Lost Roads

The following list is a general sample of roads which appear to have been lost.  Sometimes they are marked on the modern OS as Roman Roads or walkers pathways.  They provide an opportunity for challenging hill-walks.      

Highland section

Greenloaning 283678,708112 going NE to Auchterarder [no path].

Crieff to Perth Road at 293158,720157 going E to Perth [mixed tracks and farm roads]. 

Braco 284258, 710327 going NE to Innerpeffrey [no tracks but shown as Roman Road].

Crianlarich to Fortwilliam Road at 230818,745282 going NW [partly without tracks but also partly West Highland Way and Wade road. In 1750 it was under construction and thereby often not the highway in Roy's time]. 

Crieff 286898,722332 to Dalnacarroch ( Inverness Road) [ some with no tracks , much of it old Military Road ( completed in 1750) . Close to, but misses the modern road]. 

Loch Lyon 242288, 742247 going W [ no tracks and at far end splits into two roads] Loch Ericht 252138, 758497 going NE [for whole length of the loch, few tracks].

Dalwhinnie 260058, 793752 going NW to Fort Augustus. [Corrieyearack Pass. [well known. Wade Road, completed by 1750. Not really a ‘lost’ road , but impressive]. 

Muir of Ord 244538, 852462 going west all the way to Kinlochewe. [farm roads, mountain tracks and often no tracks. Long distance route] 

Loch Maree 203488, 862112 going NW [all on other side of loch. mountain track] 

Inverkirkaig near Lochinver 207875,919568.  it appears that the old road serving the Lochinver area approached up the Kirkaid river. There is still a tourist pathway to Kirkaig falls - a very good walk out to Loch Fionn. 

Kinlochewe 203288, 862112 going NE to Gruinard. [ superb mountain track long distance route] 

Glencoe 212508, 757042 SW to Loch Creran [largely mountain track with no track in the middle] 

Craignish Peninsula 181083, 708422 Almost all of. [partially mountain track] 

South Loch Avich road 196938,713462 going W from Loch Awe down to L Craignish plus a split [ largely hill track] 

Dalmally to Loch Etive road 213868, 728952 NW to S.bank of Loch Etive [mainly no track at all] 

Dalmally 215948, 727222 two roads south to Loch Shira, split to Glenshira, split to Glenfyne and split to Inverarnan [ long distance. all partially on mountain track ] 

Auchindrain 202918, 703152 going SW sweeping round and down to Loch Gilphead with 2 splits to LochAwe [ partially on mountain track. long distance] 

Crinan 180343, 692532 to Tarbet Loch Fyne [long distance some on mountain tracks mainly no tracks ] 

Dowally 300328,747862 going East to Kirkmichael then Spittal of Glenshee [ mainly on mountain tracks. sometimes lost] 

Blair Atholl 287438, 766322 NW to Kingussie [very long distance mountain tracks] 

Blair Atholl 287438, 766322 NE to the A924 [ very long distance mountain tracks] 

Blair Atholl 287438, 766322 North to Glen Tilt and on to Kingussie [very long distance mountain tracks] 

Laurencekirk 371973, 771622 North to Deeside [ mostly completely lost] 

Aboyne 351623,797452 due South on Fungle Drove Road south from River Dee to the River. Esk [ mountain tracks] 

Balmoral 326128, 798162 due N to Cockbridge[ no tracks] 

Tomintoul 314928,820012 N W to Cromdale and beyond [ long distance without tracks finally reaching A939] 

Lowland  section.

Gargunnock 270604,694362 to Kippen 267224,694772. 1760's military road on the footprint of a much older road. Now bipassed by the 19^th C. turnpike.

Little Vantage ( on the A70) 310135, 662841 on the Cross Borders Drove Road, south to West Linton 314485, 653381.

Carluke 286105,650991 to Cleghorn 290545,645291 Roman road.

Carluke 289642,654392 to Fauldhouse 290735 658848 through Lark Law woods

From near Gifford 353387 667988 there are three very long distance mountain routes. One to Duns 378788,655455 and two crossing the Lammermuir hills to around Oxton 349477,654462.

The Roman Dere St was in use in 1750 and can be followed from Soutra 345362,659380 south to Oxton, then from Blackchester 350662,650270 to Lauder 359952,647600 and on to Gattonside 654192,635060. It can also be seen much further south near Swinside at 375889,613405 going on to the border at 378957,609000.

A Tweedale road ran from 327766,652614 down past Portmore to the hamlet of Stewarton 322126,645774 and then southeast to Peebles.

From near Romannobridge at 316146,646654 a road ran south on the east bank of the Lyne water to the Roman camp at Lyne 320067,640545.

From Traquair on the Tweed two eighteenth century roads went SE and SW to the Yarrow Water at 340735,630025 and 329235,624655, respectively. One is now part of the Southern Upland way and the other os the Cross Borders Drove Road.

A long distance route from Leadhills 288549,615057 going due south to Carronbridge 286849,598037. 

The Roman road south from Elvanfoot was still in use in 1750. It can be followed in parts from 259969,617097 to 310009,599377.

Dalmellington 247996,603360 to North Balloch 232946,595740, near Barr and the start of the Nick o'the Balloch.

There appeared to be no direct road from from Girvan to Newton Stewart. A moor road from 218827,593917 joined the Barr to Colmonell road at Pinwherry.

The coast road south from Girvan took a slightly inland route from Kilranny 215347,593557 all the way south to Ballantrae 208837,583907.

An alternative ( lost) Pilgrim's Way appears to exist from Ballantrae all the way to Whithorn. It runs from Carlock House 209396,576542 over the moor to New Luce 217506,564492, where it joins the minor road beteen New Luce and Glenluce.

 In 1750 the road through the Machars from Glenluce to Whithorn took a more inland line, though Whitefield farm 223621,554579 then all the way to Mochrum village at 234621,546364

Last updated Nov.2020