Overview of Bridge of Earn

A village of Perth and Kinross, Bridge of Earn sits by the River Earn, 4 miles (6 km) south of Perth. A dormitory village for Perth, it developed in association with bridges crossing the River Earn where tolls were once collected. The present bridge was built 1819-22 to the design of John Rennie (1761 - 1821). The growth of the village in the 19th Century was linked to the popularity of nearby Pitkeathly Wells which ceased to function as a spa in 1949. Established during World War II to cope with an expected influx of casualties after the D-Day landings, Bridge of Earn Hospital was one of Perthshire's leading hospitals and a major source of employment until it was closed in 1993. Transferred to the National Health Service in 1948, the hospital was built on the site of a farm named Oudenarde which was named after one of the Duke of Marlborough's victories in 1708.

Once a railway junction, Bridge of Earn station closed in the 1950s and the line to Milnathort closed in 1970. A single track line still passes through Bridge of Earn connecting Perth with Ladybank. The village has expanded greatly in the late 20th / early 21st C.