Description of local environment

Air quality

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

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

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

Due to the rural location of the works, baseline air quality is likely to be primarily influenced by traffic travelling along the A85. Secondary releases are likely delivered by land management within the wider area.

Cultural heritage

The following minor cultural heritage features are recorded within 300m of the scheme extents (PastMap):

  • Two National Records of Historic Environment (NRHE), the closest of which is ‘Benmore Farm, Glen Dochart, Lime Kiln; (Reference 163121) located approximately 120m west of the scheme extent.
  • Eight Historic Environment Records (HERs), the closest of which is ‘Benmore Shieling’ (Reference 69171) located approximately 60m south of the scheme extent.

There are no Conservation Areas, Battlefields, World Heritage Sites, Garden and Designed Landscapes, Listed Buildings or Scheduled Monuments within 300m of the scheme extent.

Landscape and visual effects

The scheme is located within the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park (Site ID: 8621) which has the following Special General Qualities:

  • A world-renowned landscape farmed for its rural beauty
  • Wild and rugged highlands contrasting with pastoral lowlands
  • Water in its many forms
  • The rich variety of woodlands
  • Settlements nestled within a vast natural backdrop
  • Famous through-routes
  • Tranquillity
  • The easily accessible landscape splendour

The scheme is located on a rural stretch of the A85, northeast of Crianlarich. The surrounding land is dominated by arable land, grazing pastures, scattered residential and farming settlements, mixed woodland and mountain summits.

The A85 trunk road is the dominant landscape feature. Landscape Character Type for the scheme is listed as ‘Straths and Glens’ (LCT 253) which has the following key characteristics:

  • Broad u-shaped glens and straths with wide flat floodplains.
  • Lower side slopes often rolling and complex with hummocky moraine and rocky outcrops.
  • Many glen and strath sides are forested, predominantly with spruce, on upper slopes. Some of these forests occasionally extend across strath and glen floors. Scattered trees and remnants of native woodland are found along the edges of burns.
  • Rivers are prominent in open floodplains, often contained by flood barriers and levees. Less modified stretches of river feature pools, gravel beds and waterfalls.
  • Riparian woodlands trace the course of rivers and their tributaries.
  • Better drained strath and glen floors are farmed with improved pastures. Occasional small regular-shaped plantations and shelter belts pattern hill slopes and valley floors.
  • Mixed policy woodlands and avenues of trees line access tracks in places.
  • Settlements and farms are located on lower side slopes, raised above the floodplain, and often tucked between knolls. Settlements tend to be sited at bridging points or at the junction with side glens.
  • Road and rail transport corridors follow the edges of strath and glen floors.
  • Pylons and low voltage overhead power lines are highly visible features across open glen floors.
  • Open strath and glen floors allow views along and across the traditional farmed landscapes, attractive river landscapes and lochs, as well as the dramatic Highland setting of the surrounding rugged slopes and mountain summits.

Land use within 300m of the scheme extents is classified as rectilinear fields and farms, managed woodland, rough grazing, and plantation (HLAMap).

The A85 trunk road, within the North West Network Management Contract (NMC), connects Perth with Crianlarich and Tyndrum to Oban. The Perth to Crianlarich section commences at the Crieff Road Roundabout within Perth (including the roundabout) leading generally westwards for 81 kilometres to (but excluding) the A85 / A82 Crianlarich Roundabout. The Tyndrum to Oban section commences at the A82 / A85 Tyndrum junction leading generally westwards for 57 kilometres to its junction with the A816 within Oban (excluding the roundabout at Argyll Square). The A85 is a single carriageway along its length.

Biodiversity

The scheme lies approximately 350m southwest of the River Tay Special Area of Conservation (SAC) (Site ID: 8366).

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

There are no locally or nationally designated sites for biodiversity such as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), National Nature Reserves (NNR) or Local Nature Reserves (LNRs) within 300m of the scheme (SiteLink).

Numerous bird species were recorded on the National Biodiversity Network Atlas (NBN Atlas) within 2km of the scheme during the last ten-year period. Only records with attributions CC-BY, OGL and CC0 (open use) were included in the search criteria. Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended), all wild birds and their active nests are protected.

Under the same search criteria, the NBN Atlas holds no records of injurious weeds or invasive non-native species (INNS).

