B827

Comrie to Braco road

Starting on the A822 just north of Braco, the B827 is a very scenic drive up the valley of the River Knaik and across the hills to Comrie on the A85.

It starts on the old military road just north of Braco, amongst the Roman camps and forts that sit in the hills here, and heads west up the valley of the River Knaik. At first, the river is not visible, but after a few bends and the first few farms are passed, the landscape opens up and the river can be seen in the valley below. The road has been climbing steadily as it tightly hugs the contours, curving in and out around tributary streams, and then running past a forestry plantation where a small parking area offers a viewpoint.

The gradient eases beyond the forest, and the road becomes straighter, but never straight as it passes the last house of Langside, which is no more than a single house looking out over a ruin to the widening valley beyond. Below lie the headwaters of the Knaik, and the gradient, which was never steep, becomes gentle undulations as the road curves round to the north. Suddenly, however, the landscape closes in on this little road, the open moorland is fenced into green fields and a farm appears off to the left. Soon after the descent begins, with sharp bends across fields, and then under trees. It is a shame that the road demands so much attention, as the view northwards to the hills and mountains of the Highlands is breath-taking. Maps and aerial photography suggest that the road cuts across older field boundaries here, but there is no suggestion of an older road line, so this may be a coincidence.

Old maps show a scattering of houses along the road here, but most are gone. Some that survive are at the crossroads at Coilcambus - the first junction since the start. A short respite on the descent is found here, as the road unexpectedly levels out and winds gently across fields, before it once more plunges down through trees, passing a few farms. Then, just as suddenly as it started, it ends, with a sharp fork doubling back to the famous Cultybraggan Camp - a World War 2 camp repurposed for a variety of community and business uses. The road then runs dead straight across open meadows to the little town of Comrie, passing through the site of another Roman Camp on the way. It swings round to the east, before a sharp bend takes it north again, through the town to Dalginross Bridge across the River Earn, and so to the end on the A85.

The 1922 MOT Road List defines this route as: Braco - Comrie