Highland Council

The Authority

The Highland Council (Comhairle na Gàidhealtachd) is the Highway Authority for all the roads in the North of Scotland. At 11,838 square miles (30,659 km²) the Authority is bigger than the nation of Belgium and Wales and therefore it is by far the biggest council in Britain measured by land area. As of 2016, Government Statistics say that the council is responsible for 859.4 miles of A roads; 604.9 miles of B roads and 2940 miles of other roads. There is an additional 597.1 miles of Trunk roads within the council area, which are maintained by Transport Scotland.

It was formed as Highland Regional Council in 1975 from the Administrative Counties of:
Inverness-shire (except for the Western Isles)
Nairnshire
Ross & Cromarty (except for Lewis)
Sutherland
Caithness
plus portions of Moray and Argyll

It was reorganised into a one-tier council, merging with the District Councils, in 1996. However, the component counties survive to some extent for several administrative and logistical purposes, mainly because of the large geographical area. The Council area was formerly broken into eight areas:

Caithness
Sutherland
Ross and Cromarty (without Lochalsh)
Skye and Lochalsh (taking the Isle of Skye and Lochalsh on the mainland)
Lochaber (The south western portion of the area, formerly Inverness-shire and Argyll, centred on Fort William)
Badenoch and Strathspey (Grantown on Spey & the A86 corridor, formerly Inverness-shire and Moray)
Inverness (The rest of historic Inverness-shire, including The Highland Capital)
Nairn

However, these have now been consolidated into 3 areas: Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross; (Wester) Ross, Skye and Lochaber; and Inverness, Nairn and Badenoch and Strathspey.

Highways Management

The majority of everyday work on the road network in Highland is undertaken by the Councils own DLO (Direct Labour Organisation). However, some work, such as white-lining is sub-contracted out to outside contractors. This is normally on a job by job basis. Sometimes projects are undertaken as a partnership between the DLO and a Contractor. Some vehicles and equipment are shared with neighbouring DLOs (or at least hired in/out) to reduce the costs of each council having equipment lying idle for long periods. The Island Councils, Argyll and Bute Council and Moray Council are all part of HiTrans, and whilst this is predominately interested in sustainable and public transport, it sees the authorities working together on other projects.

Principal and Classified Numbered Roads

The following is a list of A and B classified roads that are at least partially managed by the authority:

