Loch Ard Forest

NN40NW 3.00 401 089 to 419 064

NN40NW 3.01 NN 4129 0802 Culvert

NN40NW 3.02 NN 4156 0727 Culvert

The route of an old road is clearly visible over a distance of some 3km. A number of culverts and bridges are missing, but two culverts survive reasonably intact.

The road is in places difficult to follow as it leaves woodland heading NW across bracken and heather moorland, often visible only as a level platform, with, in places, a slightly different vegetation colour. The road could be traced as far as NN 4023 0894 and would appear to continue on a NW direction towards Loch Arklet.

Where the road traverses through woodland there are boggy sections and sections where trees have been felled. The old road is generally hidden from the public road by trees and should not be confused with the fire break which runs parallel to the public road, between it and the old road. The road has been traced as far S as NN c.4189 0647.

Neither Stobie and Grassom show this road from the Garrison at Inversnaid which is referred to in the RCAHMS Stirlingshire Inventory (RCAHMS ), as going on to Stronachlachar. They do, however, show a road swigning soutwards from the E end of Loch Arklet along Loch Chon. Whether the road shown is the present public road or the 'old road' is not known. It is interesting to note that both maps show the military road on the N side pf Loch Arklet and not the later public road, the route of which is nearer the lochside.

It is possible that this may be one of the 18th-19th century Statute Labour Roads rather than a military road.

Information from L Main (Archaeology Officer), Stirling Council, 21 May and 25 November 1996.

NN 401 089 to NN 419 064 The remains of an old road have been identified in Loch Ard Forest. There are two culverts surviving at NN 4164 0680 and NN 4129 0802. The road lies to the E of the present public road from Aberfoyle to Inversnaid.

Sponsors: Stirling Council, Forest Enterprise.

L Main 1996

NN 4068 0867

An area of this statute labour road was excavated as part of a feasibility study, examining the possibility of making the historic route into a path for walkers and cyclists. The road is marked on the 1st edition OS map of 1866, but is not present on Coomb's 1741 map, showing that it was constructed between these dates. Two trenches were excavated. They showed that the road was around 3m across and visible as a depression defined by 2 parallel linear banks. No evidence of a road surface was seen. In the second trench the road had been built up against the slope of the hill.

M Johnson