The Kintyre Forum

I note that the road has closed due to a landslide again.Using the old Military Road was mentioned yesterday.Does anyone know the route of this road?

I always called the road which runs through the valley below the Rest and Be Thankful as the Old Military Eiad.

Ages ago, I took a detour through Hell's Glen and Lochgoilhead and avoided the Rest and Be Thankful. I think it's the B839. Heck of a drive.

Thank you Shona.

My parents used to recall an old bloke who lived on the Rest in the 1950's, they referred to him as a hermit. Can anyone shed any light on this ?

Nice pic, Martin. Roger, check out this link. You'll see the route of the military road on the wee map and also the commemorative stone from which the road takes its name.

http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1657643

Travelling from Arrochar, the emergency route starts about a mile after the Ardgarten campsite. When the A83 flattens out there is a Forestry Commission track on the left with a metal gate with a sign saying Glen Croe. This is the old road following the bottom of the glen to the carpark at the top. Apparently the steel chain netting held back tons of rock, but the slurry flowed through, over the A83 then carried on down to cover the emergeny route.
I wonder if the rocks caught are left to form a barrier or if they have to be removed.

Martin wrote:Roger, the strip on the right is what I've always known as the old road. As for the route....from one end to the other ? (sorry).



My parents used to recall an old bloke who lived on the Rest in the 1950's, they referred to him as a hermit. Can anyone shed any light on this ?

That is not the Rest. That is part of the road between the Dunoon Road End and Butterbridge, sometimes known as the Switchback. The Rest is a few miles further on than that.

There was a character who lived in a makeshift caravan/hut, but it was more recent that that. He was there I would think almost up till the 1970s. Having said that, he may have been there since the 1950s.

That'll teach me not to post pics that were taken so long ago that I've got confused as to where they were taken.

Martin wrote:That'll teach me not to post pics that were taken so long ago that I've got confused as to where they were taken.

Ok Martin
May have been the wrong area,but you should leave it on as it is nice to see these old photo's of days gone by.

Most recent landslip .

jdcarra wrote:Ok Martin
May have been the wrong area,but you should leave it on as it is nice to see these old photo's of days gone by.

Sorry JD, I get very angry with myself when I make mistakes.

Let's try this one....



Talking about old roads....While I was looking through pics I found pics of bits of the old road (taken years ago) between Bellochantuy and West Port, when was that road modernised ?
Just spell checked this and my checker didn't like Bellochantuy, the only suggestion it came up with was bellybutton !

tarmmaker they will be removing the boulders that got caught in the netting, then repairing the netting - I think they said there was 2000t held back?
Great photo jdcarra!

Martin - Bellochantuy church and post office were demolished in c. 1980 to make way for the new A83 road. Rocks between Bellochantuy and Westport were removed using explosives in order to create a straighter and wider road. You can now rest and be thankful !

Thanks for that.

I love the drive on the A83 from Tarbert to Campbeltown.I had to drive it at quite a high speed back in 2007 as we were holidaying on Davaar Island and had to beat the tide before it covered the Dhorlinn.Just got across in time.