A82

A82
View gallery (24)
From:	Glasgow (NS582666)
To:	Inverness (NH668453)
Via:	Fort William
Length:	175 miles (281.6 km)
Meets:	M8, A898, A811, A83, A85, A87, A9
Former Number(s):	A828, A876
Primary Destinations
Crianlarich • Fort William • Glasgow • Inverness •
Highways Authorities
Transport Scotland, West Dunbartonshire, Glasgow
Traditional Counties
Lanarkshire, Dunbartonshire, Argyll, Inverness-shire
Route outline (key)
A82 Glasgow - Erskine Bridge A82 Erskine Bridge - Inverness

Contents 1 Route Overview 2 Route in detail 2.1 Glasgow - Crianlarich 2.2 Crianlarich - Glencoe 2.3 Glencoe - Inverness 3 Some Notable locations along the route 3.1 Charing Cross 3.2 Anniesland Cross 3.3 Ballachulish Bridge 3.4 Longman Roundabout 4 Opening Dates 5 Videos 5.1 Ballachulish Ferry 6 Links

Route Overview

The A82 runs from Glasgow to Fort William and Inverness, passing along the shores of Loch Lomond, Loch Ness and in the shadow of Ben Nevis along the way. It is probably the most important trunk route serving the West Highlands of Scotland, and along its route uses pieces of road first built in the 1750s. Today serious plans are in progress to start bringing the whole route up to 21st Century standards.

Route in detail

Glasgow - Crianlarich

A82/Great Western Road: From the M8 to Dumbarton, the A82 now follows the Great Western Road, but it didn't in 1922!

A82/Loch Lomond: From the Balloch Roundabout, the A82 heads north along the shores of Loch Lomond to Tarbert, and then comes the 'fun' bit to Ardlui.

A82/Glen Falloch: At Ardlui, Loch Lomond is left behind and the A82 starts climbing through Glen Falloch to Crianlarich.

Crianlarich - Glencoe

A82/Strathfillan: From Crianlarich to Tyndrum, the A82 multiplexes with the A85, before climbing up to Bridge of Orchy.

A82/Rannoch Moor: Bridge of Orchy is the last settlement on the A82 for many miles as it heads north across Rannoch Moor to the Kingshouse Hotel.

A82/Glencoe: Perhaps one of the most evocative names in Scotland, Glencoe sees the A82 fighting the landscape to return to sea level at Loch Leven.

Glencoe - Inverness

A82/Ballachulish - Fort William: The story of the road around Loch Leven and then along the shores of Loch Linnhe to Fort William.

A82/Fort William - Fort Augustus: As the A82 starts the journey up the Great Glen, we pass Loch Lochy and Loch Oich.

A82/Loch Ness: Scotland's most famous loch has the A82 for company as we complete our journey and arrive in the Highland Capital, Inverness.

Some Notable locations along the route

Charing Cross

This is where it all begins, the mess that is Junction 17/18 of the M8, known by some as Charing Cross, by others as Hell.

Anniesland Cross

Two miles out from the city centre, fighting through the hustle and bustle of the Great Western Road, and suddenly you are dumped here, where the A82 meets the A739. Its not a pretty sight, but with a bit of help you will make it through in one piece!

Ballachulish Bridge

For centuries, ferries had plied the narrows of Loch Leven between North and South Ballachulish. The existence of the Loch Leven and Ballachulish Hotels is evidence enough for this, but on top of that we have the slipways, queing space and Old Ferry Road on the northern shore. The Bridge changed the whole way of life in South Lochaber when it opened in 1975.

Longman Roundabout

This is the end of the road, after 175 miles, the A82 finally runs out at the Longman Roundabout with the A9 in Inverness. However, with plans afoot for a new crossing of the canal and River Ness to the south of the city, linking up with the B8082 eastern distributor road, the A82 may yet be rerouted to meet the A9 at the Inshes Junction.

Opening Dates

Based on mapping and datestones on bridges (not comprehensive):

Date	From	To	Notes
1725	Fort William	Fort Augustus	Military Road, Roughly parallel to modern A82, except used southern shore of Loch Oich.
1726	Fort Augustus	Inverness	Military Road, used southern shore of Loch Ness, but predates route along northern shore.
1736-7	High Bridge		Wade's Bridge, over the River Spean, west of Spean Bridge.
1750's	Glasgow	Fort William	Military Road, using very different alignment in places, most notably Altnafeadh - Fort William.
1786	Altnafeadh	Glencoe Crossroads	Drove road through Glen Coe.
c1810	Glasgow	Inverness	Telford's Road, following modern A82 more closely.
1922	Glencoe Crossroads	Kinlochleven	High Road, using Garbhein Road in Kinloch. Opened as A829.
1927	Glasgow	Dumbarton	Great Western Road extension, opened as A876.
1927	Kinlochleven	North Ballachulish	Low Road, opened as A829.
1929	High Road	Kinlochleven	Date of Kinlochleven Viaduct, built on then A829.
1930	The Study	Glencoe Crossroads	Through Lower Glen Coe.
1933	Bridge of Orchy	Altnafeadh	Rannoch Moor.
1933	Three Mile Water	Chiochnish	Date of new Kiachnish Bridge.
196x	West End	An Aird	Fort William Bypass.
1973	Dumbarton	Alexandria	Southern section of Alexandria Bypass.
1975	Glencoe Crossroads	North Ballachulish	Ballachulish Bridge and associated road improvements.
2006/7	The Study		Replacement Bridge at River Coe falls.
2008/9	Achnambeithach		Replacement Bridge at Clachaig Road end.
2010	Ba Bridge		Replacement Bridge on Rannoch Moor.
2011	Pulpit Rock		Planned road improvement.
2011	Crianlarich, Station Rd	Tyndrum Road	Planned Bypass.

Links

• CBRD: Three Generations of the A82
• roadsUK: Route Guide

	This page was Article of the Month October 2009