Description of local environment

Air quality

There are no Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs) within 10km of the scheme extent.

There are no registered sites on the Scottish Pollutant Release Inventory (SPRI) located within 10km of the scheme.

There are no Air Quality Monitoring Stations (AQMS) located within 10km of the scheme extent. 

Baseline air quality is likely to be primarily influenced by traffic along the A82 and A828. Secondary sources are likely to be derived by nearby land management activities and urban activities associated with nearby settlements.

Cultural heritage

There are no features of cultural heritage significance, such as World Heritage Sites, Scheduled Monuments, Gardens and Designed Landscapes, Battlefields, Listed Buildings or Conservation Areas, within 300m of the scheme (PastMap).

Of lesser cultural heritage significance, there is one National Record of the Historic Environment (NRHE), ‘Ballachulish Ferry Station (105466)’ located 260m south-west of the scheme (PastMap).

The works are confined to the trunk road boundary. As such, construction of the A82/A828 is likely to have removed any archaeological remains that may have been present within the area and as such ‘cultural heritage’ is scoped out and is not discussed further within this RoD.

Landscape and visual effects

The scheme is located wholly within the Ben Nevis and Glen Coe National Scenic Area (NSA) (Site ID: 9120) which is designated for the following special qualities:

  • A land of mountain grandeur
  • A land of classic highland vistas
  • Human settlement dwarfed by mountain and moorland
  • The expansive Moor of Rannoch
  • The spectacular drama of Glen Coe
  • The wooded strath of lower Glen Coe
  • The narrow and enclosed Loch Leven
  • The impressive massif of Ben Nevis
  • The wild Mamores and secretive Glen Nevis
  • The fjord-like upper Loch Leven
  • Long and green Glen Etive
  • The dark heritage

The scheme does not lie within a National Park (NP) or any other site designated for its landscape character and quality (NatureScot).

The Landscape Character Type (LCT) at the scheme extent is ‘234 - Lochs with Settled Edges’. The LCT is characterised by the following:

  • Flat landscape contained between steep loch sides and open water.
  • Extensive agriculture and settlement confined within a narrow lochside fringe, whose foreshore is subject to tidal influence.
  • Loch heads and river mouths that permit more extensive farming and built development, including housing and small industrial estates.
  • Communications confined to narrow loch edges where shingly beaches, rocky headlands, wooded banks and marshy platforms form a diverse water's edge.
  • Extensive tracts of oak-birch woodland climbing from the lochside up into the foothills, often engulfing the settled edge and providing an enclosed microlandscape.
  • Dense commercial forests descend to loch shore in some locations.
  • Occasional policy grounds of big houses along the loch edge give rise to a proliferation of rhododendron and other ornamentals in some places, providing a lush and sheltered character.
  • Linearly arranged crofting communities with vivid green croft fields contrast with the more subdued duller colours of surrounding hills.

The scheme is located on a stretch of the A82/A828, including a roundabout between the small settlements of Ballachulish and South Ballachulish. Loch Leven provides a dominant, intervening landscape feature to the north; separating Ballachulish and South Ballachulish, with North Ballachulish. Loch Linnhe provides a dominant, coastal habitat feature to the west, with the A82 and A828 trunk roads dominant landscape features, alongside scattered settlements.

Land use surrounding the scheme extent is classified as (HLA Map):

  • Plantation
  • Rectilinear fields and farms
  • Rough grazing
  • Urban area

The A82 trunk road connects Alexandria with Crianlarich, Fort William and Inverness. It commences immediately north of Tullichewan Roundabout in Alexandria leading generally northwards for a distance of 243 kilometres to its junction with the A9 at (but excluding) Longman Roundabout in Inverness. The A82 is predominantly single carriageway along its length, with some lengths of ‘2+1’ carriageway. The A82 is single carriageway at the scheme extent.

The A828 trunk road connects Connel with South Ballachulish. It commences at the A828 / A85 junction in Connel leading generally north-eastwards for a distance of 51 kilometres to its junction with the A82 in South Ballachulish. The A828 is a single carriageway along its length. 

