Rest and Be Thankful

The view from Rest and be Thankful, with the old road and the new

Rest and be Thankful is a spot on the long road between the heads of Loch Long and Loch Fyne in Argyllshire, now the A83; part of the long route from Glasgow to the west coast and Kintyre. This is the route of an old Military Road through the Arrochar Alps

The road climbs to the head of Glen Croe, ready to descend the Bealach an Easain Duibh to the Kinglass Water (whose glen then leads westwards), and this highest point of the road, at NN230074, the watershed between Loch Lomond and Loch Long, is known as "Rest and Be Thankful".

Here there is a sharp turn and the junction with the B-road leading down to Lochgoilhead. It is today a viewpoint with a picnic area.

The road through Rest and Be Thankful is a mountain pass through the Arrochar Alps from Loch Long to Loch Fyne. It received its name from the words inscribed on a stone by the road here: "REST & BE THANKFUL"

The stone was carved by the soldiers who built the original military road in 1753. The original stone fell into ruin and was replaced by a commemorative stone at the same site.

The words are apposite, for in this section the climb out of Glen Croe is so long and steep at the end that it was traditional for travellers to rest at the top, and be thankful for having reached the highest point.

The road today is no longer on the same route as the old Military Road, which is now known as the Drovers' Road: the Drovers' Road follows a twisty course up Glen Croe but the modern road is carved through a higher, straighter contour.