B8074

Route

The B8074 is another of the remote and picturesque classified routes in the West Highlands, passing through the scenic Glen Orchy. It is a shorter route end to end than passing through Tyndrum on the A85, but almost certainly slower as the road is entirely single-track with passing places, and twists, turns, and undulates almost at will. However, along the way there are some spectacular falls on the River Orchy to view and a wonderful sense of peace and quiet to enjoy.

Arichastich

The route starts just south of Bridge of Orchy on the A82, and heads south-westwards, quickly crossing the old Drochaid Chonoglais before plunging into a forestry plantation. The road quickly drops to the banks of the River Orchy, and follows the river for around three miles as it passes in and out of the trees, with the main forest on the opposite side of the river. The River Orchy has several sets of rapids and low waterfalls in the glen, and the first of these impressive cascades is found as the road turns away from the river bank the second time. Unfortunately, there is no parking here, nor indeed at some of the other spots, but the road is quiet enough to walk back.

A single house has already been passed, sitting up the hill, but the road now passes through the most densely populated section, with a farm and house within half a mile of each other! The road runs between open moorland fields between the two, having strayed from the river bank again, but after passing a band of trees, it drops back down, finding a particularly turbulent stretch of water which culminates in the impressive Eas Urchaidh Falls. There is a new car park area here, and a new forestry bridge over the river, which leads to some forestry trails. A mile or so further on, the old picnic site seems to have been blocked off since the removal of the footbridge. The road continues to wind along the river bank, short-cutting a couple of the meanders, and passes another lone cottage, this time sitting right on the roadside.

Turning away from the river a final time, the road passes the only house to sit between it and the water, as it skirts the edge of the forestry. It then sweeps round a long left-hander and heads south, passing a final cottage as it meets the A85 next to Inverlochy Bridge, east of Dalmally.

History

The B8074 was not classified in the original list of 1922. Indeed, there were no four-digit B roads in Zone 8 in the original list. Looking at old maps, there was a road through Glen Orchy, which at the Bridge of Orchy end roughly followed the river from the Drochaid Chonoghlais into the village, with a rough track still visible along this line. Close examination of the 1932 edition of the OS Ten-Mile Road Map of Great Britain shows that the road still follows this line, even though it is now the B8074. However, it is known that the current line of the A82 through the Auch Glen was built in 1932, and this is not shown on the map, so it seems likely that if the B8074 did ever use the riverside route to Bridge of Orchy, it was only for a very short time before the new road was constructed and the new junction created.