Biodiversity

A desktop study using NatureScot SiteLink noted the following European sites within 2km of the scheme extents:

  • Glen Etive and Glen Fyne Special Protection Area (SPA) (NatureScot Site Code 10113). This SPA is located 370m southeast of the scheme.
  • Onich to North Ballachulish Woods Special Area of Conservation (SAC) (NatureScot Site Code 8637). The SAC is located 1.2km north of the scheme.

Due to ecological connectivity with the above SPA, a Habitats Regulations Appraisal (HRA) Proforma has been completed. Refer to the Biodiversity Impacts and Mitigation section below for further details.

There are no other local or national sites designated for biodiversity features (e.g. Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)s, local or national nature reserves) located within 300m of the scheme (SiteLink).

As listed on the Ancient Woodland Inventory (AWI), there is one area of woodland listed as ‘ancient (of semi-natural origin)’ located approximately 150m east of the scheme.

There are no areas of trees covered by a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) by Highland Council within 300m of the scheme extent.

The National Biodiversity Network (NBN) Atlas holds several records of bird species within 2km of the scheme (the search criteria included only records during the past ten years, and which have open-use attributions (OGL-CC0-CC-BY). Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended), all wild birds and their active nests are protected, with certain species receiving additional protections.

The NBN Atlas holds the following records of injurious weeds and invasive non-native species (INNS) of plants (as denoted by *) (as listed in the Network Management Contract (NMC)) under the same search criteria:

  • Broad leaved dock (Rumex obtusifolius)
  • Common ragwort (Jacobaea vulgaris)
  • Creeping thistle (Cirsium arvense)
  • Curled dock (Rumex crispus)
  • Rhododendron (Rhododendron ponticum) *
  • Spear thistle (Cirsium vulgare)

A search using Transport Scotland’s Asset Management Performance System (AMPS) found two records of the injurious weed, rosebay willowherb (Chamerion angustifolium) on the A828 within 300m of the scheme.

Habitat in the surrounding area is comprised of forestry plantation and mixed woodland; arable land; marine and coastal habitat; and scattered urban settlements.

Due to restriction to the A828/A82 trunk road boundary, and given the localised and short duration of the works, the potential for impacts to the surrounding environment and protected/notable species identified within the desktop study are considered to be negligible and a site visit as part of this assessment has been deemed unnecessary.

Geology and soils

The scheme does not lie within a Geological Review Site (GCRS) or SSSI designated for geological features (NatureScot).

Component soils around the scheme extent are described as humus-iron podzols. Parent materials are described as fluvioglacial and raised beach sands and gravels derived from acid rocks (Scotland’s Soils).

Soils around the scheme extent are Class 0 mineral soils and peatland habitats are not typically found on such soils (Carbon and Peatland 2016 Map).

Bedrock geology at the scheme extent is described as ‘Ballachulish Pluton’, which is a Dioritic rock type. Superficial deposits are ‘Raised Marine Deposits’, which are of the Devensian period and comprised of gravel, sand and silt (Scottish Geology Trust).

Material assets and waste

The proposed works are required to resurface the worn carriageway and reinstate road markings. Materials used will consist of:

  • Asphaltic material
  • Thermoplastic road marking paint
  • Bituminous emulsion bond coat
  • Milled in road studs.

Wastes are anticipated to be primarily planings from the carriageway surface course. All road planings will be treated in line with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) Low Risk Waste Activity (LRWA) 3 and will be recycled in line with SEPA’s Guidance for End-of-Waste for Recycled Aggregates (WAS-G-DEF-05). Coal tar has not been highlighted as being present within the scheme.

Any ditching waste remaining on-site will follow the SEPA LRWA 9, details of which will be listed below.

As the value of the scheme does not exceed £350,000, a Site Waste Management Plan (SWMP) is not required for these works.

Noise and vibration

For residential, community and commercial receptors refer to the ‘Population and Human Health’ section below.

The works do not fall within a Candidate Noise Management Area (CNMA) as defined by Transport Scotland’s Transportation Noise Action Plan (TNAP) 2024-2028.

