Driving the A82 to Glencoe in Winter

Yes, the A82 stays open through winter. It is the main trunk road from Glasgow to Fort William, and it is gritted and ploughed. On the worst days, though, snow gates at Tyndrum, Bridge of Orchy and Glencoe can shut the high section over Rannoch Moor, and there are overnight closures for roadworks this winter. If you are comfortable driving on the left, check the forecast, drive only in daylight and keep some slack in your plans, it is one of the great drives in Europe. If any of those three is a problem, take the bus or a tour instead.

The calendar above is for Rabbie's small-group day from Glasgow, which drives Loch Lomond, Glencoe and Rannoch Moor for you. This guide covers winter 2026–27 (November to March) and is written for visitors, many of whom will be in a hire car and new to Scottish roads.

The Route at a Glance

The figures below are rough and assume dry roads and no stops. In winter, add 30–60 minutes, and more if it snows.

The road changes character four times. Along Loch Lomond (Balloch to Inverarnan) it is narrow and twisty, with tight bends and rock walls. From Crianlarich to Tyndrum it is open glen with farm traffic. Bridge of Orchy across Rannoch Moor is high and exposed, with almost nothing around you. Glen Coe itself is dramatic, with steep slopes and lay-bys that tempt you to stop. Navigation is easy; the conditions are what make or break the drive.

Is the A82 Open in Winter?

The A82 is a trunk road. That means BEAR Scotland, the north-west operating company working for Transport Scotland, grits it and ploughs it, so it gets a higher level of treatment than local roads. Full closures are not routine, but they do happen. The causes are heavy snow, crashes (the A82 has only one lane each way, so one crash can block it for hours), flooding and fallen trees.

Where are the snow gates?

Traffic Scotland's snow-gate page lists three gates on this stretch of the A82:

• A82 Tyndrum, where the road leaves the village heading north
• A82 Bridge of Orchy, at the start of the climb onto Rannoch Moor
• A82 Glencoe, at the western end of the glen

When these gates are closed, traffic is turned back at a settlement, so nobody gets stranded halfway across the moor. We could not find any official figures on how often they close. Closures happen in heavy snow and are usually measured in hours, not days. Even so, treat a closure as a real possibility on any trip in January or February.

How to check before you go

• Traffic Scotland snow gates page (traffic.gov.scot) shows live open/closed status for each gate.
• Traffic Scotland's incidents and planned roadworks pages, plus the @trafficscotland account on X. The customer care line is 0800 028 1414.
• Traffic Scotland webcams. Look at the moor before you commit.
• Met Office forecasts and warnings for “Strathclyde” and “Highlands & Eilean Siar”.
• Check again at Tyndrum (Green Welly Stop). It is the last big stop before the moor.

Roadworks and Closures Planned for Winter 2026–27

BEAR Scotland does a lot of resurfacing in the autumn. Most of it happens overnight, often 7pm–6am, and usually not on Friday or Saturday nights. Here is what had been announced as of mid-October 2026:

• Loch Lomond (Firkin Point to Inverarnan): a 10 mph overnight convoy north of Firkin Point from 18 October, then full overnight closures south of Tarbet Isle (3–9 November) and north of Inverarnan (9–20 November). The signed diversion runs via the A82, A85, A819 and A83 and adds 27 miles and about 52 minutes. Resurfacing at Blairannaich has been moved to early 2027, with dates still to be confirmed.
• Kingshouse, Glencoe: a night-time road closure with hourly amnesties for structural repairs is listed from 6 December 2026. There is no diversion; traffic waits and is escorted through on the hour. No end date has been published yet.
• Crianlarich: overnight convoy working for resurfacing from 3 December 2026.
• Glen Coe: temporary traffic lights at the Glencoe Visitor Centre (20–22 October) and Loch Achtriochtan (from 26 October).
• North of Ballachulish (Inchree): overnight closures with amnesties running into November. BEAR Scotland and Traffic Scotland have published different dates for these, so check Traffic Scotland before you travel.
• The big A82 Tarbet–Inverarnan upgrade will not affect you this winter. The Scottish Government has said construction will not start before 2031.

