Great Motorcycling Roads #4 - The Corrieyairack Pass
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 ต.ค. 2024
- The Corrieyairack Pass is an eighteenth-century military road that connects the settlements of Laggan and Fort Augustus to one another in the Scottish Highlands. Its construction in 1731 by the newly-formed British Army occurred under the charge of General George Wade, a man whose name is now inseparable from the network of Scottish roads commissioned during his tenure as 'Commander-in-Chief of North Britain'.
The Jacobite Rebellion of 1715 greatly troubled the British Government who responded to the volatile and unpredictable situation in the Highlands with a programme of garrison construction. Finding themselves outmanoeuvred by the agile Highlanders, the British Army started building roads to join the newly-built barracks and forts together as part of a concerted effort to keep the peace.
Roughly 23 kilometres of the Corrieyairack's 40 kilometre length remains an unpaved 'rough track' making the route particularly accessible to non-pedestrian users, though width restrictions at either end deny use by car or carriage. The road climbs over 700 meters to Meallan Odhar Beag, the Gallic name given to the highest point of the pass which is located at the western end of a series of sharp hairpin bends.
Many peat-blackened burns and streams cross the pass, which make for cold, wet feet if you're hiking or unfortunate enough to stall whilst crossing by motorcycle. The larger crossings were bridged by Wade and much of their original stonework can still be seen, though all have been repaired or preserved in one way or another. The sturdy, double-arched Garva Bridge spans the River Spey aside the widest ford on the pass, which also marks the point where traditional stone paving yields to its modern day aggregate form. Wade had initially named the bridge after England's patron saint, which - given the anti-English sentiment of the time - was a decision doomed to failure from the day it was made.
The wet, slippery wooden sleepers that pave these bridges constitute as much of a hazard to the traveller as the innumerable submerged, football-sized granulite boulders that have slowly worked their way down from the Spey's many sources.
The pass today can perhaps be more accurately described as an impasse, with its status as a road never formally 'vindicated' by due process. The touring motorcyclist must instead satisfy him or herself that the purpose and historical use of the pass satisfy the requirements for a road as defined in Scots law. ScotWays, the Scottish Rights of Way and Access Society inform the inquisitive motorist that there are:
'Very few rights of way for motorised vehicles in Scotland'
Whilst the Highland Council state that the pass is:
'Not maintained as a road and is not suitable for use as one'.
Although accurate, both answers are intentionally evasive and avoid explicitly stating the pass not to be a road, presumably to both deter the kind of motorist who lacks the responsibility to use the pass in an acceptable way, and to avoid the financial responsibility of maintaining such a narrow, remote hill road.
The pass and its bridges are recorded by Historic Scotland as scheduled ancient monuments, so damage - however it may occur - is likely to constitute a criminal offence. For this reason motorcyclists must retain wheel traction at all times - particularly after periods of very wet weather when wheel traction is harder to keep. The lack of any 'vindication' makes motorcycle use of this road a privilege rather than a right.
Perhaps the best summary of the Corrieyairack's majesty was made by General Wade's successor, Major William Caulfield, who is credited with writing:
"Had you seen these roads before they were made.
You would lift up your hands and bless General Wade."
Bless Wade I cannot, but if he were here today it would be a pleasure to lend him my motorcycle so that he too may experience the beauty of his toil, by way of the unique test of physics that only a motorcyclist is gifted to understand.
We used to do it with the Land Rover Clubs before the barriers went up and we did our own fair share of maintenance to culverts and water crossings. It was larger and heavier vehicles using to maintain the Hydro Lines that caused the damage that led to the Highland Council discouraging vehicle use and putting the barriers up - I still ride it on my bike too :-) Honda SLR 650
Drove this many moons ago with a 4x4 club - Laggan to Fort Augustus. At the end the track had been blocked illegally by ‘someone’ using steel poles buried in the ground. Unfortunately for the would be road blocker, they used fine galvanised parts which came apart easily as they were not rusted. The burn had at that point not been diverted to wash away that end of the road which I believe happened a while later. We were confronted by someone we believe was sent out by the landowner who took photos of all our vehicles, promising some sort of retribution which in the end up never happened. Our club wrote to the local land owner informing him that ‘someone’ had blocked the road but obviously we heard nothing back. We also wrote to the local policeman at the time informing him the road had been deliberately blocked, but we got a very vague answer from the police. Glad I done it all that time ago, looking at this video it looks like a complete transit of the pass on four wheels would be almost impossible these days.
