Road Works and Delays

A contractor is working on the latest round of upgrades to the B8007, the narrow, windy single-track road which is Kilchoan's only land connection to 'civilisation'. It's a daunting task, as the improvements tend to be on the narrowest sections where the road swings round blind corners and traverses sheer slopes. So the machinery - usually a pecker which breaks out the rock - sits in the road, blocking it. Recent contractors have been good at ensuring that motorists aren't held up too long, even though time is wasted moving equipment back and forth along the road instead of getting on with the job.

Normally, it takes about 40 minutes to do the 20 miles into Salen where the B8007 meets the A861, and a further hour or so to make it to Fort William. But the journey into the Fort is further slowed at the moment by the 'Corran', the bigger ferry at the Corran Narrows, being away for a service, so the 'Maid of Glencoul' is doing the job. With the half term holiday, the ferry is busy: this morning there were delays of over half an hour as the boat shuttled from one side to the other. But waiting isn't so bad when you have views like this to enjoy.