Is the A83 a good road?

The A83 is a very scenic road, almost 100 miles long, and it brings you through some of the most beautiful countryside Scotland has to offer. Since much of this scenic road runs along the shores of Loch Fyne, the highest point is reached only ten miles after Tarbet at the famous pass called Rest and Be Thankful.

Is the A83 open?

The A83 will remain open as normal during the day and teams will do all they can to complete the surfacing work quickly and safely. “As ever, we thank all road users and the local community for their continued patience while we continue with the programme of mitigation work at the Rest.”

Why is the Rest and Be Thankful called that?

The Rest and Be Thankful is quite literally named as a place where travellers in olden times would stop, rest and be thankful that they had reached the top of their steep climb, before continuing on to their destination.

How high is rest and be thankful?

803 ft above
The highest point on the A83 is 803 ft above sea level and divides Glen Kinglas from Glen Croe. From the viewpoint of this famous beauty spot you can see the old valley road, engineered by General Wade during the subjection of Scotland following the Jacobite rebellion.

How long is the old military road?

Read the full story here. You could make a very good argument that the Old Military Road near Glenshee in Scotland is the best stretch of driving road in the UK, and at over 80 miles long, it’s certainly the most sustained. We made the trip in early 2013 with an Aston Martin V12 Zagato.

When was the first road built in Scotland?

The first four of these roads were constructed in the 1720s and 1730s under the direction of General George Wade (an Anglo-Irishman) and are commonly referred to as General Wade’s Military Roads or simply as Wade’s Roads.

Who built the old military road at the Rest and be thankful?

It also tells us that when Thomas Telford took on his Commission for Highland Roads, he was also responsible for rebuilding the military road network, and had worked his magic at the Rest and be Thankful by 1814 when he handed the road to the commissioners.

Who built the rest and be thankful?

After Culloden work recommenced and by 1748 troops from the 24th Regiment – later the South Wales Borderers – had made the road over the summit of Glen Croe and erected a stone seat with the legend “Rest And Be Thankful”.