Highland drivers face doubled journey times during Loch Shin wind farm work road closure

Residents of the north west Highlands fear road closures needed for a wind farm development will force them to make “arduous” detours which will double journey times.

Roadworks to enable construction traffic to access the Sallachy site beside Loch Shin in Sutherland will shut the A838 north of Lairg to all but local traffic.

An 18 tonne limit will be imposed on a bridge over the River Tirry during six weeks of strengthening work from June 15, with lighter vehicles permitted to cross once an hour.

The bridge over the River Tirry on the A838 north of Lairg will be closed for strengthening work to carry wind farm construction traffic | Boralex

In a second phase, to be completed by next March, a 15-mile section of the road and 35 passing places will be widened between the bridge and the north end of the loch.

Highland Council said there would only be “local access” and no through traffic permitted.

That could mean drivers having to travel at least another 30 miles, according to wind farm developer Boralex.

The company said it would increase journeys between Kinlochbervie and Lairg from 53 minutes to one hour 50 minutes.

The A838 section to be closed is marked red with the rest of the route to Kinlochbervie in blue, and alternative routes in purple (via Ledmore) and yellow (via Durness) | Boralex

Kinlochbervie resident Phil Shaw said: “It’s an exceedingly worrying time.

“The populations and businesses of Kinlochbervie, Durness and surrounding villages, all delivery services, as well as tourists will endure an arduous diversion when travelling south.

“The diversions will force all traffic onto the busy North Coast 500 route at a time of peak tourism.

“Businesses will be damaged and the cost and time of the diversionary mileage will have a substantial effect on everyone."

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Rebecca Ridgway, who runs the Ridgway Adventure centre near Kinlochbervie, said: “The children who come here will need to be driven from Lairg and up round Ullapool and it will not only take hours but will increase our costs, which we can't pass on because our customers have paid well in advance.

“With rising costs, it’s hard enough to sustain the business just now, but this poses a serious risk to us - and here has been virtually no notice.”

A 15-mile section of the A838 beside Loch Shin will be widened | Boralex

Christine MacKenzie, general manager of Kinlochbervie Fishselling Co, said: “We are not opposed to the wind farm but we take issue with the lack of understanding of the impact of the project for the population of the north west.”

Ms MacKenzie said diverting up to 20 times a day via Ledmore on the A837 would be unsuitable because it was narrow and winding, with insufficient passing places for articulated lorries.

Meantime, the A835 via Ullapool was even longer and involved steeper gradients which increased fuel use and the road was shut closed more often during the winter.

A Boralex spokesperson said: “Whilst we recognise this work will cause disruption, we are working hard with our contractors to minimise delays wherever possible based on the feedback received from local communities.

“We are using a number of tools to communicate with local people so that they have a clear and accurate picture of what’s going on and can immediately advise us of any issues.

“Ensuring the Tirry Bridge is safe and fit for purpose for years to come is an essential part of our project, but also provides long-term benefits to residents and businesses alike up and down the A838.

“As the work progresses, we will constantly monitor, and adapt where necessary, our approach to managing traffic.”