A modest hump-backed stone arch marks the 1785 realignment of the military road through Glencoe and Ballachulish.
Quick facts
- Date
- 1785
- Architect / designer
- Engineer or mason not recorded
- Type
- Single-span rubble road bridge
- Designation
- Listed building, Category B (LB6883)
- OS grid reference
- NN 08080 57971
Architecture and continuing use
A single dressed-rubble arch crosses the River Laroch beneath a shallow hump. Rougher rubble forms the parapets, and later heavy cement pointing records repair rather than original finish. The bridge’s compact engineering responds directly to the narrow watercourse, with its significance coming from continuity of route and fabric rather than monumental scale.
Its story
The military road from Stirling to Fort William was first routed in 1752 by the Devil’s Staircase and Kinlochleven. In 1785 the line was redirected through Glencoe and Ballachulish, requiring this river crossing. Later roads and the A82 altered regional movement, but the old bridge survives within the settlement as evidence of the late eighteenth-century route.
Why it is included
It translates a large change in Highland communications into a small, easily understood piece of civil engineering at the heart of the village.
What to notice
- The dressed stones defining the arch ring.
- Rough parapet masonry above the more regular opening.
- The gentle hump that reveals the bridge deck over a single span.
Reading the surroundings
Treat this as a working road structure. Use pavements or safe verges where provided, watch for vehicles and wet surfaces, and do not climb parapets or enter the river channel.
Timeline
- 1752 The military route initially crossed the uplands through Kinlochleven.
- 1785 A new alignment through Ballachulish introduced the River Laroch bridge.
- 1971 The surviving structure was added to the national list.
What we know — and what remains uncertain
The accessible records do not name its designer or document each repair. Current traffic use and pedestrian conditions may differ from map appearances.
Sources & further reading
- Historic Environment Scotland: Bridge of Laroch, LB6883 — Current designation status, statutory identity, official mapped point, date, fabric and significance.
- Highland Historic Environment Record: Bridge of Laroch — Local mapped record for the bridge, its protected status and documented place in the local road network.
- Trove: Bridge of Laroch — National heritage inventory entry for designation identity, mapped position, related records and available archive material.
- Ballachulish Community Action Plan — Community-planning context for Ballachulish heritage, quarry paths, slate, burial islands and local facilities.
Location
OS grid reference NN 08080 57971 · Location confidence: High for the current HES designation point; public text separately qualifies access, component identity and any mapped-area or location uncertainty. · Select the marker to open its satellite view in Google Maps. On desktop, drag Pegman (the yellow figure) onto a blue road. On mobile, turn on the Street View layer and tap a blue road. Other photo markers may be user-contributed.
Suggest a marker correction
Suggest a more accurate position
The teal marker is the current published position. The orange marker starts slightly to its right so both remain visible; this is only a visual starting position. Tap the correct place on the map or drag the orange marker. Sending this form creates a private review entry only; it does not move the published marker.
Check this area in Google Maps Choose the Satellite layer there if useful.
Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors. You can also enter checked coordinates below.