Description of local environment

Air quality

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

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

There are no sites listed on the Scottish Pollutant Release Inventory (SPRI) within 10km of the scheme.

Due to the rural location of the works, baseline air quality is likely to be primarily influenced by traffic travelling along the A835. Secondary releases are likely delivered by land management within the wider area.

Cultural heritage

According to PastMap, the following minor cultural heritage features are recorded within 300m of the scheme extents:

  • 15 Historic Environment Records (HERs), the closest of which is ‘Garve General’ (Reference MHG22082) located at the northern end of the scheme extent.
  • 14 National Records of Historic Environment (NRHE), the closest of which is ‘Garve, Station Road, Bridge’ (Reference 12269) located at the north of the scheme extent.

There are no Conservation Areas, Battlefields, World Heritage Sites, Garden and Designed Landscapes, Listed Buildings or Scheduled Monuments within 300m of the scheme extent.

Furthermore, construction of the A835 is likely to have removed any archaeological remains that may have been present within the area and as such ‘cultural heritage’ is scoped out and not discussed further within this RoD.

Landscape and visual effects

The scheme is not situated within a National Park (NP) or National Scenic Area (NSA).

The scheme is located on a semi-rural stretch of the A835, starting in the settlement of Garve. The surrounding land is dominated by residential buildings, scattered farming settlements, rough grazing, broadleaved woodland, and freshwater habitat at Alltan Dubh (Black Water). The A835 trunk road and Alltan Dubh are the dominant landscape features. Landscape Character Type for the scheme is listed as ‘Strath – Ross & Cromarty’ (LCT 340) and ‘Rounded Hills and Moorland Slopes (LCT 330).

‘Strath – Ross & Cromarty’ has the following key characteristics:

  • Sinuous or curved channels with steep sides channelling through upland and mountainous landscapes.
  • Wide flat strath floor at the coast or terminating water body, where the presence of water dominates.
  • Narrowing channel inland, with a rising strath floor, terminating at a narrow glen or mountain pass.
  • Meandering central river, becoming broad and braided at the lower end, terminating in wetlands and pebbly beaches.
  • Abrupt change in topography from strath to slope emphasised by change from

regular field patterns to forest, woodland and moorland.

  • Riparian woodland and patches of native woodlands on the strath floor and lower slopes.
  • Limited settlement, usually located at inland bridging points at the entrance to straths.
  • Rural estate landscapes including broad, green, regular fields of pasture, large estate houses and associated features such as farm buildings, stone walls and policy woodlands.
  • Occasional small linear crofting townships and small holdings on slopes adjoining the road access.
  • Through-road along the strath length located on the edge of the strath floor.
  • Historic land use evidence in abandoned 19th and early 20th Century settlements.
  • Restricted views in upper reaches, channelled along the strath, contrasting with openness of the wide strath at the lower end, the latter enhanced by reflection of light on the sea or terminal loch.
  • Intriguing views along curved straths which are enhanced on un-improved roads which closely follow the curving landform of the strath sides.

‘Rounded Hills and Moorland Slopes has the following key characteristics:

  • Broad, rounded hills and upland moorlands with smooth, gentle slopes down to broad straths, creating an undulating skyline.
  • Occurs in a large tract which weaves around and between the adjoining Rounded
  • Mountain Massif and Rugged Mountain Massif – Ross &Cromarty and unifies the mountain groups.
  • Large areas of uniform moorland vegetation with occasional surface detail of rivers, lochs, riparian woodland, woodland patches, and regenerating trees.
  • Large coniferous forests on accessible lower slopes.
  • Broad straths with natural, meandering rivers and occasionally highlighted by green, unenclosed, improved pastures and riparian trees.
  • Occasional major trunk roads curve through the lowest major straths, with very little associated service development.
  • Small groups of mainly traditional buildings around road junctions and at rail stations.
  • Man-made structures of pylons, wind farms and reservoirs occur as occasional features within a large scale landscape.
  • Many archaeological features on lower ground from prehistoric, medieval and later periods.
  • Large, remote interior areas of vast scale with wildness characteristics.

Land use within 300m of the scheme extent is classified as managed woodland, rough grazing, smallholdings, rectilinear fields and farms, urban area and plantation (HLAMap).

The land surrounding the trunk road is classified as 4.1 (‘Land capable of producing a narrow range of crops, primarily grassland with short arable breaks of foraging crops and cereal), 5.3 (Land capable of use as improved grassland. Pasture deteriorates quickly’) and 6.2 (‘Land capable of use as rough grazings with moderate quality plants’) (Scotland's Soils).

The A835 trunk road, including the A893, connects Tore with Ullapool. It commences at (but excludes) the A9 Tore Roundabout leading generally north-westwards for a distance of 80 kilometres to (but excludes) its junction with the ferry terminal at Ullapool. The A835 is a single carriageway along its length.

Biodiversity

There are no European designated sites for biodiversity such as Special Protection Areas (SPA), Special Areas of Conservation (SAC), or Ramsar sites within 2km of the scheme (SiteLink). However, Glen Affric to Strathconon SPA (Site Code: 10233) is located approximately 2.4km southwest of the scheme. Due to the proximity of the proposed works to the SPA, a Habitats Regulations Appraisal (HRA) Proforma was completed.

No other European designated biodiversity sites have been recorded within 2km of the scheme, and no Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), National Nature Reserves (NNR) or Local Nature Reserves (LNR) have been recorded within 300m (SiteLink).

