Description of local environment

Air quality

No Air Quality Management Areas (AQMA) are located within 10km of the scheme (Air Quality Management Areas).

There are no air quality monitoring sites located within 10km of the scheme (Scottish Air Quality).

No Scottish Pollutant Release Inventory (SPRI) sites (which record air pollutant releases), are within 10km of the scheme (Scottish Pollution Release Inventory).

Due to the location of the works, baseline air quality is likely to be primarily influenced by traffic travelling along the A87 and local roads; with secondary sources likely shaped by land management practices.

Cultural heritage

No Listed Buildings, Scheduled Monuments, Garden and Designed Landscapes, Battlefields, Conservation Areas or World Heritage sites are located within 300m of the scheme (PastMap).

A number of features of lesser cultural value such as Historical Environment Records (HERs) and National Records of the Historic Environment (NRHEs) were identified within 300m of the scheme; with the scheme itself taking place within the boundary of the HER ‘Sconser’, Township (Reference: MHG27772).

Construction of the A87 carriageway is likely to have removed any archaeological remains that may have been present within the carriageway boundary. The potential for the presence of unknown archaeological remains in the study area has therefore been assessed to be negligible.

Landscape and visual effects

The scheme lies within the Cuillins Hills National Scenic Area (NSA) (NatureScot Site code: 9153) which has the following special qualities:

  • Magnificent mountain scenery
  • The contrast and complement of the Black and Red Cuillin
  • The surrounding wild landscape, a fitting foil for the mountains
  • Iconic images of crofting townships with dramatic backdrops
  • The Cuillin Ridge, a landmark throughout the northwest
  • The ever-changing weather
  • A place of inspiration
  • The most challenging mountains in Scotland

The scheme does not lie within any National Parks (NP), National Nature Reserves (NNR) or Local Nature Reserves (LNR) (SiteLink).

Landscape Character Type (LCT) for the scheme is listed as ‘Farmed and Settled Lowlands – Skye & Lochalsh’ (LCT 357 - Farmed and Settled Lowlands - Skye & Lochalsh), which has the following Key Characteristics:

  • Sharp contrast between human activity and small-scale land use patterns, and the surrounding large scale, mainly uninhabited, landscapes.
  • Always found on low lying terrain - coastal shelves, narrow coastal strips, wide, level strath and glen floors and better drained estuarine flats.
  • In rocky moorland and mountainous areas, found on narrow shelves and slopes at the base of rocky or rugged coastal strips with an abrupt, steep and sometimes complex coastal edge.
  • On basalt bedrock on Skye, relief is level, inclined or terraced, incorporating vertical rock faces, tending to become broader and flatter at lower levels.
  • Dominance of improved grass land and relatively intense grazing.
  • Margins of broadleaf woodlands in good soils and sheltered areas mainly relating to estates or sheltered parts of coastal rocky moorland.
  • Mature parkland trees and small plantations provide shelter and enclosure and are associated with rural estates and better soils.
  • Settlements coalesce with each other and surrounding inbye to form ribbons or swathes of green pastures.
  • Green pasture contrasts with surrounding muted colours of rough grass land.
  • Land use is farming, crofting, tourism accommodation and activities, ferry terminals, and small plantations.
  • Larger settlements are active, bustling places, providing facilities for local services and tourism.
  • Variable pattern of settlement, governed largely by historical changes in tenure - the change from run-rig to crofting - landform and soils, and influenced by coastlines, water courses, roads, ferries and bridges.
  • Croft patterns are linear or scattered.
  • Crofts are usually coastal and exposed.
  • Modern settlement boundaries are well defined by fence and dyke lines which mark abrupt changes in grazing intensity.
  • Most settlements retain their historic patterns of development.
  • Clear evidence of historical human land-use in the abandoned field systems and archaeological sites. Many settlements on single track roads with a strong sense of isolation due to their distance from main settlements.

The scheme is located on the A87 in an area that is classed as ‘Crofting Township’ which is defined as ‘Crofting townships of the later 18th and 19th centuries consist of strips of land, each with a dwelling, usually arranged along a road. They are typical of the north and west highlands and islands.’ (HLA Map). 

The A87 Trunk Road connects Invergarry, Kyle of Lochalsh and the Isle of Skye (Portree and Uig). It commences at the A87 / A82 junction at Invergarry leading generally north-westwards for a distance of 160 kilometres to the pier at Uig on the Isle of Skye. The A87 is a single carriageway along its length.

Biodiversity

The Inner Hebrides and the Minches Special Area of Conservation (SAC) (NatureScot Site code: 10508) lies approximately 975m east of the scheme.

The Cuillins Special Protection Area (SPA) (NatureScot Site code: 8610) lies approximately 340m south of the scheme.

Relevant assessment under the Habitats Regulations has been undertaken for the sites noted above; refer to the Description of Main Environmental Impacts and Proposed Mitigation - Biodiversity 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 (LNR) located within 300m of the scheme (SiteLink).

