Ruthven Military Road

Ruthven Military Road follows about 11 km (6.8 mi) of General Wade’s old military road from the B970 at Ruthven to Etteridge. It is a point-to-point walk, not a loop; allow about 3½ hours on rough, uneven track across open moor, with modest climbing. Walk it for the surviving bridge over Milton Burn, the road’s engineering, and the remains of settlements along the way. Arrange your return transport before setting out. Dogs are allowed under Scotland’s responsible-access rules; keep them under proper control around livestock and wildlife.

The route directions take walkers beneath the A9 near Ruthven, then along its hard shoulder to a road crossing before the old military road. The line reaches the A9 again at Etteridge, where the route description says crossing is too dangerous to recommend. Do not treat the old directions as a safe through-route: confirm a safe, lawful way across before attempting the full walk.

From Ruthven the route runs southwest across open Highland ground, passing Luibleathann bothy and Phones Lodge before reaching Etteridge. The old road is a rough track rather than a smooth path, with uneven ground and varying surfaces. Its 11 km is one way; the listed route does not include a return leg. Stay on the old military road instead of adding nearby forestry or road tracks.

General Wade’s military road connected Dunkeld and Inverness. The 102-mile route was built between 1728 and 1730 to move government troops through the Highlands. Ruthven Barracks, close to the northern end, were built in 1719–21 after the 1715 Jacobite rising; a stable for dragoons’ horses was added in 1734.

Look for the original humpback bridge over Milton Burn and the cross-drains that carried water off the road. Ruined homes at Milehouse of Nuide mark a once-settled stretch, while the ground between Phones and Nuide has kame-and-kettle glacial landforms. The old track curving through heather beside the bridge is the route’s most distinctive photo opportunity.