Meeting of the Parliament 21 January 2026
I thank Tim Eagle for bringing this critical issue to the chamber for debate.
In my Aberdeenshire West constituency, bridge infrastructure has been an issue since I was first elected a decade ago. Park bridge closed in 2019 and, seven years later, despite the community’s wishes, there are no plans to reopen it, as Aberdeenshire Council simply does not have the funds. Now, the communities of Drumoak and Durris are separated by a 16-mile round trip. Back then, I pointed out that, if Aberdeenshire Council had to spend £5 million a year to maintain its 1,800 bridges but was able to afford only half that amount, you did not need to be a bridge engineer to foresee the consequences. At that time, there were only 55 bridges on the critical list.
Roll on to 2023, and Aboyne bridge was closed to traffic, forcing people to make a 20-mile round trip over neighbouring Dinnet bridge, which itself is now on red alert. Early proposals suggested that Aboyne bridge would reopen in 2027, but, just before Christmas, investigations revealed that the damage was worse than was previously thought, and now the bridge might be closed to pedestrians and cyclists, too.
Repairs could cost up to £15 million, and a replacement could cost £30 million, but residents know that the council simply does not have the funds available to make the necessary repairs. It is worth highlighting that those costs are for just one bridge. More than 100 bridges in Aberdeenshire are now on the critical list—those bridges are either closed or at risk of closure in the next four years. Emergency vehicles are experiencing longer journey times, businesses are suffering through reduced footfall or increased costs, and communities are suffering as their links to other communities are broken.
The root cause of the problem is the Scottish Government’s chronic underfunding of Aberdeenshire Council. After meeting with the community on the bridge at Aboyne on Monday, I wrote to the First Minister, because enough is enough. This is not an ask; it is now a demand for John Swinney to come to Aboyne to rectify an intolerable situation that has literally divided the community. I hope that John Swinney will accept my invitation to visit the Fix Aboyne Bridge Community Action Group to explain why the Scottish Government has so far refused to provide the support for reopening this essential bridge.
I urge the cabinet secretary to listen to the cases that are being raised tonight and commit to ensuring that councils have the necessary funding to stop our rural communities from being divided.
17:43