The average evening, day and night time (LDEN) noise level at the scheme extent is between 66-70dB (SpatialData.gov.scot).

Baseline noise levels are likely to be primarily influenced by traffic travelling along the A82 and A828. Secondary sources are likely derived from nearby land management and forestry activities; and activities associated with nearby urban settlements.

Population and human health

The scheme is located on a stretch of the A82/A828, including a roundabout between the small settlements of Ballachulish and South Ballachulish. There are approximately seven residential properties located within 300m of the scheme; the closest of these lies 155m west of the scheme, with acoustic and visual screening present in the form of a narrow tree shelterbelt.

The A82/A828 roundabout has three exits, continuing along the A82 and leading onto the start of the A828. There is one layby located 45m east of the scheme adjacent to the eastbound (EB) carriageway of the A82. There is one layby adjacent to the northbound (NB) carriageway 50m north of the scheme on the A828.

There is one pedestrian footway adjacent to the A82 EB carriageway throughout the scheme extent. This forms part of the ‘Kentallen-Ballachulish Bridge- Glencoe Village’ Core Path. The ‘St Johns- Gleann a Chaolais’ Core Path also lies 150m south of the scheme, which also forms part of the ‘Beinn a’ Bheithir via Schoolhouse Ridge’ walking route (as designated by Walk Highlands).

There are no National Cycle Routes in proximity to the scheme extent.

Transport Scotland’s manual data counter (Site ID: 000000001326) located 150m west of the scheme on the A82, recorded an annual daily total (ADT) of 6,692 motor vehicles in 2025, of which 9.5% were heavy goods vehicles (HGVs).

TM will involve full road closure with regular amnesties.

Road drainage and the water environment

Loch Leven (ID: 200080) is a coastal waterbody in the Scotland river basin district. It is 8.5 square kilometres in area and lies 170m north of the scheme. In 2024, it was assigned ‘Good Ecological Potential’ by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) under the Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC (WFD) (SEPA).

The scheme and surrounding area are underpinned by the Kinlochleven groundwater (ID: 150684) which is 663.4 square kilometres in area. In 2024, it was assigned ‘Good Ecological Potential’ by SEPA under the WFD (SEPA).

There are several other unclassified water bodies, drains and culverts within 300m of the scheme.

SEPA Flood Map has indicated that there is no risk of coastal, river or surface water flooding within the scheme extent. However, there are small patches of low- to high-risk surface water flooding areas adjacent to the A82 within the scheme extent (i.e. a 0.1-10% chance of flooding each year).

Climate

The Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 (‘The Act’), and its subsequent amendment under the Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) (Scotland) Act 2019, sets the framework for the Scottish Government to address climate change. The Act has an ambitious target to reach Net Zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045, with any residual emissions balanced by removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This is five years earlier than the rest of the UK due to the greater potential for carbon sequestration in Scotland.

The Act was amended to replace interim targets with carbon budgets. Carbon budgets are legally binding caps on greenhouse gas emissions in Scotland over five-year periods. In line with the Act, the Climate Change Committee (CCC) published advice on the level of Scotland’s four carbon budgets, covering the period 2026 to 2045, recommending what the Scottish Government sets its carbon budgets at for annual average levels of emissions. These recommendations are based on an ambitious but credible route to Net Zero for Scotland by 2045.

Emissions reductions from surface transport are the largest contribution to meeting the first two carbon budgets. The pathway for surface transport emission reduction is primarily driven by the uptake of electric vehicles, in addition to measures to enable a shift from car use to public transport and active travel, which all play a role in reducing emissions from fossil fuel cars. Ensuring efficiency of existing transport infrastructure and improving/providing new active travel facilities is therefore important to support these carbon reduction budgets.

Transport is the largest contributor to harmful climate emissions in Scotland. In response to the climate emergency, Transport Scotland are committed to reducing their emissions by 75% by 2030 and to the above noted legally binding target of net-zero by 2045. Transport Scotland is committed to reducing carbon across Scotland’s transport network and this commitment is being enacted through the Mission Zero for Transport (Mission Zero for transport | Transport Scotland).