C1205 (Highland)
| C1205 | ||||
| Location Map ( geo) | ||||
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| From: | Torlundy (NN162786) | |||
| To: | Aonach Mor (NN170773) | |||
| Distance: | 1.3 miles (2.1 km) | |||
| Meets: | A82 | |||
| Highway Authorities | ||||
| Traditional Counties | ||||
| Route outline (key) | ||||
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For other roads numbered C1205, see C1205.
The C1205 is a comparatively new road, largely built, or at least completely rebuilt, for a 1991 opening to provide access to the Ski Centre at Aonach Mor. It is a wide S2 road throughout, replacing a former forest road that also serves the quarry near the ski centre. The route starts at a big junction on the A82 a mile or so north of Torlundy, and climbs up and over the railway line, before running through the forest to the car park. It also passes the Auction Mart and neighbouring semi-industrial area. There are laybys along the road, offering access to the forest paths and cycle routes, but perhaps due to the popularity of the ski centre in the winter months, they unusually have 3 hour waiting limits.
History
The origins of this route apparently date back to 1984 when proposals for a road to the ski slopes were first drawn up. At this stage, a road similar to the Cairngorm Mountain Road was envisaged, climbing over half way up the mountain to reach a new base station for the ski tows. However, engineers had concerns about the route, which included 14 hairpin bends over five miles and would have been very susceptible to snowfall. The Cairngorm road already had problems with heavy overnight snow taking several hours to clear before the ski centre could be opened, and so after much deliberation it was decided that the best solution was to built two base stations, connected by a gondola system, and so this is what was built. A photo of the technical drawing on a BBC report in 2024 appears to show the route zig-zagging up the mountainside to the west of the gondola route, criss-crossing the various tributary streams of the Allt an t-Snneachda, before reaching its summit between the current base station and Meall Beag.
The current road was opened on 9 December 1991 by Duncan MacPherson, Highland Region Council Covenor who had campaigned for the ski development. It replaced the 2.1 mile single-track twisting access from Torlundy. Cost was £3 million.
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