A836 road
Encyclopedia
The A836 road
is entirely within the Highland
area of Scotland
, and 129 miles (208 km) long.
It branches from the A9 near Tain
and runs generally north through Bonar Bridge
and Lairg
, until Tongue
. Between Lairg and Tongue the road is single track
for 38 miles (61 km). At Tongue the road turns east, following the north coast, passing through Thurso
, and eventually ending at John o' Groats
, where it meets the A99.
Although the road starts in Ross and Cromarty
and ends in Caithness
, the majority of its length is in Sutherland
.
.
Road
A road is a thoroughfare, route, or way on land between two places, which typically has been paved or otherwise improved to allow travel by some conveyance, including a horse, cart, or motor vehicle. Roads consist of one, or sometimes two, roadways each with one or more lanes and also any...
is entirely within the Highland
Highland (council area)
Highland is a council area in the Scottish Highlands and is the largest local government area in both Scotland and the United Kingdom as a whole. It shares borders with the council areas of Moray, Aberdeenshire, Perth and Kinross, and Argyll and Bute. Their councils, and those of Angus and...
area of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, and 129 miles (208 km) long.
It branches from the A9 near Tain
Tain
Tain is a royal burgh and post town in the committee area of Ross and Cromarty, in the Highland area of Scotland.-Etymology:...
and runs generally north through Bonar Bridge
Bonar Bridge
Bonar Bridge is a village on the north bank of the Kyle of Sutherland, in the Parish of Creich in the Highland council area of Scotland.The Kyle of Sutherland is a river estuary of the Rivers Oykel, Cassley, Shin and Carron that all enter the Kyle above the bridge at Bonar.The estuary and the...
and Lairg
Lairg
Lairg is a village in Sutherland, Highland, Scotland. It has a population of about 700and is situated at the south-eastern end of Lairg is a village in [[Sutherland]], [[Highland |Highland]], [[Scotland]]...
, until Tongue
Tongue, Highland
Tongue is a coastal village in northwest Highland, Scotland, in the western part of the former county of Sutherland. It lies on the east shore above the base of the Kyle of Tongue and north of the mountains Ben Hope and Ben Loyal...
. Between Lairg and Tongue the road is single track
Single track road
A single-track road or one-lane road is a road that permits two-way travel but is not wide enough in most places to allow vehicles to pass one another . This kind of road is common in rural areas across the United Kingdom and elsewhere...
for 38 miles (61 km). At Tongue the road turns east, following the north coast, passing through Thurso
Thurso
-Facilities:Offices of the Highland Council are located in the town, as is the main campus of North Highland College, formerly Thurso College. This is one of several partner colleges which constitute the UHI Millennium Institute, and offers several certificate, diploma and degree courses from...
, and eventually ending at John o' Groats
John o' Groats
John o' Groats is a village in the Highland council area of Scotland. Part of the county of Caithness, John o' Groats is popular with tourists because it is usually regarded as the most northerly settlement of mainland Great Britain, although this is not a claim made by the inhabitants...
, where it meets the A99.
Although the road starts in Ross and Cromarty
Ross and Cromarty
Ross and Cromarty is a variously defined area in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. There is a registration county and a lieutenancy area in current use...
and ends in Caithness
Caithness
Caithness is a registration county, lieutenancy area and historic local government area of Scotland. The name was used also for the earldom of Caithness and the Caithness constituency of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . Boundaries are not identical in all contexts, but the Caithness area is...
, the majority of its length is in Sutherland
Sutherland
Sutherland is a registration county, lieutenancy area and historic administrative county of Scotland. It is now within the Highland local government area. In Gaelic the area is referred to according to its traditional areas: Dùthaich 'IcAoidh , Asainte , and Cataibh...
.
Towns, villages and junctions
The A882 runs through or near towns and villages listed below. Junctions listed are with other classified roadsGreat Britain road numbering scheme
The Great Britain road numbering scheme is a numbering scheme used to classify and identify all roads in Great Britain. Each road is given a single letter, which represents the road's category, and a subsequent number, with a length of between 1 and 4 digits. Originally introduced to arrange...
.
- TainTainTain is a royal burgh and post town in the committee area of Ross and Cromarty, in the Highland area of Scotland.-Etymology:...
, A9, Ordnance SurveyOrdnance SurveyOrdnance Survey , an executive agency and non-ministerial government department of the Government of the United Kingdom, is the national mapping agency for Great Britain, producing maps of Great Britain , and one of the world's largest producers of maps.The name reflects its creation together with...
