Part 1 - A83 Rest and Be Thankful

Introduction and Apologies

The Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Tourism and Transport, Stephen Flynn MSP (SF) introduced himself and welcomed everyone to the 32nd A83 Taskforce meeting.

SF assured the Taskforce that he is committed to building on the positive engagement undertaken to date with stakeholders through the A83 Taskforce. SF continued to note the passage of time since the last A83 Taskforce meeting, however emphasised it was important for him to familiarise himself with his portfolio since the Scottish Government elections in May 2026. SF confirmed he had attended a site visit to the Rest and Be Thankful which included travelling along both the Old Military Road (OMR) and the Forestry Track.

SF reaffirmed the Scottish Government’s ongoing commitment to keeping Argyll and Bute open for business and that he is acutely aware of the importance of the A83 Trunk Road to the communities and economy of the Argyll and Bute area.

Actions from previous minutes

SF asked Gordon Ramsay (GR) to provide an overview of the outstanding actions from the previous Taskforce meeting in relation to the Rest and Be Thankful, and noted actions relating to the wider A83 will be covered later in the meeting:

GR confirmed due to the break on works at the Rest and Be Thankful over the summer period, further phase of drainage improvements have not yet been undertaken. This is now being considered for potential inclusion in the autumn or winter works programme.

Post Meeting Note – The drainage issues originally enquired about have been dealt with during an earlier phase of drainage works. The further drainage works referred to above are additional drainage maintenance works. Further updates on this will be given in the regular programme update. Action closed.

GR confirmed that Transport Scotland officials had held meetings with HIE to discuss this. This action remains open and dialogue will continue. GR also noted that Transport Scotland is seeking advice from external tourism experts regarding the concerns of economic impact to the tourism industry.

GR confirmed that the maintenance and improvement works on the Rest and Be Thankful had been suspended from 30 May 2026 for around three months to allow the temporary traffic signals to be removed through the busier summer months of June, July and August. The works are now programmed to resume in mid to late September 2026. GR noted this action can now be closed.

SF thanked GR for delivering these updates, noting that they are responsive and constructive, and opened the floor for comment.

Hugh Nicol (HN) asked if, following the previous A83 Taskforce in March 2026, a memo had been left from the former Cabinet Secretary, Fiona Hyslop, in relation to the economic issues discussed at previous Taskforce meetings. SF commented he had familiarised himself with this project and had read the information left for him by his predecessor and reiterated he was keen to meet Taskforce members to understand the concerns raised previously before making any decision on the Medium-Term Solution (MTS).

BEAR Scotland update on current mitigation and current condition of the hillside

SF invited Eddie Ross (ER) from BEAR Scotland to present an update on their short-term improvement works and also to provide an update to the current situation on the hillside at the Rest and Be Thankful.

ER introduced himself and presented slides which included an update on the work at the Rest and Be Thankful.

A copy of the slides can be found in Annex A.

SF thanked ER for his presentation and invited questions from the Taskforce members.

General Discussion on short term works at the Rest and Be Thankful

Alan Bell (AB) asked for more information on the stock fencing discussed in the presentation. ER responded that this work will take place along the section of recent tree planting, and fencing will seal off the roadside in this area. ER noted there is already deer-proof fencing higher on the hillside, however the section nearest the trunk road now needs addressed.

Jenni Minto MSP (JM) noted it was good to drive along the A83 at the Rest and Be Thankful without traffic management, but queried in relation to the image in the presentation showing slope scour erosion, will these works be programmed in parallel with MTS works? ER responded to say there is no overlap between these works and the MTS and noted these works will be addressed sooner than the MTS, in tandem with other slope scour works.

Cllr John Armour (JA) welcomed the Cabinet Secretary to the meeting, and paid tribute to Councillor Dougie Philand, who recently passed away. JA noted the significant contributions made by Cllr Philand to the Taskforce and praised the efforts he made towards getting a solution to the issues at the Rest and Be Thankful.

JA continued to ask if traffic management will be in place permanently or if it could be removed overnight or during the festive period, when no works are taking place?

ER echoed the sentiments towards the memory of Cllr Philand and noted his sadness at hearing this news. ER continued to confirm that traffic management will be removed during the festive period, however outside of this period works are expected to be continuous, noting traffic management will not be removed. ER added it’s not reasonable to remove traffic management every night noting safety concerns and the scale and nature of the work involved in removing the traffic management. ER concluded by noting that any ad-hoc downtime on site between phases of work could result in the removal of traffic management and will be assessed on a case by case basis.

SF also passed on his condolences at the passing of Cllr Philand and wished his efforts to the Taskforce be recorded.

HN noted his condolences and continued to note the scour below the A83, towards the OMR, form part of the A83 Campaign Groups’ concerns of building a road on this scoured area. HN continued to add this also raises concerns on using OMR as a two-way road. ER responded noting this would be a question for the Medium and Long-Term Solutions and will be addressed later in the meeting.

