A891

The A891 runs along the southern edge of the Campsie Fells, connecting together the towns and villages which lie below the steep escarpment. It is predominately an S2 road running through gently rolling terrain. It is perhaps not a road that many people will drive end to end however.

Route

The road starts at a mini roundabout junction with the A81 in the centre of Strathblane, and heads east, quickly leaving the village behind to wind through fields. The road is passing along the northern edge of a wide, flat valley, with the steep slopes of the Campsie Fells just a field away to the left. The steep lump of Dunglass lies off to the right, dominating the horizon. After a couple of bends, the road reaches the foothills of the Campsies, with steep slopes rising behind the verge, and a scattering of farms on the flatter areas. There are a couple of short, undulating straights, but most of the route is a series of bends, some tighter than others, and one a sharp dip between stone walls and hedges.

Near the eastern end of the A891

After nearly three miles, the speed limit drops to 30 mph as the village of Haughhead, near Clachan of Campsie, is entered. Clachan lies a short distance up a side road, and is a pretty spot at the foot of the scenic Campsie Glen, but it can get very busy. Just before the junction, the road crosses the Glazert Water, and follows it south east into Lennoxtown. Along the way, a roundabout provides access to a couple of housing estates set in parkland, with the area falling within the commuter belt for Glasgow. In the centre of Lennoxtown, the B822 approaches from the north, having spectacularly descended cross the flank of the hills and the two routes multiplex through the town for around ½ mile, after which the B822 leaves again and NSL resumes on the A891 as it runs between fields.

The trees ahead, however, hide the village of Milton of Campsie which lies a short distance along the road. Unlike Lennoxtown, the majority of Milton lies to the south of the river along the B757, but the shops and services are mostly along the A891 showing the older part of the village. Beyond Milton the road becomes more rural for its final mile, as it passes through the scattered community of Lochmill. It ends at a T-junction terminus with the A803 near Auchenreoch.

History

When the roads were first classified in 1922, this route was numbered as the B821. However, by 1930 it had already been upgraded to be the A891. It is not clear if the B821 was previously extended west, or if the number was reused on the current route when the A891 was created.