Numerous bird species were recorded on the National Biodiversity Network (NBN) Atlas within 2km of the scheme during the last ten-year period. Only records with attributions CC-BY, OGL and CC0 (open use) were included in the search criteria. Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended), all wild birds and their active nests are protected.

Under the same search criteria, NBN Atlas holds records of the following invasive non-native species (INNS), as listed on the NMC Contract:

  • Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica)

The Transport Scotland’s Asset Management Performance System (AMPS) does not hold any records of INNS or injurious weeds (as listed on the NMC Contract) within 300m of the scheme.

The surrounding land is dominated by grazing pastures; broadleaved woodland; scattered residential and farming settlements; and freshwater in the form of Alltan Dubh.

One section of the scheme lies adjacent to an area of woodland listed on the Ancient Woodland Inventory (AWI): ID 3894, long established (of plantation origin), 8.43ha.

There are no Tree Preservation Orders (TPOs) present within 300m of the scheme (Highland Tree Preservation Orders).

A site visit was undertaken in October 2025 by the BEAR Scotland Environmental Team to assess ecological constraints.

Geology and soils

Bedrock geology (BGS Geology Viewer) within the scheme consists of:

  • Crom psammite formation - psammite
  • Vaich pelite formation – semipelite, garnet

 Superficial deposits (BGS Geology Viewer) within the scheme consist of:

  • Alluvium – clay, silt, sand and gravel
  • Glacial deposits – diamicton, gravel, sand and silt

Soils in the scheme extent comprise peaty gleyed podzols with dystrophic semi-confined peat with peaty gleys, and mineral alluvial soils with peaty alluvial soils (Scotland's Soils).

Soils within the scheme extent are recorded as being of Carbon and Peatland ‘Class 0’, class is associated with mineral soil where peatland habitats are not typically found, and also ‘Class 5’, soil information takes precedence over vegetation data. No peatland habitat recorded. Soils are carbon-rich and deep peat (Carbon and Peatland Map).

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

Material assets and waste

The proposed works will include the removal of vegetation and trees along the verges of the A835 and no materials are required. Waste generated will be removed from site to a licenced waste contractor. Where possible, vegetation and felled trees may be chipped on site and removed from site to be reused as firewood/biofuel. Habitat piles may be left on site if safe to do so, and out of sight of the A835. No waste exemption is required.

As the value of the scheme does not exceed £350,000, a Site Waste Management Plan (SWMP) is not required for this scheme.

Noise and vibration

A search of Scotland's Noise Map returned modelled noise records for noise levels in the day-evening-night (LDEN) within the A835 and its verges ranging between 61 and 67dB within the scheme extents.

The scheme does not fall within a Candidate Noise Management Area (CNMA) as defined by the Transportation Noise Action Plan (TNAP) (Transportation Noise Action Plan 2019-2023).

Given the rural nature found within the scheme, it is considered likely that the baseline noise levels will be low, with noise mainly influenced by vehicles travelling along the A835 and the nearby railway line.

Population and human health

There are several residential properties and farming settlements within 300m of the scheme. The closest property lies 2m east from the A835 carriageway with little to no roadside verge screening provided. Access to this property is located on the southbound carriageway within the scheme extent and also leads to other properties in the vicinity. There are bus stops and a paved footpath adjacent to the southbound carriageway in the south of the scheme, within Garve. A railway level crossing is present at the southern extent of the scheme. There are several laybys located throughout the scheme extent which are popular stopping points for tourists.

According to Scottish Road Works there are no other road works currently programmed within 300m of the scheme (Scottish Road Works).

There are no National Cycle Network (NCN) routes (OS Maps) located within 300m of the scheme.

There are two walking paths within 300m of the scheme listed on WalkHighlands, the closest being ‘Silverbridge riverside circuit, near Garve’, which crosses beneath the A835 carriageway within the scheme extent. This is also a Core Path (ID RC20.01) (Highland Council).

Transport Scotland’s manual data counter (site number ATC01100) located within the scheme, recorded an annual daily total (ADT) of 4,066 motor vehicles in 2024, of which 17.6% were heavy goods vehicles (HGVs).

Traffic management will consist of temporary traffic lights and verge TM, and daytime working.

Road drainage and the water environment

‘Strathconon and Muir of Ord Sand and Gravel’ (ID 170790) and ‘Northern Highlands’ (ID 150701) are groundwater bodies which underlie the scheme and are Drinking Water Protected Areas (Ground). They were both awarded an overall status of ‘good’ in 2023 by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) under the Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC (WFD) (Water Classification Hub).

Black Water – Loch Garve to Garbat (ID 20180) is located adjacent to the east of the scheme and flows beneath the A835 at the northern extent of the scheme. It was awarded an overall status of ‘good ecological potential’ in 2023 by SEPA under the WFD (Water Classification Hub).

Allt a Mhuilinn (ID 20184) flows beneath the A835 near Little Garve. It was awarded an overall status of ‘good ecological potential’ in 2023 by SEPA under the WFD (Water Classification Hub).

Within the scheme extents there is a range of low (0.1% chance each year) to high (10% chance each year) likelihood of the area flooding due to surface and river waters (SEPA Flood Maps).

Small unclassified surface waterbodies and/or culverted drainage channels that flow below and within proximity of the A835 may be present within 300m of the scheme.

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).