A85 road explained

Country:GBR
Type:A
Route:85
Image Notes:The A85 following Loch Earn near St Fillans
Map Custom:yes
Direction A:West
Terminus A:Oban
Direction B:East
Terminus B:Dundee
Junction:











Destinations:Oban, Crianlarich, Lochearnhead, Perth
Previous Type:A
Previous Route:84
Next Type:A
Next Route:86

The A85 is a major road in Scotland. It runs east from Oban along the south bank of Loch Etive, through Lochawe and Tyndrum, Crianlarich, Lochearnhead, St Fillans and Crieff before passing through Perth, where it crosses the River Tay via Perth Bridge (West Bridge Street) to Bridgend. Its name between Crieff and Perth is the Crieff Road. It then runs concurrently with the A90 to the Swallow Roundabout, before diverging to follow the Invergowrie Bypass, Riverside Avenue and Riverside Drive before terminating in Dundee city centre.

The A90 road from Perth to Dundee was previously numbered A85;[1] on opening of an upgraded A94 to Aberdeen the A90 number was continued across the Friarton Bridge (previously M85) and on to the A85 route, then from Swallow Roundabout to Aberdeen. The Perth-Dundee stretch was formerly part of the Euroroute system, of route E120 which ran in a circular route between Inverness, Aberdeen, Dundee and Perth.[2]

Between Tyndrum and Crianlarich the road runs concurrently with the A82, where it merges with the main north–south road. Parts follow an old military road. In Oban, it connects with the A816 road.[3]

Some statistics seem to show that the stretch of the A85 between Oban and Tyndrum is among the ten most dangerous roads in Scotland.[4]

Notes and References

  1. News: Giles. Graeme. 18 January 1994. End of the road for the M85 motorway. Perthshire Advertiser. 14 April 2021.
  2. OS Metric Landranger 1970 and 2010 editions.
  3. https://www.geograph.org.uk/snippet/11034 The A816
  4. Web site: SCOTLAND | Danger road report 'misleading' . BBC News . 18 February 2002 . 15 June 2012.