28/11/2025
And... Mr "Tarmac" is buried right here in Moffat.
26 November 1836: The death in Moffat of Scottish civil engineer and road-builder John Loudon McAdam. McAdam invented a revolutionary method of road construction known as "macadamisation" or simply "macadam". This process involved using specific layers of crushed stone to create smooth, durable, and well-drained roads, and it is considered the greatest advance in road construction since Roman times. McAdam's method focused on creating a road surface that was raised above the surrounding ground level and slightly convex (cambered) to ensure rainwater drained off quickly into side ditches, preventing it from penetrating and weakening the road's foundations. The "macadam" method spread rapidly throughout Britain, Europe, and North America in the 19th century. It was a pivotal development during the Industrial Revolution, as improved transport links were crucial for economic growth. A significant later improvement was the introduction of tar to bind the road surface together, a process patented by Edgar Purnell Hooley in 1901. This "tar macadam" was eventually shortened to the common term "tarmac," and McAdam's fundamental principles of road construction remain in use in modern road building today.
