My Dream Drive: A93 Braemar
Picking a single 'Dream Drive' in Scotland isn't easy but here's one to get us started
Where: A93 between Bridge of Cally and Braemar
Car used: Lotus Elise S1 Sport 135
Why's it a Dream Drive? This should answer it
Unless you're an oil worker, skier or member of the Royal Family the opportunity to drive this gorgeous stretch of A-road through the Cairngorms won't come up too often. Which is a great shame, because it's one of the finest drives north of the border. Although it links Perth and Aberdeen, the part to concentrate on is the 30 miles between Bridge of Cally and Braemar.
Why it's a dream drive:
The A93 probably gets as close as is possible in the UK to the rugged beauty of a European alpine pass. Approached from the south through a magnificent glen, the road climbs higher than anywhere else in the UK, passing by the ski runs of Glenshee, before gradually shussing down to Braemar through a series of elegant turns.
It's the highest pass in the UK - dress accordingly
At the foot of pass the surface changes, the road widens and the scenery closes in on either side. A sign at the summit tells you the elevation is 2,199ft. Perthshire slips into your rear view mirror and Aberdeenshire fills your windscreen. The road becomes a pinkish hue that matches the granite of the surrounding mountains. Devoid of trees, coated in heather, Glen Clunie is archetypal Cairngorms. It's well-sighted from here to Braemar, and provided traffic is light, you can carve a racing line through the sweeping bends, clipping apeces and sending little puffs of dust skywards as your inside wheels kiss the rumble strips. It's pure motoring heaven.
Worth the hike for scenery and roads like this
The changing character of both the road and the landscape means it is all to be savoured. However, the section from Glenshee ski hill to Braemar has the perfect combination of flowing curves, smooth, grippy surface and excellent sight lines.
South of Glenshee, the frequent blind crests and deep compressions require discretion. Fresh sump scars and macabre yellow signs indicating the number of motorbike accidents offer further proof that this road demands respect.
Being the highest road in the UK also means it's prone to becoming impassable due to snow. Keep an eye on weather reports if you're going in winter.
No sledging in the Elise on this trip
There's pretty much the square root of sod all along the A93. However, the Glenshee Ski area has a cafe, and, sometimes even snow. So you could pack your salopettes and head out for a bit of mid-drive mogul hot-dogging. Braemar is a good place to refuel both your car and your belly. Taste, the coffee shop/cafe is particularly recommended. Well worth consideration is pushing on to Balmoral and Ballater. Motivation comes in the form of the Royal Lochnager Distillery, just staggering distance from Balmoral. And the A93 is almost as good to Ballater as it is back to Perth.
To follow the route click here.
seem to remember taking the old military road between the A93 at banchory back to the A90 back to Lawrencekirk just to avoid a traffic accident at Stone haven... Any excuse for some windy roads... But again alot of its well sighted, some Hairpins to contend with depending on the route... Great fun..
Not so much fun now living in Oman!
The good sightlines between Glenshee and Braemar do indeed lend it an 'Alpine' feel. Heading back towards Aberdeen, the B976 (on the south side of the Dee from half way between Braemar and Ballater and on through Aboyne towards Strachan) is also fun but with considerably less visibility. It should be generally quieter/safer than the A93 (Braemar>Aberdeen) but I guess there are more bikers around these days to look out for.
P.S. Don't forget to take in the B974 from Strachan to Fettercairn over the Cairn O'Mount. Parts of it echo the Nurburgring - if only it was one way!
Great, great road.
One day...
Lots of great roads in this neck of the woods, and up the West Coast. Nice and quiet as well!
When heading south, come down off the summit and a few miles later you hit the bumps and humps (some will know the stretch I mean); if ever there was a chace to get some air under your car, its there!
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