North Ayrshire Council's reconstruction of the historic Tournament Bridge in Eglinton Country Park has been commended at a prestigious civil engineering ceremony.

The Saltire Society, in association with the Institution of Civil Engineers, made the commendation at a recent award ceremony, recognising the amount of work and research which went into recreating and restoring the 19th Century bridge.

The restoration of the bridge was the final part of a programme to upgrade Eglinton Country Park and has become a focus for local schools as pupils can study the natural, social and heritage aspects of the park.

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Work on the bridge involved the removal and replacement of the old concrete arches, a new timber deck, and the replacement of the entire old cast iron element with newly fabricated items.

The craftsmen involved in researching the original designs from surviving documents and sourcing materials to recreate the bridge were praised for their 'highly skilled' work.

Councillor Tom Barr, Portfolio Holder for the Environment, said: "The work to restore Tournament Bridge to its former glory has been a great success.

"Everyone involved in the project should be justly proud as the bridge has not only become a beautiful focal point of the park but also serves a very practical purpose, allowing access across the Lugton Water.

"The acknowledgement of the Council's efforts by The Saltire Society and the Institution of Civil Engineers is greatly appreciated."

(CD/KMcA)