image.
1840s - water powered Woolen Mills were
being built throughout Scotland, not sure when
the Spean Bridge Mill was built.
1894 - Spean Bridge Train
Station opened on the line that runs
between Glasgow and Fort William. There is now
a Restaurant at the Station.
1904 - the original Speen Bridge Golf
Course opened but was closed around the
time of World War One.
1942 - Achnacarry
Castle and Estate 7 miles north of Spean
Bridge was used to train Commandos during the
Second World War. These were top Soldiers hand
picked to carry out raids against
German-occupied Europe. There is information
about this at the Spean Bridge Train Station
where the Commandos arrived in Trains.
1952 - the Commando Monument at Spean Bridge
was unveiled by the Queen Mother. This is now
one of the top Monuments in Scotland, with
views south to Aonach Mor and Ben Nevis
mountains. Large
Image.
The Commando Monument was designed by Scott
Sutherland.
1950s - the 9 hole Speen Bridge Golf Course seen
today opened next to the Train Station.
1989 - The Nevis Range mountain sports was
opened on Aonach Mor mountain for Snowsports in
winter and Mountain Biking and Walking in
summer, 6 miles south of Spean Bridge.
2000s? the Garden of Remembrance was created
next to the Commando Monument for families of
Commandos Killed in Conflicts such as the
Falklands, Afghanistan, and Iraq to place
Personal Tributes.
The Garden also contains Tributes to
Commandos from the Second World War and later
conflicts that died of natural causes in later
life.
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