Bridge of Don, from Balgownie
of its class and was the work of a local mason. The royal portraits are real and authentic. The Ionic screen or façade between Union Street and the city churches gives some idea of the severely classic architecture that was the vogue in Aberdeen nearly a century ago.
Old Bridge of Dee, Aberdeen
A word must be said about the chief bridges. Union Bridge has a span of 130 feet, and was built in 1802 to facilitate the making of Union Street. It was originally narrower than the street and has recently been widened to meet the requirements of increased traffic. The Bridge of Don (Balgownie), probably built early in the fourteenth century if not earlier, throws its one Gothic arch over the deep contracted stream of the river. A small bequest in the seventeenth century for its maintenance has been so well husbanded that out of its accumulations the cost of the new Bridge (£17,000), and other buildings has been defrayed, and the capital value of the fund—called the Bridge of Don fund—is to-day £26,500. The new bridge, much nearer the sea and with five arches, was designed by Telford and completed in 1830. The Old Bridge of Dee (with seven arches) was founded by Bishop Elphinstone and completed in 1527 by Bishop Gavin Dunbar. In 1842 it was widened 11-1/2 feet. The New (Victoria) Bridge, a continuation of Market Street, was opened in 1882, since when quite a new and populous city has sprung up on the south side of the river, entirely eclipsing the old fishing village of Torry which formerly monopolised this side of the water.
21. Architecture—(_d_) Domestic.
The mansion-houses of the county, whether they are ancient fortalices modernised by later additions or entirely modern buildings erected within a century of the present time, deserve more space than can be allotted to them here. They are of all types of architecture, classical, renaissance, and composite, but there is no doubt that the castellated, Scotch baronial, the traditional type so common in the seventeenth century, still predominates.
Balmoral Castle
Foremost among them must be mentioned Balmoral Castle far up the valley of the Dee. Built in 1853 of a light grey granite found in the neighbourhood, it is composed of two semi-detached squares with connecting wings, and displays the usual castellated towers, high-pitched gables and conical roofed turrets. The massive clock-tower rising to a height of 100 feet from amongst the surrounding leafage and gleaming white in summer sunshine forms a pleasing picture. The late Queen Victoria purchased the estate in 1848, and the Prince Consort took a great personal interest in the design the details of which are said to be modelled on a close study of Castle Fraser, already referred to. For more than half a century it has been a royal residence and though many additions and alterations have been made in that time, the general picture of the edifice remains the same to the traveller on the Deeside road. Two miles below is Abergeldie Castle, which has been leased by the Royal Family for many years. Its turreted square tower, old and plain and somewhat cramped in space, serves as a contrast to the more spacious modern mansion.