B9166

The B9166 is a short road at the eastern end of Easter Ross.

Route

Towards Fearn

The route starts at a TOTSO on the B9165 on the eastern edge of Fearn and heads southeast across the Loans of Tullich. The terrain is flat, with the exception of the Hill of Nigg visible to the right, and is home to the former RNAS Fearn to the left. This has now returned to farmland although a number of buildings, not all derelict, still remain. Although heading directly for the coast, there is no view of the sea, and the road actually has to climb again over a coastal bank first. It's not long before a T-junction is reached, where the route has to TOTSO left and then right almost immediately as it dog-legs across a minor road. The road now narrows as it enters Balintore along Hill Street, and suddenly the blue sea can be seen ahead, down the narrow gap between the hedges. Few houses front onto the road, most being accessed along the side roads. A short sharp drop brings the route to its end on East Street, looking out across a lawn to the shore beyond. The harbour and village centre is to the right, but unusually the B9166 goes no further, as most similar B roads would have reached the harbour.

History

Originally everything to the north of Inverness was in Zone 8 with the B9166 originally being the B866. In 1935 the A9 was extended north of Inverness and so the road was renumbered with a new in-zone number.