A836

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A836

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From:

Tarlogie (Dornoch Bridge), Easter Ross (NH750843)

To:

John o' Groats, Caithness (ND380727)

Length:

122 miles (196.3 km)

Meets:

A9, A99, A837, A838, A839, A897, A949

Former Number(s):

A9

Primary Destinations

Thurso •

Highways Authorities

Highland

Traditional Counties

Caithness, Sutherland, Ross-shire

Route outline (key)

A836	John o' Groats - Thurso
(A9)	Thurso - Pennyland
A836	Pennyland - Tarlogie
A836	Easter Fearn - Skiach

Route

The A836 is just under 125 miles long, which is longer than the entire M25 (117 miles). Although it is only 125 miles long, it will take most drivers well over three hours to complete, since a good 70 miles of it is S1, meaning that it still contains a substantial portion of single track with passing places. It also goes though very few towns, and quite a bit of very barren, very scenic and very empty countryside. This account will be starting from John o' Groats.

Section 1: John o' Groats - Thurso

This is the A836 just west of the A99 Junction. This junction marks the start/end of this road.

This road starts/ends at John o' Groats. This means only one thing to most people; this is the end of the famed Lands End - John o' Groats run. On the OS Landranger maps, the A99 is the first 'First 99' road to appear, while the A836 is the first British Mainland Axxx road in that series. John o' Groats is not as commercialised as Lands End, since so few people live here, but there is still a newsagent to serve the community. It's just over 16 miles to the nearest railway stations, and we'll be heading towards one of them, Thurso, as we begin our trip to Tarlogie, the long way round. Though it is under the Highland Council area, this area is still widely known by its former county name of Caithness, and unlike much of northern Scotland, it is as flat as a pancake.

As we start, we're a deceptively far 175 miles from Ullapool, since it really doesn't look that distant on a map. The good thing for us is that the Caithness section is S2. We've now left the A99 and we're past the last houses of John o' Groats to head towards Thurso. The road is straight as we head through so called villages like Huna & Kirkstyle. Petrol prices are at a higher price than further south since it is so sparse. As we go pass Gills Bay, we see the Island of Stroma and on a clear day, the Orkney Isles. It is also from here that the Pentland Ferry crosses the Pentland Firth to St Margaret's Hope on Orkney.

This is the A836 at the Gills Bay ferry terminal junction.

We enter Mey and before we enter, we pass the entrance of the Castle of Mey, the former home of the Queen Mother. For a few weeks it was free but now cost about £5. As we continue on the way to Thurso, we pass the B855, our first classified road at Dunnet. This is the northernmost classified road on the British Mainland and it heads to Dunnet Head, the northernmost point on the British Mainland. At Castletown, we pass the B876, the B road that makes a First 99 road TOTSO. We may TOTSO ourselves or we may not, I don't really know. Anyway, we're now straight until Thurso, although we go though Murkle before we get there. We now have to multiplex with the re-routed A9. We're also near to the northernmost railway station in Britain, Thurso. This Multiplex is just about the northernmost one in Britain & probably the last A-class one. This is your last chance to grab some cheap food and a cheapish restaurant. After Thurso there is about 80-100 miles to Lairg and 155 miles to Ullapool from here.

Original Author(s): A Beaton