A836 road

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The A836 is a major road in the Scottish Highlands. It is about 122 miles (196 km) long and runs from near Tain in the south to John o’ Groats in the north, mostly through the county of Sutherland.

It is the northernmost A-class road on mainland Great Britain, running up to the village of East Mey around 58.65°N. The road starts from the A9 near Tain as a Primary route, then becomes an A-class road as it continues north through Bonar Bridge and Lairg. At Tongue it turns east and follows the north coast, passing Thurso before ending at John o’ Groats, where it meets the A99.

The A836 travels through very sparsely populated countryside. In many places the road is single track, and winter driving can be hazardous due to narrow widths, steep gradients, and sharp turns. The North Coast 500 scenic route uses part of the A836.

History in brief: The road was created in 1922, originally from Bonar Bridge to Tongue. By 1935 it was extended south to Alness and east to John o’ Groats. Before the Dornoch Firth Bridge opened in 1991, the section southeast of Bonar Bridge was part of the A9, and the B9176 from Ardchronie to Alness carried the A836. The new bridge removed a long 26-mile detour for A9 traffic.