Woman who spent £10,000 on visits to beloved horse celebrates north-east bridge reopening

A north-east woman is celebrating the end of daily four-mile taxi rides to see her beloved therapy horse after repairs to a bridge washed away in storms in 2019.

Bruntyards Bridge is the latest crossing to be reopened after flash flooding in King Edward forced six to shut three years ago.

And the prolonged closure has come at a cost to Jacqueline Fraser, who has spent up to £10,000 on taxi rides to see her horse, Randall, since moving to the area.

His field is only around a mile from her home in the Banffshire hamlet.

But the 33-year-old, who uses a wheelchair because she suffers from spina bifida and Charcot, was forced to hire taxis due to the four-mile diversion she faced.

The crossing over Bruntyards Culvert was washed away in heavy rainfall in September 2019.

Moving to her home in the area two years ago, Jacqueline faced spending up to £20 a day on taxis to see Randall.

With no other way of reaching him, and with fuel prices on the up, the cost of the 15-minute car journey has risen to £25.

Jacqueline’s £10,000 taxi bill: ‘There’s nothing without the horses’

Jacqueline tried to visit her therapy animal as much as she could, up to five times a week.

“It’s up to me to have a horse. It’s not just a hobby, it helps me to have one,” she said.

“Without the horses what have I got? There’s nothing without the horses.”

Thinking back on the last two years, Jacqueline reckons most of her money has been spent on taxis.

But getting rid of Randall was “not a choice” she would consider. A 15-minute taxi fare was the only option.

Now the crossing is open again, he is just a mile away. Jacqueline can reach him in her electric wheelchair in 15 minutes.

And she hopes to buy a mobility scooter to shorten the duration of the trip further.

“Once I got my electric wheelchair and the bridge opened I could just go,” she added.

“It’s freedom.”

Council engineers are ‘cracking on’ with King Edward bridge repairs

Troup councillor Mark Findlater has been pressing for the six damaged King Edward bridges to be repaired.

And the Aberdeenshire Council leader was able to break the long-awaited news of Bruntyards reopening to Jacqueline.

He said: “It’s amazing the number of people that live in King Edward, Dunlugas and Eden.

“They are all connected with little roads and these bridges which has been a real problem these last few years.

“Jacqueline is a great example of this having an impact on people’s daily lives.

“But an awful lot of businesses have been affected, the farmers especially.”

Engineers are “cracking on” with the job of having all of the rain-battered King Edward bridges reopened by early next year, he added.

Bridge of Fortrie was the first of the crossings to be repaired.

The North Litterty crossing, near Fintry, followed.

Work is still ongoing at the Mill of Balmaud bridge and it is yet to begin at Millcroft and Gorrachie.