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Sutherland

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Sutherland
Cataibh
Location Map ( geo)
UK-Sutherland.png
Cameraicon.png View gallery (90)
Other Important Destinations
Dornoch • Durness • Lairg • Lochinver • Tongue
Current Highway Authorities
Highland
Borders
Caithness • Cromartyshire • Ross-shire
Transport Scotland Roads
A9

Sutherland is a large and sparsely populated traditional county in the far north of Scotland. It spans from the east to the north and west coasts between Caithness, Ross-shire and Cromartyshire. The county town, and historic seat of the diocese of Caithness is Dornoch on the east coast.

Geography & Economy

The A838 above Loch Eriboll

The county, as with other Highland Counties, has a varied landscape from the mountains of the west to the flow country bordering Caithness in the north east. In general, the mountains are not as high, or large as those further south, but in many ways this makes them even more spectacular, with the vast, isolated cones rising from the surrounding landscape. the deeply incised sea lochs are also less common in Sutherland, but the glens and straths are often filled with strings of lochs, alongside which the roads find a way through the landscape from east to west and north to south.

The economy is largely based on tourism and the land, with forestry and fishing being important. Indeed, fishing plays such a big part to the local economy that the A835 - A837 - A894 - A838 - B801 route from Ullapool to Lochinver and Kinlochbervie was substantially upgraded in the not to distant past to cope with the volume of lorries heading to these busy fishing ports.

Roads

Kylesku Bridge

The roads of Sutherland are a bit like part of a wheel, the hub being Lairg towards the south east of the county, from where the A837, A838, A836 and A839 radiate out to the west, north and south east. The series of routes which run around the west and north of the county - the A835, A837, A838 and A836 are often thought of as a coastal route, but in truth they are more often far inland than within sight of the often wild Atlantic. Until quite recently much of the roads in the county were single track away from the A9 and nearby routes in the east. However, Highland Council has undergone a lengthy program of works to upgrade a lot to S2. The final sections, either side of Durness, are all that remains as single track, bus with so little traffic in this remote corner of Scotland it is rarely a problem.

The majority of roads in land are A or B roads, but there are also many unclassified roads providing access to the remote coastal settlements. There are a number of important bridges in the county, including Bonar Bridge and the Dornoch Firth Bridge on the southern border and Kylesku Bridge and Kyle of Tongue Causeway to the west and north. The A9 also crosses a bridge at Helmsdale to avoid the steep descent into the village. All non-trunk roads within the traditional county are maintained by Highland. The only Trunk road is the A9, which is managed by Transport Scotland.

Route From To Length

    

A9 Polmont, Stirlingshire (M9) Scrabster, Caithness 279 miles View
A88 Inverness Scrabster 157 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
A894 Skiag Bridge Laxford Bridge 23.2 miles View
A897 Helmsdale Melvich 37.1 miles View
A949 Bonar Bridge Dornoch 13.3 miles View   
B801 Rhiconich Kinlochbervie 4.7 miles View
B860 Ullapool Ledmore 17.3 miles View
B864 Inveran Lairg 5.1 miles View
B867 Evelix Dornoch 1.6 miles View
B868 Poles Dornoch 2.0 miles View
B869 Lochinver Unapool 22.0 miles View
B869 Invercassley Lairg 7.9 miles View
B870 Skiag Bridge Thurso 120 miles View
B871 Kinbrace Leckfurin 25.0 miles View
B872 Helmsdale Melvich 37.1 miles View
B873 Altnaharra Syre 11.3 miles View
B9167 Evelix Dornoch 1.9 miles View
B9168 Poles Dornoch 2.0 miles View     
T1 London Scrabster View

Key

Motorway
Primary Route
Non Primary Route
Former Motorway
Defunct Route
E Road
Future Motorway
Future Primary
Future Non Primary
Historical Route
Tourist Route
Roman Road
Unbuilt Motorway
Unbuilt Primary
Unbuilt Non Primary
National Cycle Network
Cycle Route
Eurovelo Cycle Route

Junctions

Main Article: Junctions in Sutherland


Bridges, Tunnels, and other Crossings

Main Article: Crossings in Sutherland






Sutherland
Crossings
Roads
Places
Dornoch • Durness • Lairg • Lochinver • Tongue
Miscellaneous
Related Pictures
View gallery (90)
U2960 Diamond passing place sign.jpgA838 road bridge at Polla - Geograph - 3510494.jpgAltnaharra Bridge - aerial from SW.jpgA836 Naver Bridge - bridge from SW - May 2023.jpgB871 near Kinbrace - Coppermine - 5740.jpg
Traditional Counties of Britain and Ireland
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WalesAnglesey • Brecknockshire • Caernarfonshire • Cardiganshire • Carmarthenshire • Denbighshire • Flintshire • Glamorgan • Merionethshire • Monmouthshire • Montgomeryshire • Pembrokeshire • Radnorshire
ScotlandAberdeenshire • Angus • Argyll • Ayrshire • Banffshire • Berwickshire • Buteshire • Caithness • Clackmannanshire • Cromartyshire • Dumfriesshire • Dunbartonshire • East Lothian • Fife • Inverness-shire • Kincardineshire • Kinross-shire • Kirkcudbrightshire • Lanarkshire • Midlothian • Moray • Nairnshire • Orkney • Peeblesshire • Perthshire • Renfrewshire • Ross-shire • Roxburghshire • Selkirkshire • Stirlingshire • Sutherland • West Lothian • Wigtownshire • Zetland
IrelandAntrim • Armagh • Carlow • Cavan • Clare • Cork • Donegal • Down • Dublin • Fermanagh • Galway • Kerry • Kildare • Kilkenny • Laois • Leitrim • Limerick • Londonderry • Longford • Louth • Mayo • Meath • Monaghan • Offaly • Roscommon • Sligo • Tipperary • Tyrone • Waterford • Westmeath • Wexford • Wicklow


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