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.

Additionally, the NBN Atlas holds records of following injurious and invasive weeds (as listed in the Network Management Contract (NMC)) under the same search criteria:

  • Common ragwort (Jacobaea vulgaris)
  • Spear thistle (Cirsium vulgare)

Transport Scotland’s Asset Management Performance System (AMPS) holds one record of common ragwort in the verges of the southbound carriageway within the scheme extent.

Habitat in the surrounding area is predominantly crofting land, with open undulating ground to the south of the road and steep embankments with dense shrubbery along the northbound carriageway. To the southbound side, the road runs adjacent to Loch Sligachan.

There is one area of woodland listed on the Ancient Woodland Inventory (AWI) with Wood ID 17593 of Ancient (of seminatural origin) which lies approximately 100m southwest of the scheme at its closest extent.

There are no woodlands listed on the Ancient Woodland Inventory (AWI) or Tree Preservation Order (TPO) as noted by Highland Council within 300m of the scheme (TPO).

Works are restricted to the A87 trunk road boundary and consist solely of like‑for‑like resurfacing within the existing carriageway. No environmental constraints were identified during the desktop study that would require a site visit, and therefore none was undertaken.

Geology and soils

There are no Geological Conservation Review Sites (GCRSs) or Geological SSSI located within 300m of the scheme (SiteLink).

The British Geological Survey online mapping tool records that the bedrock geology within the scheme extents is recorded as:

  • Pabay Shale Formation - Mudstone.
  • North Britain Palaeogene Dyke Suite – Microgranitic rock. 

The mapping tool records no superficial deposits within the scheme extents.

Soils within the scheme are recorded as Humus-iron podzols with brown earths derived from Drifts derived from granites and granitic rocks (Scotland's Soils).

Soils within the scheme extent are recorded as being ‘Class 0’ as displayed on Scotland’s Peat Map. Class 0 are mineral soils where peat is not typically found.

Material assets and waste

The proposed works will entail the resurfacing of the A87 carriageway with material used to consist of:

  • Thin surface course (Cl942 TSC) – 330t
  • Binder course (AC20) – 300t
  • Milled in road studs
  • Thermoplastic road marking paint
  • Bituminous emulsion bond coat

It is expected that the works will produce the following waste materials:

  • Planings; 100% of which are to be recycled/reused off site.
  • Old road studs; disposed of at local waste facility where re-use is not possible.

Noise and vibration

The works do not fall within a Candidate Noise Management Area (CNMA) as defined by the Transportation Noise Action Plan (Road Maps) (TNAP). 

LDEN or ‘day, evening, night average noise levels’ are modelled within the scheme extent. Noise levels are recorded as being between 63 and 70dB on the road within the scheme extent (ScotGov).

Baseline noise levels are likely to be influenced by traffic travelling along the A87 and local roads; with secondary sources likely shaped by land management practices.

Population and human health

The scheme lies within the crofting township of Sconser with several residential properties located within 300m of the scheme. The closest property is situated approximately 5m off the A87 northbound carriageway with minimal visual and acoustic screening present.

Within the scheme extent, there is one layby on the A87 southbound carriageway located at the west extent of the scheme with a small on-street parking area on the opposite carriageway. At the east extent of the scheme, an access road on the northbound side provides access to the majority of houses within the township. There is also a sparsely used field access gate off the southbound carriageway, opposite the residential access road.

There are no non‑motorised user (NMU) facilities within the scheme extent. However, it is expected that pedestrians may use the A87 in particular during the peak tourist season.

There are no National Cycle Network (NCN) routes, Core Paths (Highland Council) or routes listed on WalkHighlands within 300 m of the scheme extent.

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

The most up to date Transport Scotland Road Traffic Counter is the A87 Sligachan (A863) to Portree (Site ID: 0000ATC01127), which is located approximately 15km north of the scheme at its closest extent and recorded an Average Daily Traffic (ADT) flow in 2025 of 4,088 vehicles with 18.7% of them being Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs).

TM will involve full road closure between 19:00 to 06:00 with amnesties at 20:00, 21:00, 22:00, 23:00, 00:00, 02:00 and 04:00.

Road drainage and the water environment

The scheme falls within the ‘Skye North’ (ID 150688) groundwater body which was classified by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) in 2024 as having an overall status of ‘Good’ and is also a Drinking Water Protected Area (Ground) (DWPA).

Loch Sligachan is a coastal water body (ID: 200116), in the Scotland river basin district and lies approximately 40m north of the scheme at its closest extent. In 2024, it was assigned an overall status of ‘Good’ by SEPA under the Water Framework Directive (WFD) (SEPA).

Several small unclassified by SEPA water bodies lie within 300m of the scheme.

The scheme falls within an area that has a 0% chance of flooding each year from coastal, river or surface water and small watercourses (SEPA Flood Map).

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).