Ballochmyle Viaduct

The Ballochmyle Viaduct was designed by John Miller for the Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway during the mid 1840s. During March 1846, construction of the stone viaduct began. The viaduct was completed on 2 March 1848 but the line was not completed until 9 August 1850. At the time of its construction, the viaduct had the largest masonry arch in the world; 150 years later, it was amongst the biggest masonry arches to have ever been built. and tens of thousands of trains have crossed over it during its lifetime. The viaduct has been in continuous use to the present day; in 2014, it was in a good condition despite more than 160 years of service. Ballochmyle Viaduct was designated a listed structure during April 1971 and became a Category A listed structure in January 1989. During 2014, the viaduct was designated a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark by the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) and a plaque was installed. The viaduct is also listed amongst those sites promoted by the East Ayrshire Council as being a local historical site. ==Design==

Ballochmyle Viaduct carries a double-track railway over the River Ayr. It has seven spans, three spans at either side of the central span. The main arch crosses the River Ayr at at its highest point. ==Former Pedens Cave at Ballochmyle==

In 2023, the East Kilbride-based topographical historian, Chris Ladds, identified rock-hewn steps and graffiti panels beside the northern abutments as representing the remnnants of a former Romantic era landscape attraction of the Braes of Ballochmyle - the 'Pedens Cave' alluded to in the New Statistical Account and some other sources. One of many Pedens Caves or Coves in the area, it was shown that this example had been overlooked in recent history, but was specifically recorded in several documents which described its destruction to create the footings of the viaduct's northern abutment. ==See also==