B8062

Route

The B8062 between Kinkell Bridge and Crieff

The B8062 is a lengthy, rural B-road in south Perthshire.

The road starts on the A822 on the southern edge of Crieff and TOTSOs right immediately afterwards, as the main route turns left up King Street, although that road has always been unclassified. Heading southeast along Broich Road, the B8062 soon reaches open country and continues through the scattered farming communities of Strathearn, with high mountains visible in most directions. Even though the river meanders away and back again, the road maintains a fairly steady south easterly course, and is largely flat. After the hamlet of Highlandman, where at one time there was a level crossing on the Crieff to Gleneagles railway line (the line to the left has now been ploughed into the field but the station is still visible to the right), the B8062 detours in a long loop to cross the Pow Water at Millhills Bridge, before skirting a wood.

The road straightens up once more and passes Innerpeffray, home to a famous, historic library. There then follow a couple of sharp bends, as the road crosses the line of a Roman Road, and winds around the sites of some Roman Forts, although there is nothing much left to see in the landscape of either. the last of which doubles back on itself, as the road turns east, then south, past some Roman sites, before finally heading east again. The road is now winding southwards, briefly crossing the 50m contour before dipping down and turning back to the east. These bends have brought the road closer to the River Earn, and a sharp U-bend at Millearne leads down to the narrow Kinkell Bridge, where the river is finally crossed.

On the far side of the river the B8062 continues its meandering route, first by bending sharply to the left and running along a broad avenue before turning south to loop over a bridge across the Machany Water. After the bridge is a long sweeping bend climbing the flank of the hill, and once it straightens up again, the road is running southeastwards to climb relatively gently out of Strathearn. As it crosses the hills, the road slowly turns round to the south and presently the road reaches Auchterarder and its summit at just under 90m.

The entrance to the town has been changed substantially in the last few years bythe construction of a new housing development, and it is not entirely clear if the B8062 has been, or indeed will be re-routed. For now, it seems to stick to its original route which crosses a mini roundabout, and then TOTSOs right on Hunter Street to reach a T-junction on the A824 (pre-bypass A9) in the centre of town. However, from the TOTSO the mainline continues along Benton Road to meet the A824 further east at a new roundabout. Either way, there is then a multiplex east along the A824 for about a mile back into open country.

Railway overbridge near Auchterarder

The B8062 regains its number by turning right to cross the Ruthven Water and run past a campsite. It then follows the Pairney Burn upstream, passing under both the modern route of the A9 and the Stirling to Perth railway line – the latter by means of a low and narrow arch bridge which feels more like a tunnel. Immediately after the bridge, the road turns sharply eastwards, winding gently over a low hill before a long undulating straight beneath the escarpment of the Ochil Hills. Along the way, it passes an interesting monument to Maggie Wall, who was burned as a Witch on the spot in 1657. Eventually the road descends gradually to enter the village of Dunning along Auchterarder Road and, after passing the golf course, ends at an offset crossroads where the B934 TOTSOs and the B9141 also terminates.

History

The entire route of the B8062 was unclassified in 1922. It was then classified later in the 1920s but only the section between Crieff and Auchterarder became the B8062 in the first instance. The eastern section, from Milton to Dunning, had become the B9098. In 1934 the B8062 was extended east via a multiplex along the then-A9 and the entire length of the B9098, meaning the latter route ceased to exist.

An official document from 16/5/1934 details the following changes: To be extended from Auchterarder to Dunning over the whole line of Route B9098 commencing at a junction with Route A9 (Edinburgh - John O'Groat's) at Shinafoot Perthshire, about one mile north east of Auchterarder and proceeding in a south easterly and north easterly direction via Fairney, Rossiebank and Millhaugh to a termination at a junction with Route B934 (Yetts of Muckart - Upper Carnie) at Dunning.