Glen
Glen Croe
The A83 summit pass named on an 18th-century military-road stone — Rest and be Thankful — and a hillside that keeps sliding onto the road below.
- Corbetts
- 4
- Grahams
- 2
- Highest peak
- Beinn an Lochain (901.7m)
Glen Croe is a steep, short glen carrying the A83 from the head of Loch Long to the Rest and be Thankful summit pass (244m). The road climbs 200m in less than 5km through a tight valley — spectacular from a car, demanding on foot. Below the A83, on the floor of the glen, runs the single-track Old Military Road, which is used as the local diversion when the A83 is shut. From the viewpoint car park the glen drops away below, with Ben Donich rising on the south side of the pass.
The A83 here is prone to closure. The slope above the road, on Beinn Luibhean, sheds debris onto the carriageway in heavy rain, and precautionary closures can happen several times in a single winter. Traffic is then usually sent along the Old Military Road through the glen; when that cannot be used either, the diversion is long. Transport Scotland is developing a long-term solution for the route, and published the draft Orders for it on 13 December 2024 (transport.gov.scot, read 2026-10-28). Check Traffic Scotland before travelling.
The road in
Parking1 spot
Rest and be Thankful viewpoint car park
Charge not published — check on site
Car park at the summit pass. Start point for Ben Donich, and the viewpoint down the glen.
Hills from Glen Croe4 Corbetts · 2 Grahams
What's in the glen
Rest and be Thankful
The summit pass of Glen Croe (244m), named on the stone set up beside the military road in the 18th century. The present stone records the 93rd Regiment's repair of 1768 and the handover to the Commissioners for Highland Roads and Bridges in 1814. From the viewpoint, Glen Croe drops away below, with the Old Military Road on its floor.
Caulfeild military road
The single-track Old Military Road on the floor of Glen Croe, below the A83. It follows the line of the 1747–49 military road built under Major William Caulfeild, and it is the road traffic is diverted onto when the A83 is closed — it is a public road, not a walking path.
Ben Donich
Ben Donich is the Corbett on the south side of the Rest and be Thankful, climbed from the viewpoint car park. The summit gives views down Glen Croe and west toward Loch Fyne.
Croe Water
Our take
Stop at the viewpoint car park. The Rest and be Thankful is one of the most satisfying summit passes in Scotland to stand at — the view down the glen is long and steep, the old road in the glen below gives the place historical depth, and Ben Donich, the Corbett on the south side of the pass, makes a good half-day hill from the car park. Check Traffic Scotland before any autumn or winter journey through here — a landslide closure on the A83 has a disproportionate impact on everything west of Loch Long.
History
This section of the Dumbarton–Inveraray military road was built between 1747 and 1749 under the overall direction of Major William Caulfeild, by a workforce of up to 450 soldiers as well as civilian workmen and contractors. It is often attributed to General Wade, but it belongs to Caulfeild's programme.
The first stone at the summit is thought to have read "Rest, and Be Thankful / This road was made, in 1748, by the 24th regiment", and to have recorded a repair by the 93rd Regiment in 1768; its whereabouts are no longer known. The present granite stone records the repair by the 93rd Regiment in 1768 and the transfer of the road to the Commissioners for Highland Roads and Bridges in 1814. In the 1930s the line of the road was altered in several places, including the head of Glen Croe, so the stone marks the original road rather than the modern one (Historic Environment Scotland listing LB11816, read 2026-10-28).
Practical
- Mobile signal
- Good signal along the A83. Limited on the hill routes above.
- Midges
- Moderate(3/5)
- Public transport
- Citylink coaches between Glasgow and Argyll use the A83 — check Citylink for stops and timetables.
- Dogs
- On lead — livestock or ground-nesting birds present.
Map
Hills (green), bothies (brown), parking (blue), wild swimming (light blue).
Scotland outdoor updates
Route guides, condition reports and seasonal picks — once a month, no noise.
Glen Croe — common questions
- What's the road into Glen Croe like?
- A-road for the full length. Give yourself more driving time than the map suggests.
- Is Glen Croe suitable for motorhomes and campervans?
- Yes — Glen Croe is suitable for motorhomes and campervans. Take care on any single-track sections and use passing places to let local traffic past.
- How bad are the midges in Glen Croe?
- Glen Croe's midge rating is 3/5 — significant from late May to September. Sheltered, humid evenings are the worst; high wind and the high tops are safest. Carry Smidge and a head net from May onwards.
- Is wild camping allowed in Glen Croe?
- Wild camping in Scotland is legal under the Land Reform Act 2003 on most unenclosed land, subject to the Scottish Outdoor Access Code. Avoid enclosed agricultural ground, camp in small numbers, and leave no trace. The Loch Lomond and Trossachs Camping Management Zones (which restrict wild camping in marked areas March-September) do not apply to Glen Croe.
- Is there public transport to Glen Croe?
- Citylink coaches between Glasgow and Argyll use the A83 — check Citylink for stops and timetables.