Bealach na Bà

The Bealach na Bà was the only road linking Applecross with the rest of the country until the late 20th century

Bealach na Bà (pronounced [bjaLəx na baː]) is a winding single track road through the mountains of the Applecross peninsula, in Wester Ross in the Scottish Highlands. The Bealach na Bà is just one feature on this road, being its highest point and site of several corries.

The historic mountain pass was built in 1822 and is engineered similarly to roads through the great mountain passes in the Alps, with very tight hairpin bends that switch back and forth up the hillside and gradients that approach 20%. It has the greatest ascent of any road climb in the United Kingdom, rising from sea level at Applecross to 626 m (2,054 ft) in about 6 km (3.7 mi), and is the third highest road in Scotland.

The name is Scottish Gaelic for Pass of the Cattle, as it was historically used as a drovers' road.

The bealach is considered unsuitable for learner drivers and very large vehicles, and the route is often impassable in winter. According to Country Life, "the single-track, historic drovers' lane travels up, down and around hairpins through the mountains of the remote Applecross peninsula as if they were the Alps and, at Bealach na Bà ('pass of the cattle'), features the steepest ascent of any road in the UK".^[1]

In popular culture

The road featured in the television series Hamish Macbeth (much of which was filmed in nearby Plockton),^[2] which pictures it having a road sign that indicates: "Narrow road - no more than three sheep abreast". The road was also featured in the 1953 film Laxdale Hall.^[3]

Cycling

Since 2006 a pair of cyclosportive cycling events has been staged in the surrounding region, and over the pass. The 70 km (43 mi) Bealach Beag event is held each May,^[4] and the 144 km (89 mi) Bealach Mòr event is held each September.^[5]

Climate

Bealach na Bà has a tundra climate (Köppen ET).

Climate data for Bealach na Bà, Elevation: 773 m (2,536 ft), 1991–2020
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	2.0 (35.6)	1.7 (35.1)	2.6 (36.7)	5.1 (41.2)	10.0 (50.0)	11.7 (53.1)	12.9 (55.2)	12.6 (54.7)	9.3 (48.7)	6.6 (43.9)	4.0 (39.2)	2.4 (36.3)	6.8 (44.2)
Daily mean °C (°F)	0.2 (32.4)	−0.1 (31.8)	0.6 (33.1)	2.7 (36.9)	6.2 (43.2)	8.4 (47.1)	9.9 (49.8)	9.8 (49.6)	7.4 (45.3)	4.7 (40.5)	2.2 (36.0)	0.6 (33.1)	4.4 (39.9)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	−1.7 (28.9)	−2.0 (28.4)	−1.4 (29.5)	0.3 (32.5)	2.5 (36.5)	5.0 (41.0)	6.9 (44.4)	7.0 (44.6)	5.6 (42.1)	2.9 (37.2)	0.4 (32.7)	−1.2 (29.8)	2.1 (35.8)
Source: Met Office[6]

Climate data for Bealach Na Ba No 2 (773 metres asl) 1981–2010
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	1.6 (34.9)	1.2 (34.2)	2.2 (36.0)	3.6 (38.5)	6.9 (44.4)	9.1 (48.4)	10.5 (50.9)	10.5 (50.9)	8.7 (47.7)	6.0 (42.8)	3.5 (38.3)	2.3 (36.1)	5.5 (41.9)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	−2.1 (28.2)	−2.4 (27.7)	−1.5 (29.3)	−0.4 (31.3)	2.1 (35.8)	4.7 (40.5)	6.6 (43.9)	6.7 (44.1)	5.1 (41.2)	2.9 (37.2)	0.1 (32.2)	−1.2 (29.8)	1.7 (35.1)
Source: metoffice.gov.uk[7]

External links

• Bealach na Bà on kishornonline.co.uk Wayback Machine archive of 7 January 2017
• Highlights of Scotland - the Bealach na Bà
• Scotland: the Movie Location Guide -Laxdale Hall, Bealach na Bà
• Hands on Events - organisers of Bealach na Bà cyclosportive events

References

1. Elwes, Annunciata (21 February 2021). "Bealach na Bà, on the Applecross peninsula: Travelling the steepest road in Britain". Country Life. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
2. "Coire nan Arr". ScotlandTheMovie.com. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
3. "Laxdale Hall 1953". Peter Burnett. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
4. "Bealach Beag". Hands On Events. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
5. "Bealach Mor". Hands On Events. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
6. "Bealach Na Ba No 2 Climate". Met Office. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
7. "Climate Normals 1981–2010". Met Office. Retrieved 23 February 2021.

57°25′58″N 5°45′9″W