A83 safety measures prevent closure during Storm Desmond

A 1,000-tonne landslide around the Rest and Be Thankful during Storm Desmond did not lead to any road closures thanks to protection measures.

Bear Scotland, who maintain the road, said the A83 remained open despite the incident last weekend when much of Scotland was battered by the storm.

Teams from Bear have now been deployed to remove the debris.

Temporary traffic lights will be in place until Christmas at least while work is carried out.

Bear said a "small amount of slurry" reached the edge of the road as a result of water coming from the hillside.

A road sweeper was mobilised and helped to clear the mud.

Staff at the road maintenance firm said five debris protection barriers were found to have caught boulders and sediment as a result of material coming down from the steep slopes of the hillside.

Transport minister Derek Mackay said: "The Scottish government is firmly committed to mitigating the effects on landslides on the A83 and has continued to invest and take forward work at the Rest and Be Thankful, as well as other areas prone to landslides.

"This is a vital route for communities in Argyll and we know how important it is that the road stays open. This recent landslide has shown us that our investment has helped to keep the A83 open."

Eddie Ross, a spokesman for Bear Scotland, said: "Despite the extremely heavy rainfall this weekend, the A83 remained opened to motorists. This is in part the result of three years of hard work by our engineers to install netting at the site to help mitigate the effects of landslides on the route.

"We will continue to monitor the slope, particularly during periods of inclement weather, and work with our specialist contractor to clear the debris from the nets and carry out any necessary repairs as soon as possible."