A836 road

The A836 is a major road entirely within the Highland area of Scotland. It is 122 miles (196 km) long^[1] and runs from Ross and Cromarty to Caithness, with the majority of its length in Sutherland. At 58.648°N where it passes through East Mey,^[2] it is the northernmost A-class road in mainland Great Britain.

A836
The A836 in the Scottish Highlands
Route information
Length	122 mi (196 km)
Existed	1922–present
Major junctions
South end	Tain 57.8307°N 4.1067°W / 57.8307; -4.1067
Major intersections	A9 A949 A837 A839 A838 (twice) A897 A9 A99
North end	John o' Groats 58.6386°N 3.0689°W / 58.6386; -3.0689
Location
Country	United Kingdom
Primary destinations	Thurso, John o' Groats
Road network
Roads in the United Kingdom Motorways A and B road zones

Route

As it branches from the A9 near Tain it is a Primary route and runs generally north through Bonar Bridge and Lairg this is where it changes from a primary route to a A-classed road. At Tongue the road turns east, following the north coast, passing through Thurso, and eventually ending at John o' Groats, where it meets the A99.

The A836 passes through some of the loneliest and most sparsely populated parts of Britain,^[3] and despite having an 'A' classification, is a single track road in many places.^[4] It is a hazardous route in winter owing to the narrow road width, sharp gradients and turns, and is particularly not a recommended route for goods and livestock vehicles, unless strictly necessary.^[5]

The North Coast 500 scenic route runs along part of the A836.

Route history

Originally, in 1922, the A836 was designated from Bonar Bridge to Tongue. By 1935 this had been extended south to Alness and east to John o'Groats. Prior to the opening of the Dornoch Firth Bridge in 1991, the section southeast of Bonar Bridge was part of the A9, and the B9176 from Ardchronie to its then-terminus at Alness was designated as A836.^[6] The opening of the bridge removed a 26-mile (42 km) detour around the firth for traffic using the A9.