Jeep study unveils the quietest roads across the UK

Jeep UK has finished some research that found the quietest major roads in the UK, used by the fewest vehicles per day, with the A844 in the Isle of Bute coming out on top with just 77 vehicles per day. Within the top 10 are A-roads all located in Scotland across the Highlands, Orkney, Isle of Islay and the Shetland Islands, the quietest outside of Scotland being A4085 in Eryri (Snowdonia). The A686 in the North Pennines is the quietest road on mainland England

Jeep UK has released a list of Britain’s quietest major roads, the research highlighting that some routes in the UK are almost entirely traffic-free. The analysis of road traffic statistics from the Department for Transport found a section of the A844 on the Isle of Bute in Scotland to be Britain’s quietest major road. It provides transport for an estimated average of just 77 vehicles along the 5-mile-long stretch of road between the B881 and B878 junctions each day in both directions – fewer than four vehicles per hour.

The road passes by Scalpsie Bay, an ideal location to see the huge colony of seals that reside there. Census data shows that Bute's population is decreasing, perhaps explaining the A844's ranking as Britain’s quietest major road.

To compare, Britain’s busiest road – the M25 motorway surrounding Greater London – typically sees more than 200,000 vehicles per day between certain junctions.

Following closly behind in second is the A838 near Lairg in the Scottish Highlands. The road cuts across the middle of the popular North Coast 500 tourist route, however it only sees an average of 88 vehicles per day along the 34-mile length of road. Despite it being in the category of A-road, it is a single-track road with dedicated passing places, but thanks to its good visibility it is still a great route to travel down for driving enthusiasts.

Taking podium position 3 is a patch of the A941 between the villages of Elrick and Rhynie, situated northeast of the Cairngorms National Park in Scotland. It only receieve an average of 113 vehicles each day.

Looking south of Scotland border, the quietest major road can be found in Wales along a six-mile length of the A4085. Seeing just 318 vehicles travelling along the single-carriageway daily, the road is ideal for those seeking a quiet Welsh road set in the country’s infamous Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park. The road runs parallel to the Welsh Highland Railway – a heritage line that offers passengers stunning views of the surrounding mountainous countryside.

Second position is taken by the A3110 on the Isles of Scilly, seeing just 324 vehicles on average per day. With just over 2,000 residents living on the islands, and few vehicles spare between them, it is no surprise that the A3110 ranks highly. Completing the non-Scotland top three is the A4069 in Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons), Wales, with 397 vehicles per day.

On mainland England, a 1-mile section of the A686 near the village of Langley takes the top spot with 511 vehicles per day. The road, spanning the North Pennines National Park, offers scenic views of north England. In second place is the adjoining A689, with the A3078 in Cornwall rounding off the list.

Managing Director at Jeep UK, Kris Cholmondeley, commented: “At Jeep, we’re all for taking the road less travelled. By shining a light on the most traffic-free roads, we hope Jeep owners will be encouraged to explore some of these more remote and beautiful parts of the country and escape the rush of everyday life. With more than 40 million vehicles now on UK roads, most places are more congested than ever, but our research proves it’s still possible to enjoy wonderfully peaceful stretches of road that showcase some the nation’s most picturesque locations.”

Top 10 quietest major roads in Britain:

1: A844 between the B881/B878 - Isle of Bute, Scotland - 77 cars per day
2: A838 between the A836/A894 - Highlands, Scotland - 88 cars per day
3: A941 between the B9002/A97 - Moray, Scotland - 113 cars per day
4: A966 between the B9057/A967 - Orkney, Scotland - 123 cars per day
5: A897 between the B871/A836 - Highlands, Scotland - 125 cars per day
6: A861 between the A830/Corran Ferry - Highlands, Scotland - 165 cars per day
7: A846 between the Feolin Ferry/Lussagiven - Isle of Islay, Scotland - 185 cars per day
8: A970 between the A970 split/End - Shetland Islands, Scotland - 207 cars per day
9: A971 between the End/A971 Split - Shetland Islands, Scotland - 216 cars per day
10: A702 between the B7075/B729 - Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland - 219 cars per day

Top 10 quietest major roads in England:

1: A3110 between the A3111/A3112 - Isles of Scilly - 324 cars per day
2: A686 between the B6305/B6295 - Northumberland - 511 cars per day
3: A689 between the A686/A68 - Durham/Cumbria - 542 cars per day
4: A3078 between Castle Point/Buckleys Lane - Cornwall - 617 cars per day
5: A683 between the A684/A685 - Cumbria - 655 cars per day
6: A684 between the A683/LA Boundary - Cumbria - 747 cars per day
7: A593 between the A595/A5084 - Cumbria - 788 cars per day
8: A396 between the LA Boundary/B3224 - Somerset - 1023 cars per day
9: A5091 between the A592/A66(T) - Lake District - 1124 cars per day
10: A640 between the A6052/B6114 - Kirklees - 1129 cars per day

Top 10 quietest major roads in Wales:

1: A4085 between the A487/A498 - Eryri, Snowdonia - 318 cars per day
2: A4069 between the A4068/High Street - Bannau Brycheinlog, Brecon Beacons - 397 cars per day
3: A4120 between the B4343 Devil's Bridge/A44 Ponterwyd, Aberystwyth, 398 cars per day
4: A543 between the A5/A544 - Conwy - 428 cars per day
5: A496 between Bryn Glas/A487 - Eryri, Snowdonia - 589 cars per day
6: A4219 between the A487/A40 - Pembrokeshire - 673 cars per day
7: A481 between Llanelwedd/A44 - Powys - 708 cars per day
8: A498 between A4085/A4085 - Gwynedd - 760 cars per day
9: A4054 between A465/A470 - Merthyr Tydfil - 809 cars per day
10: A544 between A543/B5382 - Conwy - 844 cars per day

DISCOVER USED JEEP CONFIGURE VEHICLES