The Great Road North to Perth, involved crossing the River Earn, before the bridge was built, that way north involved fording the river. The line of the ford can be seen between the trees on either side of this picture. The first bridge was built here, it was replaced by a more substantial stone bridge a little farther upstream from here.

The fording place

A clue to the antiquity of this crossing can be found in the name of the street leading up to the ford, "Old Edinburgh Road," which runs parallel to the modern road through Bridge of Earn. An information board, on the southern end of the "new" bridge, gives details on the history of the village and its crossings.