The A861 road is a circuitous, primarily coastal, road in

Lochaber Lochaber ( ; gd, Loch Abar) is a name applied to a part of the Scottish Highlands. Historically, it was a provincial lordship consisting of the parishes of Kilmallie and Kilmonivaig, as they were before being reduced in extent by the creatio ...

, within the

Highland council area Highland ( gd, A' Ghàidhealtachd, ; sco, Hieland) is a council area in the Scottish Highlands and is the largest local government area in the United Kingdom. It was the 7th most populous council area in Scotland at the 2011 census. It shar ...

of Scotland. The A861 serves the communities of the remote Ardgour, Sunart, Moidart and

Ardnamurchan Ardnamurchan (, gd, Àird nam Murchan: headland of the great seas) is a peninsula in the ward management area of Lochaber, Highland, Scotland, noted for being very unspoiled and undisturbed. Its remoteness is accentuated by the main access ...

areas Although the ends of this road are only apart (the direct link being by way of the

A830 road The A830, also known as the Road to the Isles (though it forms only a part of the historic route) is a major road in Lochaber, Scottish Highlands. It connects the town of Fort William to the port of Mallaig. Route The A830 is 46 miles long ...

) its total length is . The last stretch to be built was the part from Kinlochmoidart to

Lochailort Lochailort ( , gd, Ceann Loch Ailleart) is a hamlet in Scotland that lies at the head of Loch Ailort, a sea loch, on the junction of the Road to the Isles ( A830) between Fort William and Mallaig with the A861 towards Salen and Strontian. ...

. It was opened on 29 July 1966 by the Minister of State for Scotland, George Willis M.P. Mr Willis described it as the longest completely new road to be built in Scotland since the days of

Thomas Telford Thomas Telford FRS, FRSE, (9 August 1757 – 2 September 1834) was a Scottish civil engineer. After establishing himself as an engineer of road and canal projects in Shropshire, he designed numerous infrastructure projects in his native Scot ...

, 150 years earlier.

Route (clockwise)

The A861 is a long-way-round route in the Lochaber area of western Scotland, connecting the A830 Fort William to Mallaig road with itself via the shores of Loch Sunart. *junction with the A830 road west of Kinlocheil *under the

West Highland Line The West Highland Line ( gd, Rathad Iarainn nan Eilean - "Iron Road to the Isles") is a railway line linking the ports of Mallaig and Oban in the Scottish Highlands to Glasgow in Central Scotland. The line was voted the top rail journey in the ...

*through Drimsallie *eastwards along the south shore of

Loch Eil Loch Eil (Scottish Gaelic, ''Loch Iall'') is a sea loch in Lochaber, Scotland that opens into Loch Linnhe near the town of Fort William. ".. the name of the Chief of Clan Cameron is spelt LOCHIEL, while the name of the loch is spelt LOCH EIL,.. ...

, through Garvan, Duisky and Blaich *until Loch Eil meets

Loch Linnhe Loch Linnhe () is a sea loch on the west coast of Scotland. The part upstream of Corran is known in Gaelic as (the black pool, originally known as Loch Abar), and downstream as (the salty pool). The name ''Linnhe'' is derived from the Gaelic ...

and the road turns generally southwestwards through Camusnagaul and Trislaig to Ardgour where the Corran Ferry provides a vehicular crossing to Corran and the main

A82 road The A82 is a major road in Scotland that runs from Glasgow to Inverness via Fort William. It is one of the principal north-south routes in Scotland and is mostly a trunk road managed by Transport Scotland, who view it as an important link ...

*the A861 them continues to along the western shore of Loch Linnhe to Inversanda and where it strikes inland westwards through Glen Tarbert; the B8043 road leaving about half a mile from Inversanda to follow the southwesterly route *after passing through Achnalea the A861 resumes its coastal nature when it follows the north shore of Loch Sunart *near this is its only junction (other than its terminuses) with another A-road when the A884 road diverges *continuing westward the road goes through the lochside communities of

Strontian Strontian (; gd, Sròn an t-Sìthein) is the main village in Sunart, an area in western Lochaber, Highland, Scotland, on the A861 road. Prior to 1975 it was part of Argyllshire. It lies on the north shore of Loch Sunart, close to the head of ...

, Ardnastang, Woodend, Camasachoirce and Camasine turning slightly to the north to follow the loch to

Resipole Resipole ( gd, Rèiseapol) is a settlement on the Ardnamurchan peninsula in Highland, Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland ...

and Salen *the coast of Loch Sunart is now followed by the B8007 as the A861 strikes inland due north to Acharacle where the B8044 leaves to the west *the A861 then turns east to go through Blain, Mingarrypark and Dalnabreck; *it then turns north and then northwest to reach Loch Moidart and the settlements of

Ardmolich Ardmolich ( gd, An Àird Mholach) and Kinlochmoidart (''Ceann Loch Mùideart'') are settlements at the east head of Loch Moidart in the Moidart region, Highland, Scotland and are in the Scottish council area of Highland. The Seven Men of Moidart, ...

and Kinlochmoidart *after following the loch shore it again strikes inland to reach the

Sound of Arisaig The Sound of Arisaig Lochaber, Scotland, separates the Arisaig peninsula to the north from the Moidart peninsula to the south. At the eastern, landward end, the sound is divided by Ardnish into two sea lochs. Loch nan Uamh lies to the north of Ardn ...

at Glenuig *the route is then generally northeastwards along the south shore of Loch Ailort through Inverailort to meet the A830 at

References

Lochaber Roads in Scotland Scenic routes in the United Kingdom Transport in Highland (council area) Works of Thomas Telford {{Scotland-road-stub