This view shows the valley of the River Tweed in the Scottish Borders looking west, with Melrose Abbey in the far distance on the left bank. The bridge in the painting is the Drygrange Bridge at Leaderfoot, built by Alexander Stevens between 1776-1780. The central arch of the bridge has a span of 31 meters which was exceptional for its time. It was built to replace a ferry service that had operated as the only means of crossing the river at this point, so the new bridge greatly improved the journey for travellers using the turnpike road.