- From near Tain, south of the Dornoch Firth Bridge, the A9 runs
- generally north/northeast to ThursoThurso-Facilities:Offices of the Highland Council are located in the town, as is the main campus of North Highland College, formerly Thurso College. This is one of several partner colleges which constitute the UHI Millennium Institute, and offers several certificate, diploma and degree courses from...
and - generally south to Tain, InvernessInvernessInverness is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for the Highland council area, and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands of Scotland...
, PerthPerth, ScotlandPerth is a town and former city and royal burgh in central Scotland. Located on the banks of the River Tay, it is the administrative centre of Perth and Kinross council area and the historic county town of Perthshire...
and FalkirkFalkirkFalkirk is a town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies in the Forth Valley, almost midway between the two most populous cities of Scotland; north-west of Edinburgh and north-east of Glasgow....
.
- generally north/northeast to Thurso
- From near Tain, south of the Dornoch Firth Bridge, the A9 runs
- Struie Wood, B9176,
- The A836 here is east-west aligned, and Struie Wood is in fact woodlandForestA forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
south of the road. From Struie Wood the B9176 runs generally south to the A9 near AlnessAlnessAlness is a town and civil parish in Ross and Cromarty, Highland, Scotland. It lies near the Cromarty Firth, with the town of Invergordon to the east and the village of Evanton to the south west...
and EvantonEvantonEvanton is a large village in Easter Ross, in the Highland Council Area of Scotland. It lies between the river Sgitheach and the Allt Graad, is north of the city of Inverness, some south-west of Alness, and north-east of Dingwall. The village has a dozen or so streets, the main one being...
.
- The A836 here is east-west aligned, and Struie Wood is in fact woodland
- ArdgayArdgayArdgay is a small Scottish village on the north west shore of the Dornoch Firth, Sutherland and lies at the entrance to Strathcarron, the valley of the River Carron. In the Highland Council area Ardgay is in Ward 1, the North, West and Central Sutherland ward.Ardgay is served by the Ardgay...
,
- Bonar BridgeBonar BridgeBonar Bridge is a village on the north bank of the Kyle of Sutherland, in the Parish of Creich in the Highland council area of Scotland.The Kyle of Sutherland is a river estuary of the Rivers Oykel, Cassley, Shin and Carron that all enter the Kyle above the bridge at Bonar.The estuary and the...
, A949A949 roadThe A949 classified road is in Sutherland, in the Highland area of Scotland. It has staggered junctions with the A9. From the A949 the A9 runs generally north to Thurso and generally south to Tain, Inverness, Perth, Stirling and Falkirk....
,- From Bonar Bridge the A949 runs generally east to DornochDornochDornoch is a town and seaside resort, and former Royal burgh in the Highlands of Scotland. It lies on the north shore of the Dornoch Firth, near to where it opens into the Moray Firth to the east...
, via staggered junctions with the A9 north of the Dornoch Firth Bridge.
- From Bonar Bridge the A949 runs generally east to Dornoch
- InvershinInvershinInvershin is a scattered village six miles south of Lairg in south Sutherland in the Scottish Highlands and is in the Scottish council area of Highland.Invershin is located close to the junction of the River Shin and the River Oykel....
, A837,- From Invershin the A837 runs generally east/northeast to LochinverLochinverLochinver is a village on the coast in the Assynt district of Sutherland, Highland, Scotland. A few miles northeast is Loch Assynt which is the source of the River Inver which flows into Loch Inver at the village. There are 200 or so lochans in the area which makes the place very popular with...
.
- From Invershin the A837 runs generally east/northeast to Lochinver
- LairgLairgLairg is a village in Sutherland, Highland, Scotland. It has a population of about 700and is situated at the south-eastern end of Lairg is a village in [[Sutherland]], [[Highland |Highland]], [[Scotland]]...
, A839A839 roadThe A839 road is in Sutherland, in the Highland area of Scotland. It runs generally west from the A9 at The Mound near Golspie, via Rogart and Lairg, to the A837 at Rosehall. The Mound is a causeway or bridge carrying the A9 across the estuary of the River Fleet. Between The Mound and Lairg the...
, and- From staggered junctions in the Lairg area the A839 road runs:
- generally west/southwest to the A837 at RosehallRosehallRosehall is a remote hamlet, located 1 mile northwest of Altass, in Sutherland, Scottish Highlands and is in the Scottish council area of Highland....
near Invercassley and - generally east/southeast to the A9 at The MoundThe MoundThe Mound is an artificial hill in central Edinburgh, Scotland, which connects Edinburgh's New Town and Old Town. It was formed by dumping around 1,501,000 cartloads of earth excavated from the foundations of the New Town into the drained Nor Loch which forms today's Princes Street Gardens. The...
