The B8025 snakes down the Argyll coast from Kilmartin to the remote settlement of Keillmore on a long, sparsely populated peninsula to the west of Knapdale (northern Kintyre). The road was originally unclassified but had gained its number by 1932.
Route
The B8025 heading south towards Bellanoch
Kilmartin - Bellanoch
The route starts just south of Kilmartin village, world-famous for its archaeological sites, and immediately passes a small car park opposite the Nether Largie Standing Stones. A right turn then leads off to some of the other sites including the Largie Cairns and Temple Wood stone circle, in the neighbouring fields as well as the small settlement of Slockavullin. The B8025 meanwhile winds southwards alongside the Kilmartin Burn, passing a variety of other minor sites to reach the Moine Mhor. Just before a small car park, a drive leads off to the right to the surprisingly sited Poltalloch Church, sitting in a field. Its history is tied up with that of the now ruinousPoltalloch House, half buried in the trees and undergrowth nearby.
Around another bend, the road becomes almost dead-straight as it heads SSW for the next 2 miles or so through an area of forestry and the out across the low-lying Mòine Mhòr to reach Islandadd Bridge at the mouth of the River Add. The marshy nature of this section of the route is underlined by the presence of "Weak Road" signs. Although dead straight and offering excellent forward visibility, the road is single track and could perhaps do with a few more proper passing places to cope with summer traffic levels. At the end of the straight, the road crosses the River Add and then the Crinan Canal in quick succession – the latter via a narrow and weight-restricted (3t) swing bridge. Once across the bridge, the road immediately meets the B841, which runs alongside the canal, and turns right, the two routes multiplexing.
Bellanoch - Keills
The two routes split again at a sharp fork just before Bellanoch Bay - a basin in the canal formed from a natural gap in the hills. The road climbs steeply up Bellanoch Hill, curving round the bay, and remains two-way as it levels out and heads south through the narrow valley. Near the summit a very long dead-end leading to the village of Kilmory turns off to the left. The B8025 continues south-westward, winding through the forestry and over the ridges of the hills, doubling back down to reach the shore of Caol Scotnish (a sea loch). There are a scattering of houses around the head of the loch, and then the road drops to the waters edge, rarely straying far for the next couple of miles. There are a couple of parking areas along the road for a more leisurely exploration.
After a couple of miles or so, the road turns around a headland into a little bay, with the pretty village of Tayvallich, the only real village on the peninsula, laid out ahead. A side road turns right and climbs slightly over the neck of the peninsula to the sandy Carsaig Bay on the Atlantic coast, while the B8025 navigates around the pretty harbour. It then climbs another hill out of the village and crosses to the shores of Linne Mhuirich, another sea loch, although with such a narrow, sheltered mouth that it could easily be mistaken for a freshwater loch. As the road runs along the long finger of land there are views across to Taynish, a similar peninsula across the water. A scattering of farms are passed before a final turning sees another road turn east to New Ulva, and then across a causeway to the Island of Danna, the public road ending on the far side of the bridge.
The last couple of miles along the B8025 see it pass through the scattered settlement of Keills, at the head of Loch na Cille. Maps show that the road continues through a couple of gates and wind across the end of the peninsula to reach the old pier at Keillmore, once a drovers crossing from Jura. It is worth stopping in the little car park through the first gate and walking up to the old Keils chapel on the hillside, which not only affords excellent views, but is also home to a collection of medieval carved grave slabs, similar to those found at Kilmartin and Kilmory.
