Leeds to Aberdeen Road Trip
Leeds to Aberdeen Road Trip
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gruffalo

Original Poster:

7,889 posts

242 months

Friday 23rd October 2015
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Planning a bit of a road trip that will involve heading from just South of Leeds to Aberdeen Ferry Terminal.

We are looking for a bit of a scenic trip but we need to be in Aberdeen by around 5pm and also don't want to have to get up at the crack of dawn to get there in time.

Does anyone have a suggested route we could follow otherwise we were thinking A1 - A66 - M6 - M74 - A93 and on to Aberdeen?

Peanut Gallery

2,597 posts

126 months

Friday 23rd October 2015
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For the end bit, when coming in towards Aberdeen from the A93, when you get to Banchory cross over the river Dee, then cross the small bridge by the Falls of Feugh (good salmon jumping watching spot), then come in the rest of the way on that road - unnamed road and then the B9077.

Slightly longer, but the A93 just turns into a mind numbing 30 / 40mph bore from then on..

Depending on when you are coming up, the A93 does get closed due to snow occasionally.

PaulD86

1,767 posts

142 months

Tuesday 27th October 2015
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Depends how long extra you can deal with. If you head off the main road at Perth and follow the signs for Braemar (A93) you can take a route over the Spittal of Glenshee road which is probably my favourite road in the country. In Blairgowrie you have to take a left to stay with the A93 which can be easy to meet, but from Blairgowrie to Braemar is an amazing drive, just take it easy as you won't know the road and there are some crests into corners you wouldn't want to overcook. This road was used for the Top Gear F-Type and F12 tests and is part of Henry Catchpoles 'dream drives' he did a video about for EVO in an Aston.

Word to the wise, if you are coming up the main roads then be aware that Scotland loves a camera van, especially on the A90. Dual carriageways in Scotland are not the places to try and 'make progress'. And the Scotland doesn't do speed awareness courses because that might be kind.

gruffalo

Original Poster:

7,889 posts

242 months

Wednesday 28th October 2015
quotequote all
PaulD86 said:
Depends how long extra you can deal with. If you head off the main road at Perth and follow the signs for Braemar (A93) you can take a route over the Spittal of Glenshee road which is probably my favourite road in the country. In Blairgowrie you have to take a left to stay with the A93 which can be easy to meet, but from Blairgowrie to Braemar is an amazing drive, just take it easy as you won't know the road and there are some crests into corners you wouldn't want to overcook. This road was used for the Top Gear F-Type and F12 tests and is part of Henry Catchpoles 'dream drives' he did a video about for EVO in an Aston.

Word to the wise, if you are coming up the main roads then be aware that Scotland loves a camera van, especially on the A90. Dual carriageways in Scotland are not the places to try and 'make progress'. And the Scotland doesn't do speed awareness courses because that might be kind.
Thanks for the advice, guess we will be driving like miss Daisy north of the boarder.

We will look into the route you suggested, we just need to be I time for the ferry to Shetland on the Friday night.


ianrb

1,610 posts

156 months

Friday 30th October 2015
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A1, A68, A7, Edinburgh Bypass, M90, A93

Hammond1073

109 posts

127 months

Monday 2nd November 2015
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Forget M6, take the A1 all the way up the East coast. Much more scenic route. Over the Forth bridge through Dundee then on to Aberdeen. Good luck with that ferry😀
Just returned from my twice yearly trip to Shetland. Drove from Doncaster to Aberdeen then flew to Shetland and hired a car

Hammond1073

109 posts

127 months

Monday 2nd November 2015
quotequote all
Forget M6, take the A1 all the way up the East coast. Much more scenic route. Over the Forth bridge through Dundee then on to Aberdeen. Good luck with that ferry😀
Just returned from my twice yearly trip to Shetland. Drove from Doncaster to Aberdeen then flew to Shetland and hired a car

markmullen

15,877 posts

250 months

Tuesday 3rd November 2015
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A1 is boring and unpleasant for a lot of it, take the A697 up past Rothbury and on to Coldstream. A great driving road, usually deserted, a few fixed cameras on the Scottish side but all very visible.

Head to Edinburgh, over the Forth bridge and onto the M90 as far as Perth, from across country to Braemar, Ballater etc.

PaulD86

1,767 posts

142 months

Tuesday 3rd November 2015
quotequote all
markmullen said:
A1 is boring and unpleasant for a lot of it
+1

It's a road I'd avoid at all costs, especially north of Newcastle - single carriageways, stuck behind lorries etc

gruffalo

Original Poster:

7,889 posts

242 months

Tuesday 3rd November 2015
quotequote all
markmullen said:
A1 is boring and unpleasant for a lot of it, take the A697 up past Rothbury and on to Coldstream. A great driving road, usually deserted, a few fixed cameras on the Scottish side but all very visible.

Head to Edinburgh, over the Forth bridge and onto the M90 as far as Perth, from across country to Braemar, Ballater etc.
Sounds promising, compiling a list of routes to put before the team to try and form a condenses.

6 cars in the convoy now.