B8026 (Black Isle)

This article is about the former B8026 on the Black Isle.
For the current B8026 near Tarbert in Knapdale, see B8026.

The former B8026 climbing Mount High

The B8026 was a short-lived link road on the Black Isle. Starting on the A833 (present A832) at the top of the Fairy Glen north of Rosemarkie, the road followed a straight road northwest, climbing through the forest to Mount High. It then swept downhill in a dramatic line towards the Cromarty Firth, ending on the B863 (present B9163) below Poyntzfield House.

As with a lot of the early B-roads north of Inverness, this road was renumbered as the B9160 in 1935 when the A9 was extended north along the former A88, so transferring all roads on the Black Isle into Zone 9. The B8026 is perhaps unusual in that it wasn't even a classified road in 1922, having been upgraded in the mid 1920s. Whilst it is the most direct route from Fortrose across to the north-coast villages of the Black Isle, it is still a lightly trafficked route today. Most of the other B-roads that were renumbered were of the B86* sequence, and were renumbered as B916*. However, as the B860 was on the west coast originally, the B9160 number was spare, allowing this road to fall in line with its neighbours when renumbered.