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|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Route information | ||||
| Length | 97.9 mi[1] (157.6 km) | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| Northeast end |  A82 inTarbet (NN319044) | |||
| Southwest end | B842 inCampbeltown (NR720204) | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | United Kingdom | |||
| Constituent country | Scotland | |||
| Council areas | Argyll and Bute | |||
| Primary destinations | Glasgow,Inveraray,Lochgilphead,Campbeltown | |||
| Road network | ||||
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TheA83 is a major road in the south ofArgyll and Bute,Scotland, running fromTarbet, on the western shore ofLoch Lomond, where it splits from theA82, toCampbeltown at the southern end of theKintyre peninsula. The road is best known for its section across theRest and be Thankful pass through theArrochar Alps between the heads ofLoch Long andLoch Fyne.
From Tarbet the A83 runs west across thewatershed between Loch Lomond and Loch Long toArrochar near the head of Loch Long. It then goes round the head of the loch, and along the western shore for a short distance, before turning northwest through the Rest and be Thankful mountain pass throughGlen Croe in the Arrochar Alps, from the shore of Loch Long to that of Loch Fyne. It was near this spot that an RAF Tornado crashed on 2 July 2009.[2]
The wordsREST & BE THANKFUL are inscribed on a stone near the junction of the A83 and the B828, placed there by soldiers who built the original military road in 1753, now referred to as theDrovers' Road. The original stone fell into ruin and was replaced by a commemorative stone at the same site.
The section is so named as the climb out ofGlen Croe is so long and steep at the end that it was customary for travellers to rest at the top, and be thankful for having reached the highest point. The current road no longer keeps to the floor of Glen Croe but steadily climbs across the southern slopes ofBeinn Luibhean, on the north side of the Glen, to the highest point of the pass. The westward descent toLoch Fyne is throughGlen Kinglas. AtCairndow the A815, the main road down theCowal peninsula, branches off south toDunoon and finallyToward at the A815 road end, both on theFirth of Clyde.
On reaching the shore of Loch Fyne, the A83 follows the eastern shore of the loch northwards to its head and then goes south west along the western shore throughInveraray and then on toLochgilphead andArdrishaig, where it crosses the entrance to theCrinan Canal.
From Ardrishaig the road continues south toTarbert, where it crosses over to the western shore of theKintyre peninsula. In the final section it passes through the villages ofWhitehouse,Clachan,Tayinloan,Muasdale andBellochantuy before finally crossing back to the east of the peninsula, on theFirth of Clyde coast, as it approachesCampbeltown.
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The stretch south of theRest and Be Thankful junction has been closed on a number of occasions due tolandslides, causing significant disruption to local traffic. The closure results in a 59-mile (93 km) diversion viaCrianlarich when the military road is also affected.[3] The many communities affected by the closures of the trunk road are campaigning for a permanent solution to be constructed byTransport Scotland. Suggestions include arock shed, so future slips flow over the trunk road, and a new road route.[4][5][6]
Transport Scotland has, in recent years, spent £80M on landslip prevention schemes, none of which has improved the situation on the trunk road.[7] The many wire slip capture nets and supporting cables have failed on many occasions and some have criticised these, saying they blight the picturesque area.[8]
Landslides have become increasingly frequent in recent years despite remediation efforts. In March 2020Transport Scotland said it was investing in the further construction of catch pits which it hoped would mitigate against landslides along the A83 trunk road route.[24] A 10-year woodland creation project is currently in progress; it is thought that the subsequent ground stabilisation will help prevent further landslides.[25]
In March 2022, Transport Scotland shortlisted five consultants to design a long-term solution to landslip problems on the A83 at Rest and Be Thankful. Five options including tunnelling are being considered. Transport Scotland has looked at Norway's processes and methods for developing and constructing tunnelling projects to deal with conditions similar to those at Rest and Be Thankful.[26]
| Council area | Location | mi[1] | km | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argyll and Bute | Tarbet | 0.0 | 0.0 |  A82 toA85 –Glasgow,Crianlarich,Fort William,Oban | Northeastern terminus |
| Arrochar | 1.6 | 2.6 |  A814 south –Helensburgh,Garelochhead | Garelochhead signed northeast only; northern terminus of A814 | |
| | 12.5 | 20.1 |   A815 south toA886 –Dunoon,Isle of Bute,Colintraive | Northern terminus of A815 | |
| Inverary | 23.4 | 37.7 |  A819 north toA85 –Oban,Crianlarich | Southern terminus of A819 | |
| Lochgilphead | 48.0 | 77.2 |  A816 north –Oban | Southern terminus of A816 | |
| Tarbet | 61.1 | 98.3 |  A8015 east (Harbour Street) – East Loch Pier, Cowal Ferry | Cowal Ferry signed northeast only; western terminus of A8015 | |
| Campbeltown | 97.9 | 157.6 | Main Street (B842) / Hall Street –Town centre | Southwestern terminus | |
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi | |||||
Media related toA83 road (Scotland) at Wikimedia Commons
