B888

Looking north on the B888

The B888 is the southern end of the Uist spine road. Starting on the A865 in Daliburgh (Dalabrog) the road follows a largely straight route across the peat bogs, passing through the townships of Garrynamonie (Geàrraidh na Mònadh) and Smerclate (Smeircleit) to reach Pollochar (Poll a' Charra). The road ends here in the car park of the Pollochar Inn.

Despite the recent addition of a causeway/bridge to Eriskay, and a new ferry terminal on that Island connecting to Barra, the B888 has, perhaps surprisingly, not been extended along the route. This leaves the Sound of Barra Ferry as being one of the very few in Scotland that operates between two unclassified roads.

History

At the time of classification in 1922, the Uists did not have any A roads. As a result, the B888 originally served as the spine road for the whole of South Uist, running from South Ford (from where a tidal causeway led to an unclassified road on Benbecula) south to its current terminus at Pollochar. Most of this route is now the A865, except for the section mentioned above.

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