Winter Hazards on the Route

• Rannoch Moor exposure. This is the highest and loneliest part of the drive. Snow drifts, blowing spindrift and whiteouts are possible. Strong crosswinds hit high-sided vehicles. Services are almost nil between Bridge of Orchy and Glencoe.
• Loch Lomond bends. The road is narrow, with blind curves, large lorries and coaches, and shaded sections where ice lingers all day.
• Black ice. Watch for it on bridges, in cuttings, under trees and on any stretch the low winter sun never reaches. A road that looks wet but has no spray coming off it may be ice.
• Flooding and debris. Heavy rain can bring water, stones and fallen trees onto the road, especially in Glen Coe and along Loch Lomond.
• Darkness. Around the winter solstice, Glencoe gets less than 7 hours of daylight. The earliest sunset is about 3:45pm in mid-December and the latest sunrise is just before 9am at the end of December.
• The A83 Rest and Be Thankful. If you come in via Inveraray or Argyll, or get sent on the Loch Lomond diversion, you will meet this landslip-prone pass. Temporary lights and a 30 mph limit are in place until 23 December 2026, and works resume in early 2027. In heavy rain, traffic can be switched to the single-lane Old Military Road under convoy. Check its status separately.

Safe Winter Driving Tips

1. Drive in daylight only. In December and January, leave Glasgow by 9am and plan to be off the road by 3:30pm.
2. Follow the Highway Code. Rule 228 tells you to check the local forecast for icy or snowy weather and not to drive in those conditions unless your journey is essential. If a red or amber warning covers the moor, wait it out.
3. Slow down, leave huge gaps and be smooth. Highway Code Rule 230 warns that stopping distances can be ten times greater than on dry roads. Pull away in a higher gear and avoid sudden braking.
4. Use dipped headlights whenever visibility is poor, which in winter is often.
5. Never stop on the carriageway for photos. Use proper lay-bys and car parks only. In Glen Coe this is the most common mistake visitors make.
6. Respect gritters and ploughs. They have flashing amber beacons and move slowly. Highway Code Rule 230 says not to overtake them unless the lane you intend to use has been cleared.
7. Take breaks. Transport Scotland recommends at least 15 minutes for every two hours of driving. Tell someone your route and your expected arrival time.
8. Keep your fuel high. Transport Scotland advises carrying more than enough fuel to finish your journey, allowing for unexpected delays and higher fuel use than usual. In practice, fill up at Tyndrum.

Fuel, Toilets and Stops

Facilities are thin between Loch Lomond and Fort William, and some places cut their hours in winter.

• Inveruglas (Loch Lomond): a lochside car park and viewpoint, useful as a first break. We have not verified whether the toilets are open in winter.
• Crianlarich: a small village with a hotel and shop. We could not confirm a fuel station open in winter 2026–27, so don't count on it.
• Tyndrum, Green Welly Stop: this is your main fuel and toilet stop. Its filling station lists hours of 7am–10pm, and there is a café, shops and EV charging. Treat it as your last sure fuel before Glencoe.
• Kingshouse Hotel (by the Glen Etive turn): food and drink in a remote spot. Check winter opening.
• Glencoe Visitor Centre (National Trust for Scotland): toilets, café and exhibition. Winter hours are reduced, so check before relying on them.
• Glencoe village and Ballachulish: a filling station near Glencoe village (Claymore), plus shops and cafés in Ballachulish.
• Fort William: several supermarkets and fuel stations.

Car Hire Advice

• Winter tyres are not standard on UK hire cars, and UK law does not require winter tyres or snow chains. Most hire fleets run on all-season or summer tyres. If the company offers winter or all-season tyres as an add-on, take them. We could not verify which firms offer this, so ask when you book.
• Snow chains and snow socks are legal in the UK but only appropriate on roads fully covered in snow. Most hire companies ban or restrict chains. Snow socks are easier and are on Road Safety Scotland's emergency kit list.
• Book an automatic if you don't drive a manual every day. Icy hills are not the place to learn to change gear with your left hand.
• Excess insurance: standard hire deals often carry a large excess for damage. Stone chips, kerbed alloys and deer strikes all happen on Highland roads. A standalone excess policy usually costs less than the desk's top-up, but read what it excludes.
• Pick up in daylight and check the lights, wipers, screenwash and tyre tread before you leave the lot.

