Bealach na Bà
{{Short description|Road in Wester Ross in the Scottish Highlands}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2017}}
File:Bealach na Ba Pano.jpg with the rest of the country until the late 20th century]]
Bealach na Bà ({{IPA|gd|bjal̪ˠəx nə baː|pron}}) is a winding pass through the mountains of the Applecross peninsula, in Wester Ross in the Scottish Highlands. It is traversed by a single track road, which passes through several corries. The road links the village of Applecross on the west coast with Loch Kishorn to the east. The eastern end of the road is the junction with the A896 road at Tornapress, north of the village of Kishorn.{{Cite web |title=Bing Maps (Ordinance Survey layer) |url=https://www.bing.com/maps?FORM=Z9LH2&cp=57.415007~-5.596297&lvl=14.4&style=s |access-date=2025-04-05 |website=Bing Maps |language=en}}
The road over the historic mountain pass was built in 1822 and is engineered similarly to roads through the great mountain passes in the Alps, with very tight hairpin bends that switch back and forth up the hillside and gradients that approach 20%. It has the greatest ascent of any road climb in the United Kingdom, rising from sea level at Applecross to {{convert|630|m|abbr=on}} in about {{convert|6|km|abbr=on}}, and is the third highest mountain pass in Scotland.{{Cite web |date=2024-05-23 |title=Highest and lowest roads revealed {{!}} OS |url=https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/news/highest-and-lowest-roads |access-date=2025-04-07 |website=Ordnance Survey |language=en-GB}}
The name is Scottish Gaelic for Pass of the Cattle, as it was historically used as a drovers' road, driving cattle to markets in Muir of Ord, Falkirk and even as far as London.{{Cite news |last=Campsie |first=Alison |date=2020-01-09 |title=The man who went mad building Scotland's most terrifying mountain road |url=https://www.scotsman.com/heritage-and-retro/heritage/the-man-who-went-mad-building-scotlands-most-terrifying-mountain-road-1397834 |access-date=2025-04-05 |website=The Scotsman |language=en}}
The bealach is considered unsuitable for learner drivers and very large vehicles, and the route is often impassable in winter. According to Country Life, "the single-track, historic drovers' lane travels up, down and around hairpins through the mountains of the remote Applecross peninsula as if they were the Alps and, at Bealach na Bà ('pass of the cattle'), features the steepest ascent of any road in the UK".{{cite web |url=https://www.countrylife.co.uk/nature/bealach-na-ba-on-the-applecross-peninsula-travelling-the-steepest-road-in-britain-222856 |title=Bealach na Bà, on the Applecross peninsula: Travelling the steepest road in Britain |first=Annunciata |last=Elwes |publisher=Country Life |date=21 February 2021 |access-date=17 February 2023}}
History
The route existed as a simple track since the Irish monk St Maelrubha founded a monastery at Applecross. Construction of the road started in May 1818, but the first contactor only lasted three months. John Reid & Son from Edinburgh finally completed the construction in September 1822. The road cost around £4000, or about £0.5m in 2020 prices, but the landowner received a 75% government grant to construct it.
At the start of the 19th century, the pass was used for motorsport events, showcasing the capability of early vehicles. The first car was reportedly driven up the pass in 1904 or 1906.{{Cite web |title=Bealach na Bà |url=https://coast.scot/stories/bealach-na-ba/ |access-date=2025-04-05 |website=Coast that Shaped the World |language=en-US}}
The Bealach na Ba road was unsurfaced rough gravel until the 1950s, making it difficult to clear of snow in the winter, so sometimes for weeks the only transport to Applecross was by Ferry.{{Cite web |title=The Applecross Peninsula Feature Page on Undiscovered Scotland |url=https://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/applecross/peninsula/index.html |access-date=2025-04-05 |website=www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk}} Between 1956 and 1958 the road was upgraded, with the road levelled and surfaced with tarmac, plus three of the hairpin bends at the top were widened.
In 1975, a second road to Applecross opened, following the coast around the north of the peninsula from Shieldaig via Kenmore.
