The Crinan Hotel
Rest and Be Thankful - easy alternative routes
30/01/2020
So I hear the Rest and Be Thankful pass is closed so it’s impossible to get to Crinan, right?
No, wrong, there’s a diversion.
So the diversion adds 60 miles and loads of time on to the journey, right?
No, wrong. Depending on where you are coming from, avoiding the closed section or taking the diversion may add between about 10 minutes to just over half an hour and the difference in distance is an extra 5 to 25 miles.
Edinburgh Airport to Crinan
via Rest and Be Thankful 134 miles approx. 2 hours & 50 minutes
via Callander, Crianlarich, Dalmally and Inveraray 139 miles approx. 3 hours
Hamilton Services (just south of Glasgow on M74) to Crinan
via Rest and Be Thankful 104 miles approx. 2 hours & 20 minutes
via Callander, Crianlarich, Dalmally and Inveraray 136 miles approx. 3 hours
via Tarbet (Loch Lomond), Crianlarich, Dalmally and Inveraray 130 miles approx. 2 hours & 50 minutes
Glasgow Airport (just West of Glasgow) to Crinan
via Rest and Be Thankful 86.4 miles approx. 2 hours & 5 minutes
via Tarbet (Loch Lomond), Crianlarich, Dalmally and Inveraray 112 miles approx. 2 hours & 30 minutes
or from the Glasgow area, it might be worth considering taking a ferry
Glasgow Airport (just West of Glasgow) to Crinan
via Gourock & Dunoon Ferry 93.2 miles approx. 2 hours & 50 minutes
While the main road is closed, a convoy system may be operational on the “Old Military Road” which runs parallel to the stretch of road which is currently closed. As this operates 1 way traffic each direction in turn over quite a long distance, this can be quite a slow option and we have heard of people who just missed the end of traffic running in their direction waiting for over half an hour before it is their turn to move off.
N.B. all the driving times given above assume clear traffic. You can encounter slow vehicles or hold ups on any of these routes and at any time of year. Usually the traffic is lighter in the winter, but the weather can be worse which might also slow you down.
What we are trying to show is that the suggestion that the diversion is 60 miles is rather over-stated. Yes, of course if you drive all the way to where the road is closed and then backtrack, take the diversion and then drive all the way to the other end of the closed section and then turn around and backtrack, you can add 60 miles to your journey, but you really don’t need to do that to get to Crinan from any normal starting point.
Updates about A83 closures can usually be found on the Bear Scotland website: http://bearscot.com/
Click here to download a document which has maps showing the alternative routes and directions
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