LITE creates a stunning lighting scheme for Scotland’s historic Stirling Old Bridge

Stirling Old Bridge, located on the River Forth, is one of the most important crossing points in Scotland.

The present Stirling Bridge was built around the 1500s, yet this historic site has played host to many important moments in history, including the Battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297 and the Jacobite Rising of 1745.  One of the few and best medieval masonry arch bridges in Scotland, Stirling Old Bridge is one of the most critical river crossings in Scotland and acted as the main crossing point of the River Forth until the early 1800s, dubbed a ‘gateway to the Highlands’.

Electrical Contractors and Installers Forth Electrical Services (FES) appointed LITE to create a new, dynamic, colour-changing design for the lighting on the bridge. LITE provided initial designs and plans and supplied the light fixtures, recommending several solutions from their market-leading portfolio of lighting brands.

LITE also carried out onsite trials with members of Historic Environments Scotland (HES) and local architects in attendance, to ensure the locations of fixtures and lighting levels were correctly and sympathetically placed. The river in this section has a history of flooding, therefore the ground-mounted fittings were required to be IP68 and the main floodlighting was mounted onto columns.

The team created an ideal solution to illuminate this historic monument. The proposal included lighting the four main semi-circular arches of the bridge from new column-mounted fittings, re-using the existing locations of ground-mounted fixtures, and installing up lighters on both the left and right-hand sides of the riverbank. Power was available on either side of the river, but LITE installed new ducting and cabling for the required locations.

Color Kinetics ColorReach Elite 100 RGBW products were selected for cross-lighting, and Studio Due Aria RGBW IP68 products were chosen for ground-mounted lighting, to create a dynamic colour-changing lighting effect, controlled remotely by a Pharos LPC1 controller. DMX connectivity is provided via wireless technology and remote access to the controller is available via a 4G router or SIM card.

The result is an innovative and dynamic lighting solution which brings modern, colour-changing lighting to an area steeped in rich history and traditional architecture. As the archways transition to various colours, the bridge is brought to life and its appearance is enhanced, with the effect appearing particularly striking at night, reflecting in the river.

The modern solution also gives the end user complete control over the colour change to cast dynamic light shows and select programmed colour displays to mark national days and occasions for the public.

Scot Baxter, Project Manager from FES, said: “LITE are a trusted partner who has done incredible work with Historic Environments Scotland in the past, therefore we knew that they were a reliable company to work on this project. They provided an innovative design solution and the kit and fixtures needed, supporting our installation from the get-go and ensuring we had everything we needed and that all was to plan. The effect of the lighting is truly striking and enchanting, and we could not be happier with the result.”

Stirling Old Bridge is the latest project that LITE have completed to enhance a historical Scottish monument. LITE were appointed by Historic Environments Scotland to upgrade the lighting system for Edinburgh Castle and also provided a new dynamic lighting scheme for the floodlighting on The Mound.

Project credits:
Client: Forth Electrical Services.
Electrical contractors: Forth Electrical Services.
LED supplier: Color Kinetics and Studiodue.
Control: Pharos LPC.