Today, the route is part of the North Coast 500.{{Cite web |date=2024-06-07 |title=The complete guide to The North Coast 500 |url=https://www.lovefromscotland.co.uk/north-coast-500/ |access-date=2025-04-07 |website=Love from Scotland |language=}}
In popular culture
The road featured in the television series Hamish Macbeth (much of which was filmed in nearby Plockton),{{cite web |url=http://www.scotlandthemovie.com/hamish/scen/weejock1.html |title=Coire nan Arr |publisher=ScotlandTheMovie.com |access-date=17 February 2023}} which pictures it having a road sign that indicates: "Narrow road - no more than three sheep abreast". The road was also featured in the 1953 film Laxdale Hall.{{cite web |url=https://peterburnett.info/favourite-movies/853-laxdale-hall-1953 |title=Laxdale Hall 1953 |publisher=Peter Burnett |access-date=17 February 2023}}
Cycling
Since 2006 a pair of cyclosportive cycling events has been staged in the surrounding region, and over the pass. The {{convert|70|km|abbr=on}} Bealach Beag event is held each May,{{cite web |url=http://www.handsonevents.co.uk/bealach-beag/ |title=Bealach Beag |publisher=Hands On Events |access-date=17 February 2023}} and the {{convert|144|km|abbr=on}} Bealach Mòr event is held each September.{{cite web |url=http://www.handsonevents.co.uk/bealach-mor/ |title=Bealach Mor |publisher=Hands On Events |access-date=17 February 2023}}
Climate
Bealach na Bà has a tundra climate (Köppen ET).
{{Weather box
|location = Bealach na Bà, Elevation: {{convert|773|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}, 1991–2020
|metric first = Yes
|single line = Yes
|width = auto
| Jan high C = 2.0
| Feb high C = 1.7
| Mar high C = 2.6
| Apr high C = 5.1
| May high C = 10.0
| Jun high C = 11.7
| Jul high C = 12.9
| Aug high C = 12.6
| Sep high C = 9.3
| Oct high C = 6.6
| Nov high C = 4.0
| Dec high C = 2.4
|year high C = 6.8
| Jan mean C = 0.2
| Feb mean C = -0.1
| Mar mean C = 0.6
| Apr mean C = 2.7
| May mean C = 6.2
| Jun mean C = 8.4
| Jul mean C = 9.9
| Aug mean C = 9.8
| Sep mean C = 7.4
| Oct mean C = 4.7
| Nov mean C = 2.2
| Dec mean C = 0.6
|year mean C =
| Jan low C = -1.7
| Feb low C = -2.0
| Mar low C = -1.4
| Apr low C = 0.3
| May low C = 2.5
| Jun low C = 5.0
| Jul low C = 6.9
| Aug low C = 7.0
| Sep low C = 5.6
| Oct low C = 2.9
| Nov low C = 0.4
| Dec low C = -1.2
|year low C = 2.1
|source = Met Office{{cite web
| url = https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/research/climate/maps-and-data/uk-climate-averages/gf5yws93h
| title = Bealach Na Ba No 2 Climate
| accessdate = 16 October 2023
|publisher = Met Office}}
}}
{{Weather box
|location = Bealach Na Ba No 2 (773 metres asl) 1981–2010
|collapsed =
|metric first = y
|single line = y
|Jan high C = 1.6
|Feb high C = 1.2
|Mar high C = 2.2
|Apr high C = 3.6
|May high C = 6.9
|Jun high C = 9.1
|Jul high C = 10.5
|Aug high C = 10.5
|Sep high C = 8.7
|Oct high C = 6.0
|Nov high C = 3.5
|Dec high C = 2.3
|year high C = 5.5
|Jan low C = -2.1
|Feb low C = -2.4
|Mar low C = -1.5
|Apr low C = -0.4
|May low C = 2.1
|Jun low C = 4.7
|Jul low C = 6.6
|Aug low C = 6.7
|Sep low C = 5.1
|Oct low C = 2.9
|Nov low C = 0.1
|Dec low C = -1.2
|year low C = 1.7
|source 1 = metoffice.gov.uk{{cite web
| url=https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/research/climate/maps-and-data/uk-climate-averages/gf5yws93h
| title=Climate Normals 1981–2010
| publisher=Met Office
| access-date=23 February 2021}}
| date=23 February 2021
}}
References
External links
{{Commons category|Bealach na Bà}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20170107095628/http://www.kishornonline.co.uk/bealach-na-ba.html Bealach na Bà on kishornonline.co.uk] Wayback Machine archive of 7 January 2017
- [http://www.xs4all.nl/~josvg/scot/dundee04/dund0025.html Highlights of Scotland - the Bealach na Bà]
- [http://www.scotlandthemovie.com/movies/laxdale1.html Scotland: the Movie Location Guide -Laxdale Hall, Bealach na Bà]
- [http://www.handsonevents.co.uk Hands on Events - organisers of Bealach na Bà cyclosportive events]
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bealach na Ba}}
Category:Mountain passes of Scotland
Category:Scenic routes in the United Kingdom
Category:Transport in Highland (council area)
{{coord|57|25|58|N|5|45|9|W|type:landmark_region:GB|display=title}}