Rest and Be Thankful: A83, A82 and A84 road status
A83, A82, A84 and A85: closures, diversions and what to check
The Rest and Be Thankful is the pass on the A83 through Glen Croe, between Arrochar and Inveraray. It closes when landslips threaten the road. Traffic then uses the single-track Old Military Road under convoy, which takes about 15 to 20 minutes, and in the worst case a long diversion by the A82, A85 and A819. Check the live list below before you travel.
- On the OMR
- 15–20 min
- On the A83
- 3–6 min
- Usual detour
- 30 miles
- Worst detour
- 60 miles
Is the Rest and Be Thankful open?
This page cannot say whether it is open this minute, but the live list below can. It is refreshed from Traffic Scotland every 30 minutes and shows trunk roads only (the A82, A83, A84 and A85), so a minor road or a council road will not appear. Read it, then check [Traffic Scotland](https://trafficscotland.org/) before you leave. BEAR Scotland advises using the Traffic Scotland website or app rather than relying only on a satnav.
The Rest and Be Thankful is a mountain pass on the A83 in Glen Croe, Argyll. Heavy rain and snowmelt loosen the hillside above the road, and landslips can follow after a long wet spell. Closing the A83 is how the road managers keep drivers out of the way of falling mud and rocks.
The name comes from the 18th century. A stone at the summit records that soldiers of the 24th Regiment finished the military road there in 1748 and set up a bench with the words inscribed. That old road is now the diversion.
Most visitors to the loch never need the A83. It matters if you are driving on from Arrochar or Tarbet towards Inveraray and the west coast. For a trip that stays on the A82 and the shore villages, the A82 row in the table below is the one to check.
Road status now: A82, A83, A84 and A85
Live from Traffic Scotland and refreshed every 30 minutes. The list covers trunk roads only.
A83 Rest and Be Thankful: open, with temporary traffic lights (both directions).
Now
- A83 A83 Butterbridge North of Cairndow: Speed Restriction (both directions) until Thu 31 Dec 23:59
- A83 A83 Rest and Be Thankful: temporary traffic lights (both directions) until Sun 30 May 19:00
- A82 A82 Arden: temporary traffic lights (both directions) until Mon 26 Oct 07:00
- A82 A82 northbound Erskine to Stoneymollan Mobile Lane Closures until Sat 31 Oct 06:00
- A82 A82 southbound Stoneymollan to Erskine Mobile Lane Closures until Sat 31 Oct 06:00
- A83 A83 Arrochar: emergency temporary traffic lights (both directions) until Fri 16 Oct 23:59
- A84 A84 Straid House North of Drumvaich: Layby Closure (both directions) until Fri 6 Nov 16:00
- A84 A84 Drumviach South of Callander: Layby Closure (both directions) until Tue 20 Oct 16:00
- A84 A84 Lochearnhead to Edinchip: Diversion Signage (both directions) until Fri 16 Oct 16:00
- A84 A84 Leny Fues Callander: Stop/Go Works (both directions) until Thu 15 Oct 19:00
- A84 A84 Drumvaich to Buchany North of Doune: Stop/Go Works (both directions) until Wed 14 Oct 19:00
- A84 A84 Keltie Bridge South of Callander: Stop/Go Works (both directions) until Tue 13 Oct 19:00
- A85 A85 Allt An Deabhtaich Glenogle: temporary traffic lights (both directions) until Fri 5 Feb 19:00
- A85 A85 St Fillans: Convoy Works until Wed 28 Oct 06:00
- A85 A85 Lochearnhead to St Fillans: Diversion Signage (both directions) until Fri 16 Oct 16:00
- A85 A85 Crianlarich: temporary traffic lights (both directions) until Fri 23 Oct 16:30
- A85 A85 St Fillans: temporary traffic lights (both directions) until Fri 16 Oct 19:00
Planned in the next 14 days
No new roadworks planned on these roads in the next two weeks.
Source: Traffic Scotland (trunk roads only; council roads such as the B837 to Rowardennan are not included). Updated Tue 13 Oct, 17:00.
Which road, and what can stop you
These are the roads people search for before a Loch Lomond trip. The live list near the top of the page is the source for today's closures; this table explains what each road is and what usually causes trouble.
