page_title: William Mylne
section_title: Edinburgh
hierarchical_section_title: William Mylne / Edinburgh
caption_attribution_description: "NORTH BRIDGE CALTON HILL &amp;c FROM THE BANK OF SCOTLAND", from Modern Athens
context_page_description: William Mylne was a Scottish architect and engineer. He is best known as the builder of the North Bridge, which links the Old and New Towns of Edinburgh, Scotland. He was the younger brother of Robert Mylne, architect and designer of Blackfriars Bridge in London.
context_section_description: William returned to his home city, where he established himself as a mason and architect in the family tradition. By 1758 he was a member of the Incorporation of St Mary's Chapel, the guild of masons and carpenters in Edinburgh, and began to take on the running of his father's business. He lived at the family home in Halkerston's Wynd, off the Royal Mile, initially with his older sister Elizabeth as housekeeper, until she eloped in 1758, and then with his younger sister Anne.
  He was appointed Surveyor to the city in 1759. In 1759, he designed the Yair Bridge, over the River Tweed at Fairnilee, which he built between 1760 and 1764, and which still stands. Between 1768 and 1772, William and Robert were jointly responsible for designing and supervising construction, of the New Bridge over the River Clyde in Glasgow. This bridge, carrying Jamaica Street, was replaced by a larger structure in 1836.
  In February 1763 Thomas Mylne died. Robert by this time was an established architect and engineer in London, and had won the competition to build a new bridge at Blackfriars. William therefore took on the family business, while Robert inherited the family's mansion at Powderhall, where their mother continued to live.
  In 1765, Mylne submitted his plans for a new bridge to link Edinburgh's Old Town with the area to the north, which was to become the New Town. The bridge was the subject of a competition, and other designs were prepared by James Craig and David Henderson. Mylne's design was selected, and he was contracted to build the bridge, for £10,140, within four years. The North Bridge comprised three stone arches, and was 1,134 feet (346 m) long, and 70 feet (21 m) high, although much of the length was solid abutment. Robert Mylne acted as financial surety to the scheme. By the summer of 1769 the bridge was approaching completion, and although not officially open, was regularly used by pedestrians. However, on 3 August, one of the arches collapsed, causing the deaths of five people. Poor foundations, resting on accumulated rubbish at the bottom of the valley, were blamed. Robert came up from London to offer his assistance, and the Town Council commissioned a report on the collapse from John Smeaton and John Adam. William's payments were stopped until the matter was resolved. William repaired the damage, and completed the bridge in 1772, but the collapse led him into financial difficulties.
caption: Mylne's North Bridge, with Calton Hill in the background, in 1829
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