Latheron Junction
Latheron Junction | |||
Location Map ( geo) | |||
| |||
Location | |||
near Wick | |||
County | |||
Caithness | |||
Highway Authority | |||
Transport Scotland | |||
Junction Type | |||
T Junction | |||
Roads Joined | |||
A9, A99 | |||
Latheron is a tiny village on the Caithness coast to the south of Wick, which is home to one of the most northerly primary road junctions in Britain. Today it is where the A99 starts its journey north to John O'Groats, with the A9 turning inland, however this is a relatively new situation. The junction today is a simple give way at which the A9 has to TOTSO, probably because it used to continue up the coast to Wick and John O'Groats. The turning road to Thurso that is now followed by the A9 was for many years the A895. There is a left filter lane for traffic continuing on the A9, but with so little right turning traffic from the A99, there is no provision for turning traffic in this direction.
However, even that wasn't the original layout, and 'only' dates from 1935. Prior to that the old A9 line was numbered as the A88 and the modern A9 route to Thurso was the B873. The roads themselves, all 3 of them, date back to the beginning of the 19th century and were constructed by Thomas Telford as part of his commission on Highland roads and bridges.
Routes
Route | To | Notes |
Thurso, Scrabster | ||
Inverness | ||
Wick, John o' Groats | ||
Wick, John o' Groats | now A99 | |
Wick, John o' Groats | became A9, now A99 | |
Inverness | now A9 | |
Thurso, Scrabster | now A9 | |
Thurso, Scrabster | became A895, now A9 |