Route	From	To	Length
A99	Latheron	John o' Groats	34 miles	View
A831	Drumnadrochit	Beauly	28.1 miles	View
A832	Cromarty, Black Isle	Braemore Junction, Wester Ross	125 miles	View
A833	Milton	Balchraggan	9.3 miles	View
A834	Dingwall	Contin	6.8 miles	View
A835	Tore	Ledmore	66.4 miles	View
A835	Tore	Ledmore	66.4 miles	View
A836	John o' Groats	Tarlogie (Dornoch Firth Bridge)	122 miles	View
A836	John o' Groats	Tarlogie (Dornoch Firth Bridge)	122 miles	View
A837	Invershin	Lochinver	44.9 miles	View
A838	Dalchork	Tongue	83.3 miles	View
A839	The Mound	Rosehall	22.2 miles	View
A850	Kyleakin	Dunvegan Castle	19.2 miles	View
A851	Skulamus	Armadale	15 miles	View
A855	Portree	Uig	33.3 miles	View
A861	Drumfern	Lochailort	64.9 miles	View
A862	Inverness	Ardullie Roundabout	23.7 miles	View
A863	Sligachan	Dunvegan (Dùn Bheagain)	22.8 miles	View
A882	Wick	Georgemas Junction	14.2 miles	View
A884	Achnalea	Balmeanach	21.6 miles	View
A890	Achnasheen	Auchtertyre	32.2 miles	View
A894	Skiag Bridge	Laxford Bridge	23.2 miles	View
A896	Strathcarron	Kinlochewe	34.3 miles	View
A897	Helmsdale	Melvich	37.1 miles	View
A938	Carrbridge	Dulnain Bridge	9 miles	View
A939	Nairn	Ballater	59.6 miles	View
A939	Grantown on Spey	Cock Bridge	21.5 miles	View
A939	Nairn	Grantown on Spey	23.5 miles	View
A939	Nairn	Ballater	59.6 miles	View
A949	Bonar Bridge	Dornoch	13.3 miles	View
A8082	Inshes	Tomnahurich	3.5 miles	View
B801	Rhiconich	Kinlochbervie	4.7 miles	View
B817	Drummond	Kildary	14.1 miles	View
B848	Canalside (south), Fort Augustus	Glendoe Road, Fort Augustus	0.17 miles	View
B849	Lochaline	Bunavullin	10.6 miles	View
B851	Errogie	Culloden	19.0 miles	View
B852	Dores	Whitebridge	13.4 miles	View
B853	Culcabock	Culduthel Road	1.1 miles	View
B855	Dunnet	Dunnet Head	4.3 miles	View
B861	Inverness	Tombreck	7.5 miles	View
B862	Inverness	Fort Augustus	33.6 miles	View
B863	Glencoe	North Ballachulish	15.9 miles	View
B864	Inveran	Lairg	5.1 miles	View
B865	Raigmore Interchange	Shore Street Roundabout	1.5 miles	View
B869	Lochinver	Unapool	22.0 miles	View
B870	Glengolly	Kirk	22.6 miles	View
B871	Kinbrace	Leckfurin	25.0 miles	View
B873	Altnaharra	Syre	11.3 miles	View
B874	Thurso	Wick Airport	22.5 miles	View
B876	Reiss	Castletown	12.2 miles	View
B877	Olrig Street	Riverside Road	0.3 miles	View
B883	Peinmore	Peinchorran (Peighinn a' Chorrain)	6.1 miles	View
B884	Lonmore	Milovaig	9.7 miles	View
B885	Portree	Bracadale	9.3 miles	View
B886	Fairy Bridge, Dunvegan	Stein	4.3 miles	View
B970	Kingussie	Speybridge	30.0 miles	View
B8004	Banavie	Spean Bridge (W)	8.9 miles	View
B8005	Gairlochy	Loch Arkaig	5.9 miles	View
B8006	Victoria Bridge, Fort William	Banavie	1.8 miles	View
B8007	Salen	Achosnich	23.9 miles	View
B8008	Arisaig	Mallaig	9.8 miles	View
B8009	Drynoch	Portnalong	7.4 miles	View
B8021	Gairloch	Melvaig	9.5 miles	View
B8036	Peinmore	Kensaleyre	1.5 miles	View
B8043	Inversanda	Lochuisge	12.8 miles	View
B8044	Acharacle (Ath-Tharracail)	Ardtoe	3.2 miles	View
B8056	Kerrysdale	Redpoint	8.9 miles	View
B8057	Poolewe	Rubha nan Sasan	8.4 miles	View
B8083	Broadford (An t-Ath Leathann)	Elgol (Ealaghol)	14.0 miles	View
B9006	Inverness	Fort George	15.1 miles	View
B9007	Duthil	Logie	18.5 miles	View
B9039	Newton of Petty	Ardersier	4.9 miles	View
B9090	Nairn	Brackley	8.7 miles	View
B9091	Nairn	Croy	7.0 miles	View
B9092	Ardersier	Delnies	4.6 miles	View
B9101	Auldearn	Geddes	3.7 miles	View
B9102	Dandaleith	Grantown on Spey	24.6 miles	View
B9111	Auldearn By Pass(W)	Auldearn	0.9 miles	View
B9150	Raliabeag, Newtonmore	Newtonmore	1.3 miles	View
B9152	Kingussie	Aviemore(N)	13.2 miles	View
B9153	Kinveachy	Carrbridge	2.8 miles	View
B9154	Dalmagarry	Daviot	6.7 miles	View
B9159	High Street	Harbour Road	0.5 miles	View
B9160	Rosemarkie(N)	Jemimaville	4.2 miles	View
B9161	Munlochy	Croftnacreich	3.2 miles	View
B9162	High Street	School Road	0.3 miles	View
B9163	Conon Bridge	Cromarty	19.6 miles	View
B9164	Drumchardine	Dunballoch	3.1 miles	View
B9165	Loandhu	Portmahomack	9.4 miles	View
B9166	Fearn	Balintore	1.8 miles	View
B9168	Poles	Dornoch	2.0 miles	View
B9169	Muir of Ord(S)	Shoreton	10.4 miles	View
B9174	Morangie	Knockbreck	1.6 miles	View
B9175	Newfield	Nigg Ferry	6.6 miles	View
B9176	Skiach, Alness	Easter Fearn	15.1 miles	View
B9177	Bogbain	Cradlehall	1.4 miles	View
B9178	Easter Curr	Dulnain Bridge	0.5 miles	View

Classified Unnumbered Roads

Main Article: Highland Council (Class III roads)

For their Class III road network, the authority uses "C" prefixes.

Junctions

Main Article: Highland Council (Junctions)

Bridges, Tunnels, and other Crossings

Main Article: Highland Council (Crossings)

Links

The Highland Council

• The Highland Council Website
• Roads & Transport