B8059

The B8059 on Lewis

The B8059 connects the Isle of Lewis to the adjacent island of Great Bernera. The only way to get to the route is to use the B8011 from the A858 at Garrynahine (Gearraidh na h-Aibhne) near Callanish (Calanais). After travelling roughly south west for a little over 3 miles across open peat bog, the B8059 turns off to the right at the Bernera Turn. To start with, it seems to alternate between single track and S2, but quickly settles down to being largely single track. However, there are short wider sections, and places where passing places have been merged to form a section which is wide enough for two cars to pass, especially around some of the bends, albeit not necessarily with a centre line.

The route is never exciting. It winds through the base of a very shallow valley, initially crossing the hillside above Loch Sgaire, before crossing the low watershed and following the Lundale River downstream. This is a landscape of rough moorland dotted with rocky outcrops and without any signs of settlement. The first house is met just before a sideroad leads off towards the coast, and then the road returns to S2 as it passes through the scattered community of Lundal. There is a brief view of the island studded Loch Rog, before a sharp left hand bend turns the road to head in a roughly north westerly direction, into another tiny scattered settlement, Crulivig (Crùlabhig). Here the road drops down towards the coast, briefly running along just above the shore of Loch Barraglom, with Great Bernera just across the water.

The road then turns inland once more, but stays two-way as crosses the Crulivig River and climbs through a shallow cutting to reach Earshader (Iarsiadar). Almost incredibly for such a remote location, a loop of old road is passed in another shallow cutting before the road straightens up and heads down hill with the bridge in sight ahead. This straight is all new build, with the old road winding first to the left and then the right, serving a couple of houses but otherwise slowly returning to nature. Originally, the B8059 terminated just before crossing the S1 Great Bernera Bridge, although most maps now show it crossing onto Great Bernera and terminating as it reaches the land, so there is still no classified road on the island. The road narrows a few metres before the bridge, and remains single track as it crosses the island.

History

The B8059 first appears on maps in 1936 when it is shown on the OS 10 mile map. However, in this case it is presumed to be an omission from the 1932 edition, as the location and chronology of the additional numbers supports the idea that it was numbered with the B8060, also on Lewis, in c1930. Considering its remoteness, and the small population served, it is surprising to find quite so much improvement, especially along the northern end. The last two miles have been fully upgraded to S2, with new cuttings and the realignments noted at Iarsiadar. At the start there is also a short realignment, with a new junction related to improvements to the B8011, although the road was not widened beyond the new link.