Route of Telford's Road
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The first 200 metres of Telford's Road out of Bridge of Orchy, across the eponymous Bridge, re-used the alignment of the Military Road. However, once across the river, Telford turned due north along the western bank of the river. He gently navigated the contours around Mam Carraigh and along the shores of Loch Tulla, so avoiding the 'unecessary' ascent to 320m, climbing to just 180m at Inveroran Hotel where the two routes converged once more. Despite adding roughly a mile to the journey, it is likely that only a few minutes were lost on this easier route.
This section of road was, until the 1980s, an A-road bearing the number A8005. With the Ministry of Transport assigning the numbers in the early 1920s, it seems probable that the whole of the route described below was the A82 until 1933, so was it renumbered as the A8005 then? If so, how far did this A-road originally stretch - was there ever an intention to maintain two routes across the moor? What is certain is that at least two publications from the late 1930s indicate Telford's route as still being public highway, although neither differentiated between A, B and minor routes.
After crossing the Victoria Bridge (its name suggesting that it post-dates Telford), the two routes diverge again at Forest Lodge, where Telford's road took a route lower on the hillside. Below is one of the fine bridges that he designed and built, although I suspect that the parapet is newer.
Bridge on Telford's Road near Black Mount. Click to enlarge
The road even today averages about 5 metres (15ft) in width, and the bridges are if anything a little wider between parapets. However, in a number of places, there appears to be a slightly wider section. This may only date from the early days of motoring, when passing places were found to be necessary.
The gradient is generally easy going, climbing from 200 to 300m in about 2km (1.25 miles), or averaging 1 in 20. As the road approaches an area known as The Moss in the boggy Ba Valley, Telford rejoined the Military Road. This may have been a simple necessity, as trying to construct a new route through the surrounding peatbog would have been difficult.
The surface is still in good condition, with a mixture of larger stones and smaller material making a consistent surface. However, having been superseded in 1933, it is unlikely that the road was ever tarred as we would recognise today (there is no sign of any tar/tarmac along the route). As a result, it must have been quite a bone shaking ride in those last years before the new road was finished, bouncing along on this rough surface with jagged rocks poking out at all angles. Even today, there is plenty of evidence that the road itself is avoided - for much of the length dusty tracks along the verges show where hikers prefer to walk! Nevertheless, the road is still well-drained and surviving on the surface of the peatbog.
As with the Military Road that had gone before, Telford's Road is lined by a series of small Quarries (shown below), where the knolls and bumps of the moor have been opened up to gain stone for the road and bridges. Generally, the stone seems to have been used as it came, only being dressed in any manner for the masonry of the culverts and bridges. However, the road surface would originally have been covered with finer material than survives now. Today, these grassy hollows provide a sheltered spot for a picnic, or a hideaway for the animals of the moor.
One of the stone quarries along the road. Click to enlarge
The Ba Bridge marks the halfway point between Bridge of Orchy and the Kingshouse Hotel. It is also the most impressive structure along the old road (shown left; click to enlarge). The bridge spans the River Ba, a fast flowing mountain stream which tumbles over craggy rocks as it makes it's way out into the morass of the Moor. About half a mile to the north lies the remote ruin of Ba Cottage, once as welcome a sight to the weary traveller as the Kingshouse, although nowhere near as grand!
A few hundred metres past the turning for Ba Cottage, the Old Military Road again climbs off to the west, to cross the 500m contour, while Telford's route curves further to the east, only reaching a summit of 445m. It then descends to join the public road at Blackrock Cottage. It was only with the opening of the Glencoe Ski resort that this section of road was brought back into use, while conversely the section on the other side of the A82, leading to the Kingshouse Hotel, was only taken out of use at a similar time when its new access was built!
Beyond Kingshouse, Telford chose an easier route than the Old Military Road to Altnafeadh - the route now used by the A82, but instead of climbing the difficult Devil's Staircase on the direct route to Fort William, he chose to improve the road through the Glen which had been built in 1786, thus formalising the traditional Drove Road through Glencoe.
Most of the way through the glen this road deviates from the modern Road, initially tending a little higher up the hillside, and then after passing The Study and the spectacular Waterfalls, it can be seen to the south, below the modern road. Again, many of Telford's bridges survive, and the road is still able to carry vehicles (at least where they can access it!).
Finally, where the modern road crosses the River Coe, Telford followed the 1786 road, staying on the North bank and following the minor road past the Clachaig Inn, and into Glencoe Village - again an obvious use of a traditional Drove Road through the village.
