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A882 (John o Groats)

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A882
Location Map ( geo)
Cameraicon.png View gallery (1)
From:  Wick (ND361506)
To:  Thurso (ND118680)
Via:  John o' Groats
Distance:  35.6 miles (57.3 km)
Met (1932) A88, B876, B875, B876, A88
Former Number(s):  A88, B875, B876
Now part of:  A836, A99
Primary Destinations
Traditional Counties

Caithness

Route outline (key)
A882 Wick - Thurso
This article is about the original A882 between Thurso and Wick, via John o' Groats.
For the current A882 also between Thurso and Wick, taking the direct route, see A882
.


The original A882 was the northeasternmost A road on the British mainland, taking a roundabout route between the two main towns of Caithness.

Route

Heading north on the A99 (former A882)

Starting on the A88 in the centre of Wick the road headed north out of town along a more-or-less straight road as far as Reiss. Here the road turned right to remain the closest road to the coast, never more than half a mile from the sea to the right. Continuing through Keiss and Nybster the road approached the coast more closely but after passing Freswick Bay the coast wandered off to the east whilst the road continued ahead. A few bends took the A882 to John o'Groats where the B875 continued ahead through the village to the north coast. The A882 turned left here, however, now heading west but very close to the sea once again. After passing the Castle of Mey the road remained straight to avoid the detour to Dunnet Head, meeting the coast again at Dunnet Bay which was followed as far as Castletown. An almost dead-straight section on the far side of the village led to Thurso and the end of the road, back on the A88.

History

The A882 did not exist in the original 1922 Road Lists. On classification the A88 ran from Wick to Thurso via Reiss and Castletown, with the B875 heading north and the B876 heading east to meet in John o'Groats. Later in the 1920s the A88 was rerouted further south, but still ended in Thurso, and the A882 came into being, taking over two former sections of the A88, together with the two Class II roads to John o'Groats.

Things changed again in 1935. The A88 was abolished, being taken over by an extension to the A9. That road detoured after Wick, however, going to John o'Groats rather than Thurso, thus taking over half of the A882; the other half became an extension of the A836 north coast road. As such the original A882 was abolished, although the number was reused at the same time for that part of the A88 which didn't become part of the A9, meaning that the A882 number still connected Wick and Thurso albeit by a shorter route.

In more recent years the A9 has been rerouted to Thurso and Scrabster, instead of Wick, and so the ex-A882 from Wick to John o'Groats is now numbered A99.

An official document from 16-5-1934 details the following changes: (a) The Thurso - Duncansby section of this route to be renumbered A836; (b) The Duncansby - Wick section to be renumbered A9; Route number transferred to the Wick - Watten - Thurso Road, ex A88





A882 (John o Groats)
Places
Related Pictures
View gallery (1)
A99 approaching the end - Coppermine - 17537.jpg
Other nearby roads
Wick
John o Groats
Thurso
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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