Very good informative video! Well spoken. Impressed! Awesome trail. Expect the ADV boys will like this vid.
bravo!
I would be interested to know when you completed this ? The video was date shows Jan 2016 but that was clearly not the date of the ride. Couple of reasons I ask, myself and others completed it in May 2015 from the opposite end (the difficult way ;)) A while after that I was in correspondence with the Highland Council and they made it very clear it was illegal though as of yet, no one to my understanding has been prosecuted for it. In regards farmers, the Fort Augustus end is owned by a very, very angry man and has challenged a few who have ridden over it, yet the owner of the Laggan side apparently is much more laid back about it all.
Summer 2015. Did Highland Council provide any evidence of a TRO on the road?
@@WiltshireByways No but I'm not sure a TRO means anything up here in Scotland due to different laws, I could be wrong though.
Aye, Scots Law is certainly different. I hope there's a due process to close public roads though.
Couple of lads I know did it the other year on 4 stroke trials bikes and were met by a very angry farmer on the FA side, apparently he was less than pleasant.
@@Itsthejourneynotthedestination correct no TRO in Scotland but when we were younger it was always a vehicle right of way and we used it !
It is now closed to vehicular traffic. It a scheduled an ancient monument. By order of the Secretary State of Scotland. I was up there today 12.7.16 on my MTB.
It's not closed to vehicular traffic as it has never been vindicated as a road. I explain this impasse during my narration.
Farmers were repairing holes at the start from Fort Augustus side. I was speaking to them. They told me they have been told to stop and report any motor vehicles by taking their Registration numbers. If they refuse to turn back. The police will be informed
protarget1
No responsible motorcyclists minds people making a record of their registration plate. Presumably the police understand the status of the road and if not that the COPFS will inform them should they pass them details for possible prosecution. Feel free to pass this video to them if you think an offence has been committed.
Looking into the wording from the Highland council statement.The road has been closed to vehicle traffic because it is no longer maintained as a public road and is not suitable to be used as one. The interesting piece is "The Highland Council will not accept responsibility for any accident or injury caused by ignoring this warning. So you are correct the pass has not been officially closed to vehicular traffic, but use it at your own peril. Looks like the farmers I was taking to were exaggerating a little, because it has been classed scheduled as an Ancient Monument, it is illegal to damage any part of the road. Anyone caught doing so will be prosecuted. I think the farmers meant they will take reg numbers and report anyone causing damage. Also for example, there is no distinction between footpaths and bridleways in Scotland. You can ride a MTB on a footpath as long as you do it with responsibility. That in theory, also should apply to motorcycles. ;-) ;-)
protarget1
I explain the impasse in the video narration. As I understand it, the road is unmaintained because it has never been vindicated, which would compel the HC to maintain it to a minimum standard. Clearly, someone has improved the pass over the years but who I cannot say. I've satisfied myself that the road meets the requisite requirements for vehicular use and an unaware of any prosecutions for its use, which - if undertaken - would likely find that vehicle rights exist.
Although I've no bones with farmers, landowners and the like, they often see roads, rights of way etc. as an inconvenience and would rather they did not exist.
Motor vehicle use is different to MTB use in that they are limited to roads, the definition of which in Scots law can be simplified to say 'a path that connects two public places together', such as two other roads or perhaps a remote church etc. Use must not cause damage regardless of SAM status, though SAM rightfully gives the HC extra powers in this instance.