Lucy Sumsion (LS) asked whether traffic management will be managed 24 hours a day? ER confirmed yes, as has been done previously the traffic management will be manned 24 hours per day.

Cllr Maurice Corry (MC) also noted his condolences at the passing of Cllr Philand and noted the update on the traffic lights, and asked whether any improvements will be made to the OMR? ER responded no short-term improvements are planned, however referred to GR, who confirmed the currently proposed MTS will deliver improvements to the OMR.

David Sumsion (DS) noted the maintenance works have no end date and will extend beyond Christmas, and asked if the length of the traffic management, specifically in relation to the “no queuing under channels” could be reconsidered? DS suggested this would have traffic and cost benefits. ER confirmed a review was undertaken in recent years on the risk profile of queueing under channels, which led to the change in approach through the summer months. However, during winter periods the traffic management must be extended to prevent vehicles stacking below the channels. ER confirmed the traffic management will be reduced when appropriate, noting decisions are made on evidence gathered over a long period of time with safety of road users being priority.

Update on progress of Medium and Long -Term Solutions

SF invited GR, Transport Scotland’s Project Manager for the A83 Rest and Be Thankful scheme, along with technical advisors AtkinsRéalis WSP Joint Venture, to provide an update on the MTS and LTS.

GR noted a priority has been to carry out a robust review of the two-way free flowing options for the MTS, as discussed at previous Taskforce meetings. GR noted the considerable work undertaken on the two-way options, and that work has now concluded. The Cabinet Secretary has been on a site visit, which included travelling along the OMR and forestry track, and a decision on the MTS has not yet been made. GR noted the Cabinet Secretary was keen to meet and hear from the Taskforce prior to any decision being made.

Ritchie Clift (RC) provided an overview of the emerging findings from the LTS Ground Investigation, and an overview of the ongoing work for the MTS and LTS. Colin McCallum (CMcCa) added a link to the British Geological Society website to the meeting chat, for Taskforce member to access.

A copy of the slides can be found in Annex B.

General Discussion

SF noted he was keen to hear views from the Taskforce, noting he was aware of the items raised to him in writing from the Campaign Group.

HN asked what the programme is for the project? GR responded to say it is challenging to confirm the programme at this time due to a multitude of variables, adding a possible Public Local Inquiry will add time, and if an alternative MTS two-way option is chosen it will add a considerable amount of time with a complete revisit to programme.

HN responded to say a lack of programme makes it difficult to run the regions’ economy, and asked if the timescales for the construction period for the Long-Term Solution (LTS)? GR responded the construction of the LTS is anticipated to be three to four years.

HN asked if, noting there may be an additional four years of convoy operation and the A83 Campaign Group have suggested an alternative route, what is the likelihood of seeing a two-way road delivered? HN also queried if one of the options given to the Cabinet Secretary was a one-way / convoy system?

GR confirmed that a number of options have been presented to the Cabinet Secretary for him to make a decision, this includes the OMR Improvement with convoy operation as currently proposed for the MTS.

Brendan O’Hara MP (BOH) welcomed SF and noted this work is so much more than just an engineering project, and failure to acknowledge this will ignore the real life impacts, particularly in relation to the one-way running. BOH suggested no amount of mitigation can be put in place to offset the economic impact of this proposal, making reference to upcoming windfarm schemes and other developments. BOH added this is an existential crisis for Argyll and Bute, and it is unacceptable that people are expected to accept the main route into the region will be one-way convoy for four years. BOH added he is grateful there is a long-term solution which will be delivered.

SF acknowledged these concerns.

Jenni Minto MSP (JM) echoed BOH’s sentiments and noted the A83 is the artery into Argyll and Bute. At the Roundtable meetings in September 2025, groups were clear on the potential business impacts. At the last Taskforce meeting in March 2026 there was an action that Transport Scotland would engage with Highland and Islands Enterprise (HIE) and Argyll and Bute Council to ascertain the economic impact of the proposed scheme, and asked how this has progressed? JM also challenged the modelled journey times, noting at peak times there is a significant volume of traffic at the Rest. JM suggested it may be helpful for a timeline to be set for the results of any additional economic work and the calculations used for said work.

MC asked if the signage and advance warning will be cast wider to cover M8 / M74 etc, adding signage has previously been inaccurate, and this has been discussed at previous Taskforce meetings.

