B851 (Inverness - Fort Augustus)

This article is about the former B851 between Inverness and Fort Augustus.
For the current B851 from Culloden to Stratherrick, see B851.

Near the southern end of the former B851 (now B862)

According to the 1922 Road Lists, the original route of the B851 was mostly along what is now the B862. It was the only B road on the east side of Loch Ness, as opposed to the 3 routes which are there today. Looking more closely at the 1923 MOT Map, however, it becomes clear that whilst most of the route is now numbered as the B862, the northern end, leaving Inverness, is now unclassified.

The old B851 split from the route of the modern B862 on the banks of the River Ness, where it turned up Drummond Crescent, and so turned onto Stratherrick Road - a clue to the destination of the road if ever there was one. This is also the approximate route of General Wade's Military Road. After crossing the modern A8082 the B851 followed Essich Road out past Loch Ashie to meet the current B862 at the summit above Dores. This whole route is now classified by the Highland Council as the C1064. From Ashie Moor, the original B851 followed the route of what is now the B862 south to Fort Augustus, aside from the handful of localised modern improvements.

However, the original route of the B851 must have been very short lived as it was renumbered as the A862 no later than 1925, although that road followed the modern route out of Inverness in 1932, and almost certainly did so from the start. The B851 number was presumably recycled almost immediately onto its current route.

In the late 1970s the road was downgraded to Class II status once more. This time it kept the same number and so is now the B862. That page gives more information about the route's history.

The 1922 MOT Road List defines this route as: Fort Augustus - White Bridge - Torness - Inverness