An Argyll road was closed for nearly 40 hours after a man died in a “hit and run” incident near Taynuilt.
Officers were called to the A85 Oban to Perth road at about 1am on Sunday after a 61-year-old man was found at the roadside.
The route was only reopened at 4pm on Monday while specialist investigators worked at the scene at Kirkton to piece together what happened.
Police say initial inquiries suggest the man may have been struck by a vehicle travelling on the A85 between 12.30am and 1am on Sunday.
It is not known if it was travelling towards Oban or Crianlarich – but officers suspect it could have been damaged in the incident.
Lengthy diversion for motorists
The road closure means motorists have been forced to take a lengthy diversion route.
Traffic Scotland has estimated the alternative route adds about 85 miles to drivers travelling to Oban on the A85.
Motorists travelling west towards the coast are being rerouted onto the A819 Inverary road, A83 Lochgilphead road and the A816 Oban road.
Ferry operator CalMac delayed some sailings on Sunday morning to allow traffic extra time to reach the port in Oban.
However, crossings have since been running on schedule with motorists advised by Traffic Scotland to leave “plenty of extra time” for journeys.
Can you help police with clues?
Police have issued an appeal for witnesses to establish how the man died on the A85.
Officers have been doing door-to-door inquiries and are checking public and private CCTV footage for clues.
⌚️10:05
The #A85 remains closed at Taynuilt following an RTC yesterday morning.
The signed diversion is via #A819 – #A83 – #A816 and will add around 85 miles to your journey – please allow plenty of extra travel time.@NWTrunkRoads pic.twitter.com/WUSSGf0Vkp
— Traffic Scotland (@trafficscotland) October 11, 2021
Detective Inspector Scott Hamilton said: “It’s imperative we find out how this man has died. His family is devastated by what has happened.
“We are working to establish the full circumstances and I am appealing to anyone who was on the A85 to contact us. Any small piece of information could assist the investigation.”
Anyone with information should call police on 101, quoting incident number 0293 from October 10, or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 to stay anonymous.