The unique Scottish military road to Coulport which has 'stunning' views - but closes once a year
An eight-mile Argyll route is shut to the public for 24 hours for a special reason
It is about the only road in Scotland where you won’t be able to take a New Year’s Day drive.
A route in Argyll built by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) is thought to be unique by being closed to the public for one day a year, on January 1.
The eight-mile road on the Roseneath Peninsula was constructed to provide access for large vehicles to the Royal Naval Armaments Depot at Coulport, where Trident submarine nuclear warheads are stored.
Its unusual annual one-day closure is to prevent the unclassified route, which is still owned by the MoD, from becoming a public right of way - so it can be shut at other times when required.
Known as the Coulport Northern Access Road, it was opened in two stages nearly 40 years ago as the third and final section of a new road network to take heavy construction and military traffic away from villages and off narrow roads during the expansion of Coulport.
The complex was upgraded to serve the Trident submarines, which are based at the nearby HM Naval Base Clyde at Faslane.
The route is in sharp contrast with other local roads, with a roads historian describing it as having “the feel of a modern, high-speed single carriageway”.
It links Coulport with the second section of the network, at Whistlefield roundabout on the A814 Garelochhead bypass to the north, which in turn links to the first section, the A817 Glen Fruin “Haul Road”, which goes east to meet the A82 beside Loch Lomond.
Those two sections are public roads and not subject to annual closures.
An MoD spokesperson said: “The section of the road from the roundabout junction north of Garelochhead [to Coulport] is still owned by the MoD but open to the public.
“It is closed from 0800 on New Years Day (Jan 1) until 0800 on 2 January to prevent it becoming a public right of way.
“MoD Police usually manage access and there is sign explaining that the road is owned by MoD at one of the roundabouts. There are alternative routes used during this time.”
Duncan Macknight, research officer at the Scottish Roads Archive, who discussed the road on its Scottish Roadscast podcast, said: “The Coulport Northern Access Road is a very interesting piece of Scotland’s road network.
“Despite being privately owned and maintained, it was designed and built to a very high standards giving it the feel of a modern, high speed single carriageway.
“For this reason it stands apart from many other roads locally, including even the A82 at Loch Lomond.
“It’s well worth a drive and offers stunning views of the surrounding countryside.”
The road was opened first from Garelochhead to Peaton Hill in 1987, then to Coulport the following year, where it links to the B833 round the rest of the peninsula, which provides an alternative route to Garelochhead when it is closed.
At the opening ceremony, Gordon Duguid, director of works at the UK Government’s Property Services Agency, which was in charge of the project, said the road was “very good news” for local people as it “provides a welcome relief from MoD traffic travelling to Coulport as well as an excellent new route to Garelochhead and Helensburgh.”
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