GR noted the 15-minute journey time is the 12-hour average, i.e. the average journey time between the hours of 7am and 7pm. The 24-hour journey times were discussed at the September Roundtable meetings, and concerns were raised by stakeholders that the 24-hour average understated journey times, and a 12-hour (7am to 7pm) average should be used moving forward. GR added at peak times the journey times will be higher than 15 minutes, as previously advised to Taskforce members, and at quieter times it will be lower. GR continued to note discussions have been held with HIE and at the September 2025 roundtable meetings, economic impacts were predominantly in relation to tourism / hospitality impacts, and to address these concerns Transport Scotland have commissioned external tourism experts.

JM asked what the timeframe for work with HIE is and noted it is clear from the Roundtable meetings that the economic impact will be huge. JM also asked for the peak delay time.

GR responded to say the peak time modelling shows that between 1pm and 2pm in a typical July and August month journey times could be up to 25 minutes on the improved OMR. 

Calum McCrae (CMcC) noted a waiting time of 25 minutes is completely unacceptable, and added he agrees with BOH, noting tourism is critically important. CMcC added to meet net zero targets, £12-£14 billion of investment is coming into Argyll and Bute. CMcC suggested if traffic is restricted to operating on one lane, this will be severely damaging to the regions’ economy, adding MOD business has returned, and single lane operation will result in approximately 20 job losses at his firm, as a minimum, which will lead to social degradation.

SF thanked attendees for their contributions so far and acknowledged comments.

Jackie Baillie MSP (JB) commented that infrastructure funds are in short supply, and asked what level of investment will be required and when? JB suggested four years may be optimistic for delivery of the LTS, and challenged what is being done on the MTS, and asked when the Cabinet Secretary is going to make a decision and what are the funding implications for this?

SF responded noting that his predecessor Fiona Hyslop asked for significant additional work to be undertaken. SF confirmed he has received the outcome of this work, adding the level of detail is significant, and he is working his way through the paper, working closely with officials to fully understand the material. SF commented the indicative timetable for construction of the LTS is three to four years, and cognisance should be taken that any decision on the MTS will impact the programme for delivery for the LTS, and this is factoring into his decision making.

SF continued to note delivery of the LTS is ultimately the end point, and any decision to alter the proposed MTS incurs significant time and cost impacts. SF continued to note he is responsible for making this decision and wanted to engage with the Taskforce to inform this decision. He indicated that he will not commit to a specific timeline for a decision, he wants to ensure he is entirely comfortable with the decision, however noted he is cognisant of the time taken. SF added that he would be happy to continue the discussion offline and in Parliament as he knows how important this is.

LS noted at the transport committee SF confirmed he visited different places during the summer tour, and asked what stakeholders and local people he had engaged with to discuss the A83, noting the Cabinet Secretary had not met the A83 Campaign Group. LS also noted the impact to tourism is significant, and it may be in the Government’s interest to consider the wider impacts on Argyll.

JA noted this is not a case of when the LTS gets a programme, but ensuring the correct decision is made, which he believes is a fully two-way road. JA commented a convoy operating will result in job losses and businesses leaving the Kintyre area, and a two-way road is the correct answer and should take as much time as it takes to reach this decision.

Martin Bell (MB) noted his perspective from road haulage point of view is that the impact from the proposed convoy operation is unacceptable, particularly when considering driver breaks and suggested additional drivers would be required. MB noted concerns that timed deliveries would be missed and a two-way system is essential. People using buses or coaches will miss doctor appointments and job interviews. MB also commented additional cost increases such as national insurance and fuel will result in firms moving out of the area.

SF thanked all for their contributions and added he did not get the opportunity to discuss the scheme with local stakeholders during his visit, he would have liked to have met with communities however due to diary constraints, this was not possible. SF noted JA’s comments and confirmed these will all be taken into account during his considerations. SF added that it is important to have constructive dialogue with officials to ensure the correct decision is made. SF noted he was responsible for making the correct decision for the majority of people in Argyll and Bute.

MC suggested that the military could be brought in to deliver a MTS quickly.

HN noted the A83 Campaign Group have looked at a lot of solutions and they feel the Green option is the best solution noting it is cheaper and quicker to construct than the current LTS, and would welcome the Cabinet Secretary to visit the site if this would be of benefit.

SF noted he is familiar with the forestry track option for the MTS and noted the indicative costs do not include any mitigation from landslides, adding he was reluctant to progress a scheme that did not provide appropriate mitigation to the risk of landslides. During his site visit he walked along the forestry track and he noted significant water flows despite the weather on the day being sunny.

Summary and date of next meeting

SF thanked Taskforce members for their attendance and contributions to the meeting, noting a significant amount of work had been undertaken and it is important we reach the correct decision, and handed over to GR.

GR invited more questions from Taskforce members.

DS reinforced the invite for SF to attend a face to face meeting in the community with the A83 Campaign Group before a decision is made. GR responded that this invite will be noted.

GR handed over to Scott Lees (SL) from Transport Scotland to chair the next part of the meeting on the operation and maintenance of the wider A83.