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MHG53677 - Former road between Ullapool and Contin

Summary

Known as the fish merchant's road, it was 16 feet wide and covered with gravel. Faint traces of it survive on the ground.

Type and Period (2)

Protected Status

Full Description

This site was noted in an Environmental Statement, prepared by Cathy Dagg, for a proposed wind farm at Lochluichart.

The earliest road to be constructed between Ullapool and Contin, probably following the route of an earlier drove road. Built in 1792-3 to facilitate the export overland of fish from Ullapool and therefore known as the fish merchants' road, the road was 16 feet wide and the top covered with gravel, the base presumably of local stone. The bridge over the Alit Giubhais Beag is one of eight constructed along the entire route. Only 12 years after its completion the road had fallen into disrepair. This road followed a route from West Aultguish, south of Kirkan and over the hill to Gorstan, while the later road (the route still in use today) follows the Blackwater past Lubfearn and Inchbea. The first 500m of this road from West Aultguish is overlaid by the access track to the intake, but from NH 3450 7033 it can be followed faintly to the bridge at NH 3508 7000. There is no trace of a gravel surface or stone base. The bridge survives only as the collapsed remains of a rubble pier on the east bank of the stream (see MHG29869). <1>

The line of the road is more or less visible from the site of the former bridge northwestwards to where it meets and is then overlain by the later track at NGR 234523 870305 in vertical aerial photographs taken in 2009 and is completely visible in SEPA LiDAR data. <2> <3>

Sources/Archives (3)

Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred NH 3459 7031 (965m by 562m) (2 map features)
Map sheet	NH37SW
Geographical Area	ROSS AND CROMARTY

Finds (0)

Related Monuments/Buildings (1)

Related Investigations/Events (1)

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