The A815 is a major

road A road is a thoroughfare used primarily for movement of traffic. Roads differ from streets, whose primary use is local access. They also differ from stroads, which combine the features of streets and roads. Most modern roads are paved. Th ...

Argyll and Bute Argyll and Bute (; , ) is one of 32 unitary authority, unitary council areas of Scotland, council areas in Scotland and a lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area. The current lord-lieutenant for Argyll and Bute is Jane Margaret MacLeod ...

, Scotland. It runs for about from the A83, near

Cairndow Cairndow () is a coastal hamlet (place), hamlet in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. The town lies between the A83 road and the head of Loch Fyne. Cairndow's school closed in 1988 after the roll fell to just 3 pupils. Now children in the area are sen ...

, in the north, to Toward in the south. It passes beside three lochs, while its final stretch is along the

Firth of Clyde The Firth of Clyde, is the estuary of the River Clyde, on the west coast of Scotland. The Firth has some of the deepest coastal waters of the British Isles. The Firth is sheltered from the Atlantic Ocean by the Kintyre, Kintyre Peninsula. The ...

Route

The road begins at a T-junction with the A83, about east of Ardkinglas Woodland Garden. The road immediately crosses the Kinglas Water and turns west and then south-west, along the eastern shores of

Loch Fyne Loch Fyne (, ; meaning "Loch of the Vine/Wine"), is a sea loch off the Firth of Clyde and forms part of the coast of the Cowal, Cowal Peninsula. Located on the west coast of Argyll and Bute, west of Scotland. It extends inland from the Sound o ...

. Between Creggans and

Strachur Strachur () and Strathlachlan () are united parishes in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. Strachur is a small village on the eastern coast of Loch Fyne. Geography Cowal is the large peninsula situated between Loch Long to the east and Loch Fyne ...

, at the junction with the A886, the road turns south-east at the A886, heading inland, soon following the River Cur and then Loch Eck, again on the eastern side, and turns south. It passes Benmore (and Benmore Botanic Garden) and Uig en route to Ardbeg, below Puck's Glen to the north. After a few sweeping curves where the A880 branches off, just north of Dalinlongart the road crosses the Little Eachaig River, turns south-east, and continues beside the northern end of the

Holy Loch The Holy Loch () is a sea loch, part of the Firth of Clyde, in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. The "Holy Loch" name is believed to date from the 6th century, when Saint Munn landed there after leaving Ireland. Kilmun Parish Church and Argyll Mausole ...

on its western shores In Sandbank, at a T-junction with the A885 High Road (which leads to and from the northern end of Dunoon and links up with the A815 at East Bay), the road turns left towards the Holy Loch Marina as Rankin's Brae. At the mouth of the Holy Loch, at the western shores of the

, the road turns south as it leads through Hunters Quay and enters the town of Dunoon. As Alexandra Parade, the road continues through Hunters Quay and Kirn. En route to Dunoon's East Bay, the road passes several roads that lead up and down the hill perpendicular to the Firth of Clyde. They are: Kirn Brae, Stewart Street, Clyde Street and Dhalling Road. Several others, not mentioned here, are cul-de-sacs. Still as Alexandra Parade, the road crosses a roundabout shared with John Street (the southern end of the A885 which diverged at Sandbank), then passes Church Street, Moir Street and the eastern end of

Argyll Street Argyll Street is a street in the Soho district of Central London. It links Great Marlborough Street to the south to Oxford Street in the north and is connected to Regent Street to the west by Little Argyll Street. Historically it was sometimes w ...

. The road continues past Dunoon Pier and, as Pier Esplanade, crosses the roundabout overlooked by the ''Highland Mary'' statue. As Tom-a-Mhoid Road (briefly), then Wellington Street, it then sweeps a few hundred feet inland, on a pronounced curve to the east, forming junctions with Park Avenue, Kirk Street, Castle Street, Jane Street, Hillfoot Street, Victoria Road, Auchamore Road, (another) Clyde Street, William Street and Victoria Parade. At West Bay, after passing the western end of Victoria Parade, the road turns south again as Pier Esplanade. After leaving Dunoon, the road continues for a further south along the west bank of the firth, passing through Bullwood, Ardhallow and Innellan. Finally the road reaches Toward, which marks the junction of the

Kyles of Bute The Kyles of Bute () form a narrow sea channel that separates the northern end of the Isle of Bute from the Cowal, Cowal Peninsula in Argyll and Bute, on the Scotland, Scottish mainland. The surrounding hillsides are roughly wooded, and overlook ...

and the Firth, and turns west at its junction with an unnamed road which leads south to the centre of Toward, and soon ends around west of Toward Church.

Name

Its name changes several times over its course (from north to south): *Shore Road (Ardnadam to Sandbank) *Marine Parade (Kirn to Hunters Quay) *Alexandra Parade (from

to Kirn) *Pier Esplanade (from East Bay, Dunoon, to Argyll Street, Dunoon) *Wellington Street (through Dunoon) *Bullwood Road (between Innellan and West Bay, Dunoon) *Shore Road (between Toward and Innellan)

Notable building and structures

War Memorial At Lazaretto point - geograph

The following buildings, structures or sites of interest stand (or formerly stood) beside the road (from north to south): *Coylet Inn, a 17th-century

coaching inn The coaching inn (also coaching house or staging inn) was a vital part of Europe's inland transport infrastructure until the development of the railway, providing a resting point ( layover) for people and horses. The inn served the needs of t ...

* Whistlefield Inn *Benmore Botanic Garden * Lazaretto Point War Memorial * Hafton House, Hunters Quay * Royal Marine Hotel, Hunters Quay * Hunters Quay Hotel, Hunters Quay * Queen's Hotel, Kirn * Kirn & Sandbank Parish Church, Dunoon *Dunoon Pier, Dunoon *''Highland Mary'' statue, Dunoon * McColl's Hotel (1883–2015; now demolished) *'' Laudervale'', Dunoon (the now-demolished former home of Sir

Harry Lauder Sir Henry Lauder (; 4 August 1870 – 26 February 1950)Russell, Dave"Lauder, Sir Henry (1870–1950)" ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004, online edition, January 2011, accessed 27 April 2014 was a S ...

)

Viewpoints

File:A815 between Strachur and Dunoon (geograph 7207544).jpg, Between Strachur and Dunoon File:A815 near Hunter's Quay - geograph.org.uk - 2847372.jpg, Beside the Holy Loch, looking northwest File:Royal Marine Hotel - geograph.org.uk - 2419132.jpg, The road passing in front of the Royal Marine Hotel in Hunters Quay File:Alexandra Parade - geograph.org.uk - 1189538.jpg, Alexandra Parade in Kirn, looking north File:A815, Dunoon (geograph 7208412).jpg, Looking south to Dunoon

References

External links

*
A815 at roadtrafficstats.uk
{{DEFAULTSORT:8-0815 Roads in Scotland Transport in Argyll and Bute Cowal Transport in Dunoon Strachur