A93 between Bridge of Cally and Braemar
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
Leaving the Bridge of Cally the hedges obscure the approaching bends and deciduous trees leave the tarmac dark, damp and slippery. Corners come thick but not fast, regularly tightening midway round or falling away over a crest. The B951 marks the boundary of the Cairngorms National Park and it's accompanied by a change in character of both the road and the scenery. After a short climb a great glen opens up before you, speared through its heart by the steely grey asphalt. Numerous crests and dips do their best to dislodge you from the road, as though the valley is trying to send you back from whence you came.
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
Highlights and lowlights:
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
Sights, stop-offs and diversions:
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.
My Dream Drive is sponsored by Dunlop Tyres. To share yours email
dreamdrives@pistonheads.com
- if we publish your Dream Drive you'll get a pair of complimentary tickets to the 2013 BTCC round of your choosing, courtesy of Dunlop Tyres.
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