B837

This article is about the current B837 from Balmaha to Drymen.
For the former B837 (now B8000) on the Cowal Peninsula, see B837 (Cowal).

Balmaha

The current B837 is a popular tourist drive, connecting the pretty village of Drymen to the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond at Balmaha, a bustling if tiny village. This dead-end road was originally unclassified but had gained its present number by 1932.

The route starts on the B858, former A811, just south of the large 'square' in the centre of Drymen and heads north west along Balmaha Road, quickly leaving the village behind. The first bit of this road is a little bit like a roller coaster as it climbs and drops over the undulating ground along a series of short straights. The road becomes a bit narrower as it squeezes through the tiny village of Milton of Buchanan, where it picks up the West Highland Way. It's then downhill all the way to Balmaha, with its large car park and visitor centre. From the loch pier ferries ply their way across Loch Lomond, allowing visitors to explore some of the islands. An unclassified road continues north along the shore to the hotel at Rowardennan and the B837 ends when the road bears sharply right onto this.

History

Although little changed since first classified, there is one notable difference on the B837. Keen observers will note that there are two 'Balmaha Road's in Drymen, the B837 currently following the southern arm. However, the route originally followed the northern one, meaning it started in The Square and headed north along Old Gartmore Road, before turning left onto Balmaha Road. The current route is a new road, seemingly built in the late 1980s or early 90s.