Sign Of The Week (13)

It was inevitable, I suppose.

Almost equidistant between Inverness, fifty-three miles to the east, and Aberdeen to the west, is to be found the hamlet of Cock Bridge, a hamlet in the Cairngorms National Park and situated on a stretch of the A939 designated as the most beautiful stretch of road in Scotland. However, the stretch of road is also notorious as it is one of the first to be blocked by snow in the winter as it runs over high ground between Tomintoul and Cock Bridge.

The hamlet gets its name from the bridge which runs over the river Cock, but for some the amusement value of its road sign is irresistible. It is regularly stolen – the last incident was in the summer – and as you approach the village now, you are greeted by two poles standing forlornly in the ground. Neighbouring villages of Lost, Backside, and Brokenwind are also reporting similar problems.

In an attempt to solve the problem once and for all, Aberdeenshire Council are looking at using signage with what they claim to be “robust tamper-proof fixings”. With Council budgets so stretched, they could do without this additional and unnecessary expense.

Let’s hope the new signage will work and future intrepid visitors will be content with a photograph they can share on social media.