The Plan Day 9: East Coast Scotland for Easter.

Plan for Day 9: Wick to Rosyth
(384 miles, really not the 11hours Bingmaps say, probably more like 8.)

I said in my last post that Day 9 now won the longest stint prize by a long way, because I had only looked at the hours it would take according to Bing Maps. In fact, it's only 2 miles further than day 2, and I have no idea why it is suggested that this should take 11 hours. The roads look similar in quality, if not better, than those of Day 2. From the links I will post at the end it is suggested that the last 95 miles will take 3 and a half hours! That's an average speed of 27mph, despite quite a lot of the route being on rural roads. Something strange going on there and it will be interesting to see how Bing's estimates match up with reality.

Scottish Roads: All about the bridges.
  © Copyright Toby Speight and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence 

Day 9 starts by heading south from Wick, down the A99 then A9 (single-digit A-road number 7) to Inverness and I will marvel at how quickly I will have gotten there considering how long will have taken to get anywhere up the Scottish west coast. The east coast journey is much quicker all around really as the whole of the east coast of Britain is somewhat flatter and straighter than the west coast. Eastward from Inverness, next up will be Fraserburgh before heading down to Aberdeen.


Appropriate place to be driving through at Easter.


The route continues through Abroath, Dundee and lots of other places known for having football teams. Across the Tay it will be down through St. Andrews, around to Kirkcaldy before reaching Rosyth. I then have the longest trip off my route to my accommodation, as the Travelodge for Day 9 is in Dunfermline, mainly due to all the Edinburgh ones being in the middle of the city and Edinburgh is not a car-friendly place. Day 9 will also happen to be Easter Sunday, which will bring hopefully nice quiet roads, but also slight logistical issues regards eating and possible getting petrol, though I think a lot of the major chains open on Easter Sunday anyway. 


Directions for the day are:

1. A99 then A9 to Inverness
2. At junction at Inverness, A96 to Nairn
3. Follow A96 through Elgin
4. At Fochabers, left onto A98
5. Left onto A990 Portgordon
6. Follow A990 along Buckie seafront
7. Left onto A942 to Portknockie
8. Follow A942 back to A98
9. Continue on A98 throgh Banff and Macduff and then to Fraserburgh
10. In Fraserburgh, follow A98 which becomes A90
11. A982 in and out of Peterhead, back to A90
12. Left onto A975, Crudden Bay
13. Follow A975 back to A90
14. At Aberdeen onto A956
15. Left at traffic lights at Arts Centre (looks like a church)
16. Follow signs for Dundee and Perth (A90) - still A956
17. A90 towards Dundee
18. At Stonehaven, junction for A92 to Montrose
19. Follow A92 through Montrose, then Arbroath
20. At junction, A930 to Carnostie
21. Follow A930 into Dundee
22. Straight on to A92 at traffic lights
23. Tay Bridge (keep left)
24. Second r/b after bridge, left, A914 Cupar
25. Road becomes A919, follow to A91
26. A91 towards St. Andrews
27. In St. Andrews, straight on at R/b, A917 Crail
28. Follow A917 signs, throug Crail and Anstruther
29. Road becomes A915 in Upper Largo
30. Left at r/b in Leven for A955
31. In Kirkcaldy, straight on at r/b, A921
32. Follow A921 to A90/M90 J1

Maps:
Wick to Montrose
Montrose to Rosyth