Old Road North

Start location: B8016, Leorin, Islay (NR 351 485)
End location: unclassified road at access to Brahunisary, Islay (NR 377 463)
Geographical area: Argyll and Bute
Path Type: Rural Path
Path distance: 4km
Accessibility info: Suitable for pedestrians

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Route Description

The start of this route is at the entrance to Leorin Farm. It is of a gravel construction and proceeds through the farmyard to an unlocked gate at the rear of some cattle sheds. The track is hard underneath but has a thick layer of mud on it. Past the gate the track follows the line of the wall. At the end of the wall the track gets harder to follow and proceeds up the hill to the SE to a height of approx. 120m. The surface is of rough stone, peat and bare rock. An old deer fence which is in a poor state of repair dissects the road. Following this the track cuts across an area of peat banks and is marked by turf dykes to a height of 1.5m and 2m apart. This area is very boggy. It then proceeds down towards Brahunisary Farm and is easily followed but remains very soft underfoot. At the march wall of Brahunisary there is an unlocked gate and from here the route follows the line of a wall down to the field next to the farmhouse through four unlocked gates. This part of the track is gravel and is used by agricultural vehicles. It then takes a 90-degree turn to the right and up into the farmyard before turning to the left and down to the road. (Grid ref. NR 377 464). Parts of this route are walked but probably not usually in its entirety. This is especially true of the high ground as parts of it are hard to follow and very soft.

OS Landranger 60 (Islay)

Heritage Information

 This is the main route north as depicted in George Langlands' map of Argyllshire of 1801.  It is still shown as a continuous road in Ordnance Survey's 6 inch to the mile road later that century but by this point it seems to have been superseded in importance by the road that is now known as the A846.

It may have been used as a coffin road as there are two historic graveyards marked at the southern end, both just south of the road to Kilbride.

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