Winter Car Kit Checklist

This list draws on what Traffic Scotland and Road Safety Scotland recommend:

• Ice scraper and de-icer
• Torch and spare batteries
• High-visibility vest
• Warm clothes, hat, gloves and waterproof boots
• Blanket or sleeping bag
• Snow shovel
• Snow socks
• First aid kit
• Jump leads and a tow rope
• Food, water and a hot drink in a flask
• Phone charger or power bank
• A paper road map or offline maps. Mobile signal is patchy on Rannoch Moor and in parts of Glen Coe. We could not verify network-by-network coverage, so don't count on calls or live navigation there.

For clothing, see our Highlands packing list.

Deer on the Road

Deer collisions are a real risk on the A82. NatureScot records around 1,850 deer-vehicle collisions a year across Scotland. A 2022 NatureScot press release estimates that, once unreported collisions are counted, the true total could be as high as 9,000 a year, injuring 50 to 100 people.

NatureScot Research Report 1329 identifies roe deer as the species most often involved, with May and June the peak months and dusk the peak time of day. In red-deer country, collisions peak in autumn and early winter (roughly September to December). NatureScot's work on an A82 site found collisions there spread through the whole year. NatureScot says most collisions happen between early evening and midnight, with a second peak from 6am to 9am, and in midwinter both windows fall in darkness.

Glen Etive and Side Roads

Glen Etive is a single-track, unclassified road of about 12 miles that dead-ends at Loch Etive. It turns off the A82 near Kingshouse. In winter it is far lower priority for gritting than the A82, the surface is potholed in places, there are no facilities and phone signal is poor.

Our advice: only go on a clear, above-freezing day, in daylight, and turn back if the passing places are icy or snow-covered. Never park in passing places. The same goes for other single-track side roads. If your hire car slides into a ditch, recovery will be slow and expensive.

Alternatives to Driving

• Scottish Citylink bus (914/915/916): Glasgow Buchanan Bus Station to Fort William via Loch Lomond, Crianlarich, Tyndrum, Bridge of Orchy and Glencoe. It stops at the Glencoe Mountain road end, the Glencoe Visitor Centre and Glencoe village. Glasgow to Glencoe takes about 2 hrs 20–40 min. A new timetable starts 19 October 2026, and there are fewer runs in winter, so book ahead. Services traditionally don't run on some festive days; check the 2026–27 festive timetable.
• ScotRail West Highland Line: Glasgow Queen Street to Fort William in about 3 hrs 45 min, calling at Bridge of Orchy and Rannoch. There is no station in Glencoe, so link to the bus at Fort William or Bridge of Orchy. Trains are infrequent: three a day on weekdays, fewer on Sundays. Buses replace trains between Crianlarich and Fort William from 9 to 17 November 2026 for upgrade works.
• Day tours from Glasgow or Edinburgh: the simplest option if you want the scenery without the stress.

Our pick from Glasgow: From Glasgow: Oban, Glencoe, Highland Lochs & Castles Tour (from $79, 4.9/5 from 2,500+ reviews). Rabbie's runs it in about 10.5 hours, out by Loch Lomond, the Rest and Be Thankful and Inveraray, and back through Glencoe, across Rannoch Moor and down the A82 to Inveruglas: the drive on this page, with someone else watching for ice and deer. Our pick from Edinburgh: Hairy Coo's Loch Ness, Glencoe & Highlands day tour (from $69, 4.7/5 from 12,000+ reviews), a 12.5-hour day that crosses Rannoch Moor and Glencoe on the way to Loch Ness. Take the Glasgow tour if you want the west coast and more time on the A82; take the Edinburgh one if Loch Ness is the point of the day.

From Glasgow: Oban, Glencoe, Highland Lochs & Castles Tour

A small-group minicoach day from Glasgow that stops at Loch Lomond, Inveraray, Kilchurn Castle on Loch Awe and Oban, passes Castle Stalker, then comes home through Glencoe and across Rannoch Moor. In winter, the return leg runs into the dark, which is exactly the part of the A82 you would rather not drive yourself.

Rabbie's | From $79 per person | 10.5 hours | 4.9/5 from 2,500+ reviews

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Word

The A82 in winter goes well for drivers who plan: go in daylight, check Traffic Scotland the night before and the morning of your drive, fill up at Tyndrum, and keep a spare day in case the weather turns. Do that and Rannoch Moor under snow can be the highlight of your trip.

Related reading

• Glencoe in November: is it worth visiting?
• Is November a good time to visit Scotland?
• Scotland road trip itineraries
• Glencoe visitor guide
• Day trips from Glasgow and Inverness
• What to pack for the Highlands