B895

This article is about the current road from Stornoway to New Tolsta.
For the original road from Stornoway to Portnaguran, see B895 (Stornoway - Portnaguran).

The B895 runs along the east coast of the Isle of Lewis. The road was originally unclassified but had gained its present number by 1932. The road is, by and large, a good fast S2 almost all the way, punctuated by 40 limits through the more built-up areas.

Route

Looking back towards Stornoway

The road commences at a junction with the A857 just north of the Laxdale Bridge (Drochaid Lacasdail) in Newmarket to the north of Stornoway, and heads in a north easterly direction into the Back (Bac) District of Lewis. It runs out past some houses, and then curves through some woodland to enter Tunga. Here a sharp left swings the road back to the north east, through the village and down to the first of several stunning beaches along this coast. The road stays close to the top of the beach - there is a large parking area - past Col Uarach, before climbing into the scattered village of Col.

Col and Bac are slowly merging together into a single settlement, doubtless due to their close proximity to Stornoway. The road loses its centre line a couple of times as it passes through the villages, but is never really too narrow for two cars to pass. Beyond Bac, the road returns to the shore, passing the memorial cairn to the post-WWI land raiders next to Drochaid Ghriais across the Abhainn Ghriais. The scattered village of Gress (Griais) itself is quickly passed, the church and large cemetery being most obvious as the road climbs from the bridge, and then comes a long run across open moorland, reminiscent of the A830 from Arisaig to Mallaig, without the big hills. Loops of the old road can be seen for the first time running alongside the new, improved highway, and then after a sharp kink around the head of Gleann Tholastaidh the road comes to Tolsta (Tholastaidh) village.

Tolsta is, again, two separate communities that are slowly merging into one settlement, and this time the road really is single-track from time to time as it squeezes between the old property boundaries. After swinging round to the north east, the B895 comes to an end at a right turn just before the last house, although an unclassified road continues and is perhaps the best bit. As it winds down the little valley, the magnificent Tràigh Mhòr suddenly appears below. Keep going past the first car park and you'll be rewarded with a stunning view of this long beach stretching out to Tolsta Head. The adopted road finally comes to a complete end at the car park before Garry Bridge. A track continues for a short distance across and beyond the bridge.