03 February 2024 , 18:11
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A bridge that let people get closer to King Charles and Queen Camila's Scottish retreat has been demolished - and people are devastated.
Some even took to social media to show their disappointment over the decision taken by Aberdeenshire Council which owned the structure near the couple's Birkhall estate next to Balmoral. In a Facebook group, one local posted: "From beautiful and idyllic to broken... bridge at Birkhall is no more."
Various people commented under the post, sharing their dismay over the council's decision. One person wrote: "How sad. I used to love walking there," while another said it was "sad but necessary." A third wrote: "Literally walked there yesterday and met this. Was saddened. Understand vehicles, less so, pedestrians. Is there a plan to repair things or at least have a pedestrian bridge?"
It's the only crossing upstream of the area over the River Muick and has been used by the King and Queen who then follow a private track to take them up the north side of the river. According to the council, the bridge - the only public crossing upstream of Birkhall - was close to collapse.
An Aberdeenshire Council spokesperson said: "Demolition work has begun on the Mill of Sterin Bridge in Glen Muick. It follows significant scouring by the River Muick along the right bank at the rear of the bridge for some time, with the bridge having been closed for more than a year to all traffic on safety grounds. With Mill of Sterin Bridge now on the verge of collapse, the demolition will ensure it is removed with minimum environmental impact. It will safeguard against unauthorised crossing which had been taking place.
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There are no plans for a replacement bridge as a new access has already been created to the adjacent Old School House from the C8M road, which is on the same side of the river as the property."
The royals have a very close connection to Scotland, and have travelled there recently for royal visits. Yesterday, the Princess Royal visited Gordonstoun School in Moray, Scotland, where she officially opened what is said to be one of the greenest classroom buildings in the UK.
The classroom hub at the school has environmentally friendly credentials including solar panels, ground source heating and hi-tech C02 monitoring. And Anne unveiled a plaque naming the classroom hub The Queen Elizabeth II Rooms, in honour of the late Queen and with approval from the King – a former Gordonstoun student.
Gordonstoun principal Lisa Kerr said: "We are committed to providing our students with the best possible learning environment while being mindful of reducing our carbon footprint. The low carbon design is a signpost to how we want to develop the rest of the school estate as part of our bold masterplan leading up to the school’s 100th anniversary
"Gordonstoun is always looking for ways to innovate and The Queen Elizabeth II Rooms is the first step in our biggest building project since the Second World War. The classroom hub is built to the highest environmental standards and provides our students and staff with the latest facilities, technology and equipment."