The A93 is a major

road A road is a linear way for the conveyance of traffic that mostly has an improved surface for use by vehicles (motorized and non-motorized) and pedestrians. Unlike streets, the main function of roads is transportation. There are many types of ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

and the highest public road in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

. It runs north from

Perth Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...

through

Blairgowrie and Rattray Blairgowrie may refer to: * Blairgowrie, Perth and Kinross, a town in Scotland now part of the burgh of Blairgowrie and Rattray * Blairgowrie, Victoria, Australia * Blairgowrie, Gauteng Blairgowrie is a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. It i ...

, then through the

Grampian Mountains The Grampian Mountains (''Am Monadh'' in Scottish Gaelic, Gaelic) is one of the three major mountain ranges in Scotland, that together occupy about half of Scotland. The other two ranges are the Northwest Highlands and the Southern Uplands. T ...

by way of

Glenshee Glen Shee () is a glen in eastern Perthshire, Scotland. Shee Water flows through the glen. The head of the glen, where Gleann Taitneach and Glen Lochsie meet, is approximately 2 km north-west of the Spittal of Glenshee; it then ru ...

, the

Cairnwell Pass The Cairnwell Pass ( gd, Càrn a' Bhailg) is a mountain pass on the A93 road between Glen Shee, Perthshire, and Braemar, Aberdeenshire, in the Scottish Highlands. The border between the two counties crosses the summit of the pass. With a sum ...

and Glen Clunie to

Braemar Braemar is a village in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, around west of Aberdeen in the Highlands. It is the closest significantly-sized settlement to the upper course of the River Dee sitting at an elevation of . The Gaelic ''Bràigh Mhàrr'' prop ...

Aberdeenshire Aberdeenshire ( sco, Aiberdeenshire; gd, Siorrachd Obar Dheathain) is one of the 32 Subdivisions of Scotland#council areas of Scotland, council areas of Scotland. It takes its name from the County of Aberdeen which has substantially differe ...

. At Braemar, the road then switches east down the

strath A strath is a large valley, typically a river valley that is wide and shallow (as opposed to a glen, which is typically narrower and deep). Word and etymology An anglicisation of the Gaelic word ''srath'', it is one of many that have been ab ...

of the River Dee before crossing the A90 and terminating in

Aberdeen Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...

Route

Leaving Perth it passes Scone Palace, ancient coronation site of Scottish kings and now home to Britain's most northerly racecourse, continues through the planned 19th-century village of Guildtown before crossing the River Isla and passing the famous Meikleour Beech Hedge, planted to commemorate the 1715 Jacobite Rebellion and now the tallest hedge in the world. Five miles north lies Blairgowrie and Rattray, the largest town in Perthshire, where the road crosses the River Ericht. 6 miles up Glenericht it reaches the little village of

Bridge of Cally Bridge of Cally is a small village in Kirkmichael parish, Perth and Kinross, Scotland. It sits at the junction of three glens, Glenshee, Strathardle and Glenericht and is centred round the bridge over the River Ardle 200m before it joins the Bla ...

and begins the long climb up into Glenshee, eventually passing the historic settlement of Spittal of Glenshee whose hotel was originally a shelter for travellers run by monks from Coupar Angus abbey. The hotel was destroyed by fire in 2014. At this point it climbs from Glenshee onto the bleak desolate moors of Glenbeg and the snow gates at Spittal of Glenshee, which are regularly closed in winter (which here can be from October to April) to prevent motorists becoming stranded overnight. At the

, the road reaches its maximum elevation of 670 metres (2199 feet) above sea level and passes the

Glenshee Ski Centre Glenshee Ski Centre is an alpine snowsports area in the Scottish Highlands. It is located above the Cairnwell Pass at the head of Glen Shee on either side of the A93 road between Blairgowrie and Braemar. Glenshee is Britain's largest alpine ...

, Scotland's largest ski centre. At this point it is the highest public road in the United Kingdom. The southern approach to the Cairnwell Pass used to include a notorious double

hairpin bend A hairpin turn (also hairpin bend or hairpin corner) is a bend in a road with a very acute inner angle, making it necessary for an oncoming vehicle to turn about 180° to continue on the road. It is named for its resemblance to a bent metal hai ...

with steep gradients known as the Devil's Elbow. This was bypassed by a new stretch of road in the early 1970s but the old hairpin bends and World War II anti-tank traps can be accessed on foot from a lay-by part way up the hill. Over the summit of the Cairnwell Pass the road enters Aberdeenshire and the standard of the carriageway improves considerably, wider and better surfaced than the 42 miles in Perthshire. Descending now, it runs along deserted Glen Clunie alongside the Clunie Water for 8 miles to Braemar, a village 1110 feet above sea level at the west end of Royal Deeside. So far the road has been running roughly north but here it turns east for the 60-mile descent to the North Sea at Aberdeen. 10 miles from Braemar it passes Balmoral Castle, holiday home of the Royal Family, then continues through Ballater, where many small local shops display the Royal Warrant, Dinnet, Aboyne, Kincardine O'Neil, Banchory and Peterculter before entering Aberdeen city.

Storms of 2015

A section of the A93 near

Crathie Crathie ( gd, Craichidh) is a village in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It stands on the north bank of the River Dee. Abergeldie Castle is away. It was built around 1550 and had 19th century additions. It was garrisoned by General Hugh Mackay in 1 ...

collapsed on 29–30 December 2015 due to pressure from the overflowing River Dee. The Dee had burst its banks due to the effects of

Storm Frank A storm is any disturbed state of the natural environment or the atmosphere of an astronomical body. It may be marked by significant disruptions to normal conditions such as strong wind, tornadoes, hail, thunder and lightning (a thunderstorm), ...

, which caused very severe flooding across Deeside.'Storm Frank: A Day of Total Chaos in the North-East of Scotland', ''The Press and Journal'', 30 December 2015; https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/aberdeen/792460/storm-frank-wreaks-havoc-with-flooding-nightmare/. Retrieved 2015-12-31.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:9-0093 Roads in Scotland Transport in Perth and Kinross Transport in Aberdeenshire Transport in Aberdeen

Route

Storms of 2015

See also

References