| Road | Where | What can stop you | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|
| A83 Rest and Be Thankful | Glen Croe, between Arrochar and Inveraray | Landslips after heavy rain or snowmelt, and works on the hillside. Traffic signals and a 30mph limit have been used during works. | Check live status first. If it is shut, expect the Old Military Road. |
| Old Military Road (OMR) | Single-track road beside the A83 in Glen Croe | Run as a convoy, so you wait for your turn. It takes about 15 to 20 minutes against 3 to 6 on the A83, and longer when busy. | Allow extra time and keep fuel in the tank. It closes in the worst weather. |
| Long diversion (A82, A85, A819) | A82 Tarbet to Tyndrum, A85 Tyndrum to Dalmally, A819 Dalmally to Inveraray | Used when the OMR cannot run. Adds around 30 miles for most trips and up to 60 in rare cases. | Decide early whether to wait or go the long way. Check fuel and food stops. |
| A82 west shore | Balloch to Tarbet, then on to Crianlarich | Roadworks, incidents and slow traffic on the road beside the loch. Transport Scotland has an A82 Tarbet to Inverarnan upgrade project in preparation. | Check the live list for A82 roadworks and closures, and allow extra time at weekends. |
| A84 and A85 | Callander, Lochearnhead, and the A85 to Tyndrum and Dalmally | Incidents and roadworks. The A85 is also part of the long A83 diversion, so it can carry extra traffic. | Check the live list if you are heading to Callander, Lochearnhead or Killin. |
Times and distances come from BEAR Scotland and Transport Scotland pages we read on 13 October 2026. Operations change, so use them to plan and the live list to decide.
Before you set off
Check the live list, then Traffic Scotland
Start with the road status list near the top of this page. It shows trunk-road incidents and roadworks for the area. For a trip that depends on the A83, confirm on [Traffic Scotland](https://trafficscotland.org/) too; its Care Line is 0800 028 1414.
Decide whether to wait or reroute
If the A83 is shut and the Old Military Road is running, you join a convoy and the crossing takes about 15 to 20 minutes, longer at busy times. If both are shut, the long route by the A82, A85 and A819 adds around 30 miles for most trips and up to 60 in rare cases. BEAR Scotland gives the long route as 58.8 miles between Tarbet and Inveraray.
Allow time and fuel
Add a buffer to any journey that crosses the pass, and do not start a long diversion on an empty tank. We have not checked fuel stops on the A85 and A819, so fill up in Tarbet, Arrochar or Crianlarich before the long route. BEAR Scotland also mentions Western Ferries as another way to reach Argyll; ask the operator about current sailings.
Check again on the day
Conditions change with the weather. Look at the list again before you leave, and again at your last stop with a signal. Rain on the hills above Glen Croe is the usual trigger for closures.
Good to know
- The live list covers trunk roads only: the A82, A83, A84 and A85. Minor roads and council roads, such as the B-roads in the Trossachs, are not in it.
- Traffic Scotland's A83 page says temporary signals during hillside works have run all day and night with a 30mph limit, and that emergency services and scheduled buses were kept running. Treat that as background, not as today's status.
- Transport Scotland lists the long-term A83 Access to Argyll and Bute project as in preparation, with a medium-term and a long-term solution. Diversions onto the Old Military Road have been used for ground investigation work, so planned diversions can happen in dry weather too.
- Bus passengers should check the operator as well as the road, because routes towards Argyll use the A83. See travel from Glasgow and Edinburgh for the other ways in.
Which roads for which place
Where you are going decides which road to watch.
- Balloch, Luss and the west shoreThe A82 is the road. Check it for roadworks. Luss and the villages to the north sit on it.
- Arrochar, Tarbet and InverarayThe A82 meets the A83 at Tarbet. Going west from Arrochar, the A83 climbs to the Rest and Be Thankful.
- Callander, Lochearnhead and KillinThese sit on the A84 and A85 side of the park. Callander is on the A84, and Lochearnhead is at the western end of Loch Earn.
What the long-term plan means
Transport Scotland is working on a permanent answer for the pass. Its project page lists the work as in preparation and describes both a medium-term and a long-term solution, with draft orders published for each. Until one is built, plan for the pass to close in wet weather.
For the A82, Transport Scotland has a separate project to look at upgrades along the loch between Tarbet and Inverarnan. It is also at the preparation stage on its project page, so do not count on a different road yet. For the rest of your trip, our planning pages cover parking, weather and camping.
Questions people ask
Is the Rest and Be Thankful shut today?
Look at the live road status list on this page, then confirm on Traffic Scotland. The A83 there closes when landslips threaten the road, and traffic then uses the Old Military Road under convoy.
Why is the Rest and Be Thankful called that?
A stone at the summit of the old military road records that soldiers of the 24th Regiment finished the summit section in 1748 and put up a bench with the inscription Rest And Be Thankful.
Where is the Rest and Be Thankful in Scotland?
On the A83 in Glen Croe, Argyll, on the road between Arrochar and Inveraray. It is a mountain pass, not on the loch shore.
What is the Old Military Road at the Rest and Be Thankful?
A single-track road beside the A83 in Glen Croe that is run as a convoy when the main road is shut. It takes about 15 to 20 minutes, against 3 to 6 minutes on the A83.
What is the diversion when the A83 is closed?
The Old Military Road first. If it cannot run, the long diversion uses the A82 from Tarbet to Tyndrum, the A85 to Dalmally and the A819 to Inveraray, adding around 30 miles for most trips and up to 60 in rare cases.
How do I check for an A82 road closure or roadworks?
Use the live list on this page for the A82, A83, A84 and A85, and Traffic Scotland for the full picture. The list covers trunk roads only.