, near GolspieGolspieGolspie is a coastal village in Sutherland, Highland, Scotland. It has a population of around 1,650 people. It is located picturesquely on the shores of the North Sea in the shadow of Ben Bhraggie ....
.
- generally west/southwest to the A837 at Rosehall
- From staggered junctions in the Lairg area the A839 road runs:
- Near Lairg, A838A838 roadThe A838 road is in Sutherland, in the Highland area of Scotland. It runs generally northwest from the A836 in the Lairg area to Laxford Bridge on the west coast of Scotland, then generally northeast to Durness on the north coast, and then generally east/southeast to Tongue, where it rejoins the A836...
,- This A838 junction is about one mile (2 km) north of Lairg. The A838 runs generally northwest, then generally north to DurnessDurnessDurness is a huge but remote parish in the northwestern Highlands of Scotland, encompassing all the land between the Moine to the East and the Gualin to the West...
and then generally east to rejoin the A836 at Tongue.
- This A838 junction is about one mile (2 km) north of Lairg. The A838 runs generally northwest, then generally north to Durness
- AltnaharraAltnaharra-Notable persons:*Linda Norgrove, kidnapped by the Taliban in Afghanistan, and killed by a US grenade during a rescue effort.-External links:**...
, B873,- From Altnaharra the B873 runs generally east to the B871 at Dalvina Lodge .
- TongueTongue, HighlandTongue is a coastal village in northwest Highland, Scotland, in the western part of the former county of Sutherland. It lies on the east shore above the base of the Kyle of Tongue and north of the mountains Ben Hope and Ben Loyal...
, A838A838 roadThe A838 road is in Sutherland, in the Highland area of Scotland. It runs generally northwest from the A836 in the Lairg area to Laxford Bridge on the west coast of Scotland, then generally northeast to Durness on the north coast, and then generally east/southeast to Tongue, where it rejoins the A836...
,- From Tongue the A838 runs generally west/northwest to DurnessDurnessDurness is a huge but remote parish in the northwestern Highlands of Scotland, encompassing all the land between the Moine to the East and the Gualin to the West...
and then southwest and southeast back to the A836 near Lairg. At Tongue the A836 turns to run generally east.
- From Tongue the A838 runs generally west/northwest to Durness
- Near Bettyhill, B871,
- The B871 junction is in StrathnaverStrathnaverStrathnaver or Strath Naver is the fertile strath of the River Naver, a famous salmon river that flows from Loch Naver to the north coast of Scotland...
, about 3 miles (5 km) short of Bettyhill, the B871 runs generally south to Davina Lodge and then generally east/southeast to the A897A897 roadThe A897 single track road is entirely within the Highland council area of Scotland. It runs generally north from the A9 at Helmsdale to the A836 near Halladale Bridge, east of Melvich. The road passes through or near Kildonan, Kinbrace and Forsinard, and has a junction with the B871 at Kinbrace...
at Kinbrace.
- The B871 junction is in Strathnaver
- BettyhillBettyhillBettyhill is a village on the north coast of Scotland.Bettyhill lies on the A836 road west of Thurso and from Tongue. And 5 miles from the village of Skerray Its former fishing port was called Navermouth...
,
- MelvichMelvichMelvich is a village in the county of Sutherland on the North Coast of Scotland, situated on the A836 road, near the mouth of the River Halladale. It has a successful Gaelic choir.-External links: Ordnance Survey Grid reference for Melvich...
,
- Near Melvich, A897A897 roadThe A897 single track road is entirely within the Highland council area of Scotland. It runs generally north from the A9 at Helmsdale to the A836 near Halladale Bridge, east of Melvich. The road passes through or near Kildonan, Kinbrace and Forsinard, and has a junction with the B871 at Kinbrace...
,- The A897 junction is in Strath Halladale, about one mile (2 km) beyond MelvichMelvichMelvich is a village in the county of Sutherland on the North Coast of Scotland, situated on the A836 road, near the mouth of the River Halladale. It has a successful Gaelic choir.-External links: Ordnance Survey Grid reference for Melvich...
. The A897 runs generally south to Kinbrace and to the A9 at HelmsdaleHelmsdaleHelmsdale is a village on the east coast of Sutherland, in the Highland council area of Scotland. The modern village was planned in 1814 to resettle communities that had been removed from the surrounding straths as part of the Highland Clearances....
