Spring Road Trip Drive On A827 To Aberfeldy Highland Perthshire Scotland

Tour Scotland Spring travel video of a road trip drive, with Scottish bagpipes and drums music, East on the A827 road from Kenmore on visit to the town of Aberfeldy, Highland Perthshire. From Kenmore the A827 road climbs steeply East through trees, hemmed tightly in by stone walls much of the way. Then drops back to the riverside at Bolfracks. It is a long six miles from Kenmore to Aberfeldy. After crossing a tiny mini roundabout the road passes through the centre of Aberfeldy, a destination for many bus tours and famous for the Robert Burns poem, The Birks of Aberfeldy. There is a sharp dogleg in the town centre, which is the junction with Wade's road south to the bridge at Aberfeldy. Aberfeldy Bridge which spans the Rver Tay was built by General George Wade as part of his Military Roads project between 1733 and 1775, It is the only bridge built under Wade's command that still operates as part of the road network in Scotland, most have been replaced. Today it carries a single lane of traffic, controlled by traffic lights, in and out of Aberfeldy on the B846. At the time it was completed, this was the only bridge anywhere across the River Tay. All other crossing points were either fords or ferries, but to ensure that the army had free movement, without hindrance from the flood waters that often hit the river, Wade decided that a bridge was essential, and so chose Aberfeldy. His other main north south route was to Dunkeld, where the road used the ferry, Dunkeld Bridge being built nearly a century later by Thomas Telford. The first stone had been laid on 23rd April 1733, and it was officially opened on 8th August 1735. However, by October 1733 the bridge was already at pavement level, so it seems probable that the bridge was used that winter by the local population. The bridge was completed by Major Caulfeild who later took over from Wade as Inspector of Roads, and as Wade did not return to Scotland until August 1735, it would appear that the official opening was delayed by about 18 months for his presence.

All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.

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