B712

The B712 is a cross-country B-road in central Peeblesshire.

Tweeddale

The route starts on the A72 at Hallyne, to the west of Peebles, and heads south, immediately crossing the Lyne Water on Beggarpath Bridge. It then winds gently across the fields as it follows the Tweed upstream. The next road to the left, which is single track, is the original line of the B712 although it was re-routed early on). After a few more gentle bends, with an intermittent white line, the route finds a long straight which goes through the scattered community of Stobo and then skirts the grounds of Stobo Castle. The river meanders back and forth down to the left, with the road climbing a little between short stretches on, or at least near the riverbank. At the end of the straight, the road winds through trees, passing the old station before sweeping over the River Tweed on Crownhead Bridge. Just before the bridge, a minor road forks right, staying on the north side of the river, and meeting the B712 again towards its further end.

Dawyck House and the Dawyck Botanic Garden lie on the south bank, but the route turns west, continuing upstream through a strip of woodland. The road hugs the southern edge of the valley whilst the river meanders across the widening flood plain some distance to the north. Curving round to the south west, the road comes out of the trees and crosses fields as it goes through the scattered settlement of Drumelzier. Just beyond the village, the road bends sharply to the right at a T Junction to cross the river again, on Merlindale Bridge. The route now leaves the River Tweed behind, as it cuts around the northern side of Rachan Hill, running through patches of woodland and widening to a full S2 once more. It then comes to an end at a T-junction on the A701 (former B713) at Rachan Mill.

History

As noted above, the northern end of the route originally started further east on the A72, crossing the Lyne Water on Lynesmill Bridge. It was realigned onto its current route at some point between 1932 and 1936, but as it is not listed in the documents so far discovered for 1934/35 and 36, it would appear to have been changed in 1932 or 33.

Much of the route of the B712 was either built, or thoroughly re-engineered by someone called Montgomery in c1825 as part of a new and/or improved route through Upper Tweeddale and on to Edinburgh. This route crossed Beggarpath Bridge and continued north along the minor road between Black Meldon and White Meldon to meet the A703 at Eddleston. Unfortunately, only snippets of the history of this route have been found, and it is not currently possible to identify exactly how much of the route was new, nor indeed the exact alignments and terminus points at either end.

The 1922 MOT Road List defines this route as: Edston Hill - Stobo - Rachan Mill