- Britain’s quietest road has more seals than vehicles, report says
- Stunning, pollution-free driving awaits drivers on the Isle of Bute A844
With the proliferation of automobiles these days, the once peaceful Sunday stroll is almost a thing of the past.
However, there is one Scottish road where you are much more likely to see a seal than a Seat, a Skoda or a Subaru.
The quietest route is the A844 on the Isle of Bute, considered the quietest in Britain.
Department of Transport traffic figures show that a five-mile stretch of road passing through Scalpsie Bay has an average of 77 vehicles on each side daily, just over three per hour.
A leisurely Sunday stroll may be a thing of the past in most of mainland Scotland, but this five-mile stretch on the Isle of Bute sees an average of fewer than 100 cars a day.
On Britain’s road less travelled, enjoy spectacular views, including beautiful Scalspie Bay and its seal population.
By contrast, Britain’s busiest road, the M25 motorway, carries 2,600 times more traffic on any given day than the quiet A844.
In fact, the small number of vehicles recorded is 2,600 times less than the traffic on the M25 motorway, Britain’s busiest road.
The M25, which encircles Greater London, has two-way traffic flows of more than 200,000 vehicles a day on its busiest stretches.
By contrast, the A844 even has an elevated viewing platform where drivers can stop to watch the colony of 200 gray seals in Scalpsie Bay.
And the road has plenty of company when it comes to quiet drives, with Britain’s ten quietest A-roads all found in remote parts of Scotland.
In second place, with 88 vehicles a day, is a 34-mile stretch of the A838 near Lairg in the Highlands.
Despite being classified as an A road, it is single track with exclusive places to pass and offering stunning views of remote mountains and lakes.
Meanwhile, Bute has a population of just over 6,000 people. The study was carried out by Jeep UK and the company’s managing director Kris Cholmondeley said: “With more than 40 million vehicles currently on the UK’s roads, most places are more congested than ever.”
“But our research shows that it is still possible to enjoy wonderfully quiet stretches of road that showcase some of the most picturesque places in the country.”
