That’s 8 hrs to the channel ports + ferry + 4 hours minimum in the UK = at least 18 hrs door-to-door, assuming there are no French fishermen pulling their usual trick….

On the up side, we can get to Turin, Geneva and Marseille, all within 2 1/2 hours.

So after the delays caused by the improvement work, what happens? They reduce the limit from 40 to 30mph - this being the same limit as the residential access road next to it. There are no pedestrians, no buildings and no flat junctions. Apart from rush hours, the motorway goes along quite nicely at its 60mph limit just north of here, and the traffic lights at the end of the road are well signed and very obvious. Why change a speed limit to make a narrow residential road as viable a route for traffic as the dual carriageway?

For that matter, why put full-time traffic lights on a roundabout interchange (J3) when they’re only needed for about 20 hours a week?

But what a novel and esoteric idea. And yet, somehow, so obvious. Why has nobody discussed it before?

However, I approach the issue of distances from the other side of the coin. As a Canadian, 48 miles (or as we call it (approx) 75 kilometres!) is not a very long distance, given the fact that to drive from one from one major city to another (i.e. Ottawa to Montreal) is about 200 km along a motorway with few settlements enroute and precious little scenery other than forests and farms.

In a country the size of ours, driving long distances is the rule rather than the exception. Weekend driving excursions of 600-800 km (round trip, of course!) are quite common among my friends, and I also make the 1400+ km drive from Ottawa to Halifax, Nova Scotia at least once a year in order to visit family. (I can do it in one lengthy day, by sharing the driving with one other lucky person!)

As such, I found it most relaxing to go driving in Scotland, where our daily drives were never more than four hours or so (not including ferries, meal stops or sightseeing breaks). I look forward to returning in a few years to further explore the rest of Scotland!

Cheers!

Justin

According to my copy of ‘Civil Engineering Heritage - Scottish Highlands and Islands’ published by Thomas Telford (linked to the Institution of Civil Engineers, and involving RCAHMS: Royal Commission on Ancient & Historical Monuments of Scotland) - a very readable book and part of a UK wide series available from the Civils in London (confession time - I’m a member!) - the bridge over the Etive was designed by McGregor, Sutherland and Hunt, and built by tawse for £3352 in 1931-32. It’s hard to imagine that the second bridge wasn’t by the same team. The whole job was part of an unemployment relief scheme costing £512 000, building just over 30 miles of road across Rannoch Moor and down into Glencoe.

I can see why Owen Williams came to mind; what I find interesting is that some of his early M1 bridges have been refurbished and the solid parapet replaced with conventional railings - this has the effect of changing the profile from being v clunky to actually quite light, especially considering they’re reinforced concrete as opposed to pre-stressed concrete. Let’s hope at least one of the original design can be preserved/listed.

And finally - I always like the sign on the A9 outside Inverness which says ‘The North’. Oh, sorry, I obviously haven’t been paying attention…..!

Rgds

David Gartside