The Highland Council says work on the new Naver Bridge project has helped deliver a new community footbridge at Farr Beach in Sutherland.

Contractors Wills Bros Civil Engineering assisted with the installation of the new footbridge as part of a project led by Bettyhill, Altnahara and Strathnaver Community Council.

The community council secured funding for the replacement bridge through a variety of sources before Wills Bros stepped in to provide labour and equipment support.

The company helped remove the old bridge structure and dispose of materials before assembling and installing the new footbridge onto the existing supports.

The community council then completed adjacent fencing works and restored the path connections at both ends of the bridge.

The new footbridge provides access to Farr Beach and comes alongside wider infrastructure improvements linked to the nearby Naver Bridge development.

The new Naver Bridge near Bettyhill on the A836 opened to traffic at the end of February with overall works expected to be completed later this summer.

The wider project began in 2024 and replaced the ageing single track wrought iron plate girder bridge crossing the River Naver.

Vice Chair of the Sutherland Committee, Hugh Morrison, welcomed the completion of the local footbridge project.

He said:

“The footbridge will be a great local asset, and The Highland Council is very appreciative of the efforts of the local community council, and WBCEL to bring this project to a conclusion.

“It highlights the real value of working together in local co operation.

“It is also great to see the Naver Bridge route open for traffic and thanks go to contractors and our council staff for all their work to date on this key infrastructure development.”