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A832

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A832
Location Map ( geo)
Cameraicon.png View gallery (53)
From:  Cromarty, Black Isle (NH785676)
To:  Braemore Junction, Wester Ross (NH208776)
Distance:  125 miles (201.2 km)
Meets:  Pier, A9, A835, A862, A835, A890, A896, A835
Former Number(s):  A833, B859
Old route now:  A835
Highway Authorities

Highland

Traditional Counties

Cromartyshire • Ross-shire

Route outline (key)
A832 Cromarty - Moy Bridge
(A835) Moy Bridge - Gorstan
A832 Gorstan - Braemore Junction

Route

Route Overview

Main Article: A832/route

The A832 is, without a doubt, one of Britain's finest roads. What it may lack in quality of engineering, it more than makes up with some of the best mountain, moorland and ocean views that Britain has to offer. It is also one of Britain's few true coast-to-coast roads. As far as I know, it is the longest road in Britain that remains in a single county (Ross and Cromarty) for its entire length of 125 miles. Those 125 miles also make it the longest 3-digit A road in Scotland and the fifth longest in Britain. Unlike the four roads longer than it (the A361, A470, A483 and A487), it is almost entirely non primary; the only green signs one sees on its route are on the 9 miles where it multiplexes with the A835 near Garve, and an erroneous one at the Gorstan junction.

Moy Bridge near Contin

The Black Isle

Main Article: A832/Black Isle

Starting at the eastern end of the Black Isle, in Cromarty, the A832 winds westwards through some pretty villages to reach the A9 at Tore. This first bit was originally the A833 in 1922, but quickly renumbered to make the A832 a full coast to coast route.

Strath Bran

Main Article: A832/Strath Bran

After a multiplex with the extended A835, the A832 runs through the scenic Strath Bran from Garve to Achnasheen, following the Skye Railway line with much of the road upgraded to a high standard.

Looking west to Loch Maree

Loch Maree

Main Article: A832/Loch Maree

After the wild desolation of Strath Bran, the A832 crosses the watershed and drops down to Kinlochewe. Loch Maree comes next, and the wooded shores with intimate glimpses across the loch make a stark contrast to the expansive scenery further east.

The Wester Ross Coast

Main Article: A832/Gairloch - Gruinard
Sabre Roadtrip at Little Gruinard

After leaving Loch Maree behind, the rugged and beautiful coastline of Wester Ross is reached at Gairloch, an amazing and relaxed place to stop and rest before heading northwards past Poolewe and Aultbea to Gruinard Bay. Rocky shores, beaches and wild moorland alternate along the way.

Dundonnel

Main Article: A832/Dundonnell

The last leg of the A832 takes us over the hill from Gruinard Bay to Loch Broom, and then south east through Dundonnell and over the hills to the Corrishalloch Gorge and the A835 once more. 125 miles of breathtaking, changeable scenery and some amazing history along the way.


Mileage listing

Distance (m) (km) Name
0 0 Cromarty
9 14 Rosemarkie
10 16 Fortrose
11 17 Avoch
18 29 Tore Roundabout (A9 A835)
24 40 Muir of Ord (A862)
28 45 Marybank
29 47 Wester Moy (A835)
31 50 Contin (A834)
33 53 Rogie Falls
37 60 Garve
38 62 Gorstan (A835)
42 68 Lochluichart
46 74 Achanalt
53 85 Achnasheen (A890)
63 101 Kinlochewe (A896)
72 119 Loch Maree Hotel
82 135 Gairloch
88 144 Poolewe
92 149 Inverewe Gardens
94 152 Aultbea
96 155 Laide
99 159 Gruinard Hill
107 172 Badcaul
110 177 Camusnagaul
112 180 Dundonnell
126 202 Braemore Junction (A835)

Signage

Westbound: Inverness, Muir of Ord, Ullapool, Gairloch, Poolewe, Ullapool
Eastbound: Gairloch, Achnasheen, Inverness, Muir of Ord, Fortrose, Cromarty

Brief History

When the roads were first numbered in 1922, the A832 started on the A88 (now A862) in Muir of Ord and ran westwards as far as Poolewe. There was no multiplex, however: the A835 started on the A832 in Gorstan. The section to the east between Muir of Ord and Cromarty was the A833 whilst the Poolewe to Braemore section of road was originally the B859; this quickly became part of the A832.

Then, when the roads were being renumbered in 1935 the original proposal was to turn the A832 into a major coastal route, taking in (part of) the routes of the A835, A837, A894, A838, A836 and A882 to finally reach the re-routed A9 at John o'Groats. Unfortunately, this rather mad idea was turned down with a curt 'No', and instead the route was extended eastwards along the former A833 to Cromarty. That road needed a new number as the zone boundary was moved with the extension of the A9.

The A835 originally started on the A832 in Gorstan and therefore the A832 did not originally have the gap it does now. The A835 became the dominant partner in the multiplex when the route connecting with the new A9 was completed in the 1980s.

Between Contin and Gorstan the road was (and as A835, remains) trunk. The section from Muir of Ord to Contin was primary, but not trunk, until the A835 extension was completed.




A832
Sections
Junctions
Crossings
Roads
Places
Related Pictures
View gallery (53)
Moy Bridge 2.jpgBridge of Grudie.jpgBridge of Grudie 2.jpg119723157 326554255116268 8340752032527336723 n(1).jpgA896 Kinlochewe - Flag signs.jpg
Other nearby roads
Cromarty
Kinlochewe
Ullapool
A800-A899
A800 • A801 • A802 • A803 • A804 • A805 • A806 • A807 • A808 • A809 • A810 • A811 • A812 • A813 • A814 • A815 • A816 • A817 • A818 • A819

A820 • A821 • A822 • A823 • A824 • A825 • A826 • A827 • A828 • A829 • A830 • A831 • A832 • A833 • A834 • A835 • A836 • A837 • A838 • A839
A840 • A841 • A842 • A843 • A844 • A845 • A846 • A847 • A848 • A849 • A850 • A851 • A852 • A853 • A854 • A855 • A856 • A857 • A858 • A859
A860 • A861 • A862 • A863 • A864 • A865 • A866 • A867 • A868 • A869 • A870 • A871 • A872 • A873 • A874 • A875 • A876 • A877 • A878 • A879
A880 • A881 • A882 • A883 • A884 • A885 • A886 • A887 • A888 • A889 • A890 • A891 • A892 • A893 • A894 • A895 • A896 • A897 • A898 • A899

Defunct Itineraries and Motorways: A804 • A806 • A817 • A818 • A823(M) • A825 • A833 • A859 • A862 • A872 • A876 • A882 • A896


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