The Transport Scotland’s Asset Management Performance System (AMPS) identified one record of rosebay willowherb (Chamaenerion angustifolium), an invasive native species of plants, within the verge of the A85 at the scheme extents.

The surrounding land is dominated by arable land; grazing pastures; forestry plantations; scattered residential and farming settlements; and freshwater habitat.

There are no ancient woodlands (Ancient Woodland Inventory) within 300m of the scheme.

There are no Tree Preservation Orders (TPOs) present within 300m of the scheme (LLTNP).

A site visit was undertaken in October 2025 by the BEAR Scotland NW Environmental Team to assess ecological constraints.

Geology and soils

Bedrock geology (BGS Geology Viewer) within the scheme consists of Ben Ledi Grit Formation – psammite and semipelite.

Superficial geology (BGS Geology Viewer) within the scheme consists of:

  • Alluvium and River Terrace Deposits – gravel, sand, silt and clay
  • Peat – peat

Soils within the scheme extent comprise of humus-iron podzols with mineral alluvial soils with peaty alluvial soils (Scotland's Soils).

Soils within the scheme extent are recorded as being ‘Class 0’, associated with mineral soils and peatland habitats are not typically found on such soils (Carbon and Peatland Map). There are no Geological Conservation Review Sites (GCRSs) or geological SSSIs within 300m of the scheme (SiteLink).

Note: Peat is recorded within the scheme extent on BGS Geology Viewer, however the Carbon and Peatland Map (2016) notes that soil type is ‘Class 0 – no peatland habitat’. Peat presence will be confirmed following GI works.

Material assets and waste

The proposed works are required in advance of the creation of a new layby to provide safe parking for motorists.

The works will require delivery of materials to carry out the tree felling and GI works. Wastes are anticipated to be primarily vegetation, soils, rock and wood.

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

Noise modelled data from Environmental Noise Directive (END) Round 4 Noise Mapping indicates 24-hour annual average noise levels (Lden) between 72 and 75dB on the A85 at the scheme location (SpatialData).

The scheme does not fall within a Candidate Noise Management Area (CNMA) as defined by the Transportation Noise Action Plan (TNAP) (Transportation Noise Action Plan 2024-2028).

Given the rural nature found within the scheme, it is considered likely that the baseline noise levels will be low, with noise mainly influenced by vehicles travelling along the A85.

Population and human health

There are approximately three residential/farming properties within 300m of the scheme. The closest of which lies 140m from the scheme with little to no roadside verge screening provided. Access to this property is on the A85 westbound carriageway outwith the scheme extent. There are no access roads, paved footpaths or bus stops located within the scheme extent.

There is a layby on the A85 westbound carriageway within the scheme extent which is a popular parking location for hillwalkers.

According to the Scottish Road Works Commissioner there are no other works scheduled within 300m of the scheme (Scottish Road Works).

There are no National Cycle Network (NCN) routes (OS Maps) located within 300m of the scheme.

A section of the Ben More and Stob Binnein walking trail is located within the scheme (WalkHighlands) and utilises the verges of the A85 within the scheme.

Transport Scotland’s manual data counter (site number ATC06001) located 3km west of the scheme, recorded an annual daily total (ADT) of 3,736 motor vehicles in 2025, of which 10.6% were heavy goods vehicles (HGVs).

Traffic management is anticipated to be lane closures facilitated by two-way traffic lights.

Road drainage and the water environment

‘Killin, Aberfeldy and Angus Glens’ (ID 150699) is a groundwater body in the Scotland river basin district, which underlies the scheme. It was awarded an overall status of ‘good’ in 2024 by Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) under the Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC (WFD) (Water Classification Hub).

Small unclassified surface waterbodies and/or culverted drainage channels that flow below and within proximity of the A85 are present within 300m of the scheme. These flow into the River Dochart and ultimately flow into Loch Iubhair.

Loch Iubhair is a lake (ID 100248) in the River Tay catchment of the Scotland river basin which lies 250m northeast of the scheme. It was awarded an overall status of ‘moderate’ in 2024 by Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) under the Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC (WFD) (Water Classification Hub).

SEPA Flood Map indicates small sections of low to high risk of surface water and small watercourse flooding on the A85 within the scheme extent (i.e. a 0.1-10% change 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).