.
- The A897 junction is in Strath Halladale, about one mile (2 km) beyond Melvich
- ReayReayReay is a village which has grown around Sandside Bay on the north coast of the Highland council area of Scotland. It is within the historic Parish of Reay and the historic county of Caithness....
,
- DounreayDounreayDounreay is the site of several nuclear research establishments located on the north coast of Caithness, in the Highland area of Scotland...
,
- ThursoThurso-Facilities:Offices of the Highland Council are located in the town, as is the main campus of North Highland College, formerly Thurso College. This is one of several partner colleges which constitute the UHI Millennium Institute, and offers several certificate, diploma and degree courses from...
, A9,- In Thurso, west of the River ThursoRiver ThursoThe River Thurso has Loch Rumsdale in Caithness as its source, about 26 kilometres south and 14 kilometres west of the burgh of Thurso, Caithness, and about 2 kilometres south of the railway line linking the burghs of Thurso and Wick with Inverness. At its source and until it reaches Loch More...
, the A836 merges into the A9 and is there linked north by the A9 to Scrabster HarbourScrabster HarbourScrabster is a small settlement on Thurso Bay in Caithness on the north coast of Scotland. It is some 1½ miles from Thurso, 22½ miles from Wick and 112 miles from Inverness....
.
- In Thurso, west of the River Thurso
- Thurso, B874,
- From the A836/A9 in central Thurso the B874 leads generally south towards HalkirkHalkirkHalkirk is a village on the River Thurso in Caithness, in the Highland council area of Scotland. From Halkirk the B874 road runs towards Thurso in the north and towards Georgemas in the east...
.
- From the A836/A9 in central Thurso the B874 leads generally south towards Halkirk
- Thurso, A9,
- East of the River Thurso the road regains its own identity and is there linked south by the A9 to the A836 itself near TainTainTain is a royal burgh and post town in the committee area of Ross and Cromarty, in the Highland area of Scotland.-Etymology:...
, and to InvernessInvernessInverness is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for the Highland council area, and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands of Scotland...
, PerthPerth, ScotlandPerth is a town and former city and royal burgh in central Scotland. Located on the banks of the River Tay, it is the administrative centre of Perth and Kinross council area and the historic county town of Perthshire...
and FalkirkFalkirkFalkirk is a town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies in the Forth Valley, almost midway between the two most populous cities of Scotland; north-west of Edinburgh and north-east of Glasgow....
.
- East of the River Thurso the road regains its own identity and is there linked south by the A9 to the A836 itself near Tain
- CastletownCastletown, CaithnessCastletown is a village on the north coast of the Highland council area of Scotland, situated near Dunnet Bay. It is within the civil parish of Olrig, where it is the main settlement, and within the historic county of Caithness. The A836 links the village with Thurso and Tongue in the west and...
, B876,- From Castletown the B876 runs generally southeast to the A99 near Wick.
- DunnetDunnetDunnet ) is a village in Caithness, in the Highland area of Scotland. It is within the Parish of Dunnet.The village centres on the A836–B855 road junction. The A836 leads towards John o' Groats in the east and toward Thurso and Tongue in the west...
, B855,- From Dunnet the B855 runs generally north to Easter HeadDunnet HeadDunnet Head is a peninsula in Caithness, on the north coast of Scotland, that includes the most northerly point of the mainland of Great Britain. The point, known as Easter Head, is at , about westnorthwest of John o' Groats and about from Duncansby Head...
.
- From Dunnet the B855 runs generally north to Easter Head
- John o' GroatsJohn o' GroatsJohn o' Groats is a village in the Highland council area of Scotland. Part of the county of Caithness, John o' Groats is popular with tourists because it is usually regarded as the most northerly settlement of mainland Great Britain, although this is not a claim made by the inhabitants...
, A99,- The road's length terminates in John o' Groats, where it is linked south/southeast by the A99 to WickWick, HighlandWick is an estuary town and a royal burgh in the north of the Highland council area of Scotland. Historically, it is one of two burghs within the county of Caithness, of which Wick was the county town. The town straddles the River Wick and extends along both sides of Wick Bay...
and to the A9 at LatheronLatheronLatheron ) is a small village and civil parish in Caithness, in the Highland area of Scotland, centred on the junction of the A9 with the A99....
.
- The road's length terminates in John o' Groats, where it is linked south/southeast by the A99 to Wick