Across the North West of Scotland, the trunk road network was affected by the heavy rain that fell this weekend, with the Argyll area seeing a month’s worth of rainfall, around 160mm, fall over 36 hours.

The rain caused seven landslides to reach the A83, four to be caught in debris pits, nets and bunds and numerous small scale slips which did not reach the road.

The clear-up operation has continued apace, with BEAR Scotland teams, working with local contractors and partners, operating whenever it is safe to do so. So far some 12,000 Tonnes of material have been removed from the road and BEAR is now clearing verges to make them safe and re-establish drainage. Material caught in two bunds at Glenkinglas is being removed to help re-establish drainage paths, ensuring the hillside remains stable. This has also progressed well with the vast majority of material now clear over the 3 mile section at Glen Kinglas, a mile west of Rest and be Thankful.

Geotechnical engineers have meticulously inspected the surrounding hillsides, using drones and personnel on the hills wherever possible. Currently, the A83 Ardgartan to Inveraray section is closed. This will continue overnight tonight (10 October) until the Met Office Yellow warning for further rain has passed, to allow for assessments tomorrow morning. A decision will be made following these inspections and an update will be provided.

The following landslides occurred. Seven reached the road, and four were captured in pits and nets.

• One small landslide at the Rest and be Thankful. Debris reached the road and was cleared.
• Two further landslides at the Rest and be Thankful. Debris was captured in the debris net and debris pit.
• Four landslides at Glen Kinglas. Debris reached the road and has been cleared.
• Two small landslides at Glen Kinglas which were captured in the debris bund.
• Two very substantial landslides on the A83 at the A815 Dunoon junction. The debris which reached the road has been cleared.

Elsewhere on the trunk road network:

• The A85 at Methven was closed due to flooding, reopening on the morning of Tuesday 10 October when the water receded.
• The A9 at the Pitlochry Northbound off-slip to the A924 was reduced to a single lane due to riverbank erosion near the A9 River Tummel Bridge. An emergency repair project is beginning on the evening of 10 October and will continue for up to two weeks.

On the local road network near to the A83:

• Argyll and Bute Council are continuing to deal with a landslide on the A815 near the A83 and are making good progress.
• Argyll and Bute Council have also confirmed that the B828 will remain closed presently due to flood damage to the road.

Ian Stewart, BEAR Scotland’s North West Representative, said, “Our teams have worked at pace, whenever it was deemed safe, to clear the roads and return full access to residents of Argyll. The operation has been very successful, however the Yellow warning for rain is still in place and for safety reasons, the A83 will remain closed today.

“We understand that access in and out of Argyll is vital for local communities, and we will provide an update tomorrow once the rain has passed.”

Drone footage of the clear up operation on the A83 can be seen here: A83 drone footage – 4