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A939

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A939
Location Map ( geo)
Cameraicon.png View gallery (120)
From:  Nairn (NH889563)
To:  Ballater (NO349971)
Distance:  59.6 miles (95.9 km)
Meets:  A96, B9101, B9007, A940, B9102, A95, B9136, B9008, A944, B976, A93
Former Number(s):  B970, B969, B972
Old route now:  B976
Highway Authorities

Aberdeenshire • Highland • Moray

Traditional Counties

Aberdeenshire • Banffshire • Inverness-shire • Moray • Nairnshire

Route outline (key)
A939 Nairn – Grantown on Spey
(A95) Grantown on Spey
A939 Grantown on Spey – Ballater
A939 Gairnshiel Lodge – Crathie

Route

Route Overview

Main Article: A939/route

The A939 is perhaps one of the most varied and enjoyable drives Scotland has to offer, certainly of any route under 60 miles long. It starts in the fertile farmland of the Moray Firth and heads south into the Cairngorm Mountains. There are four major climbs, with the road crossing the 300m contour four times, and reaching a summit of 638m. Despite this, however, the road is often quiet, and has to give way to other routes at no less than five TOTSO junctions, with a sixth due to be opened in 2023. Sections of the route are single track, longer stretches are too narrow to have a centre line, and there are few sections that are straight and level as the road twists and climbs through the passes.

AA Box at Dava

Nairn - Grantown-on-Spey

Main Article: A939/Nairn - Grantown-on-Spey

The road starts in the pleasant coastal town of Nairn, but doesn't take long to leave as it heads south through the fertile landscape that surrounds the Moray Firth. It soon finds itself winding through the low hills around the Findhorn Valley, before striking off on the long climb up to Dava Moor. This is perhaps the first taste of what is to come, but before long the summit is crossed and the road starts the descent into Strathspey and the bustling town of Grantown.

Lecht Summit

Grantown-on-Spey - Cock Bridge

Main Article: A939/Grantown-on-Spey - Cock Bridge

After a brief multiplex with the A95, the A939 starts climbing again, a long hard climb across the hills to cross the watershed and dive steeply down to the Bridge of Brown set at the bottom of its steep glen. A shorter climb takes the road over the hill to the Bridge of Avon, and so in to the mountain village of Tomintoul. Continung south, with the valley sides slowly closing in on the road, it appears to have no way out until the Well of the Lecht is reached, and the road turns to climb dramatically up and over the Lecht Pass, reaching its summit before the spectacular descent to Cock Bridge.

Cock Bridge - Ballater

Main Article: A939/Cock Bridge - Ballater

Cock Bridge lies at the head of Srath Don, but there is only a brief respite in this scenic valley before the road is climbing once more, over the hills to Glen Gairn where the stunning Gairnshiel Bridge is due to be bypassed in 2023. The last section is narrow and twisty as the road winds down the glen to meet the A93 near Ballater on Deeside.

Brief History

Much of the route of the A939 was built by Major Caulfeild in the 1750s as part of his military Road from Perthshire to Fort George on the Moray Firth. Despite this, only the northern section of the route, from Nairn to Grantown was classified as the A939 in 1922, the remainder being the B970. By 1946 this has been changed, and the A939 extended south to the A93 near Balmoral, later being swapped to its current route.

The 1922 MOT Road List defines this route as: Grantown-on-Spey - Nairn





A939
Junctions
Crossings
Roads
Places
Related Pictures
View gallery (120)
A939 - Coppermine - 20275.jpgB969-B970.jpgBridge over the River Don - Geograph - 584875.jpgColnabaichin-br2.jpgA944 Corgarff - AA telephone.jpg
Other nearby roads
Nairn
Grantown on Spey
Tomintoul
Ballater
A900-A999
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Defunct Itineries: A920 (Perth) • A920 (Banff) • A921 (Perth) • A921 (Fife) • A922 • A949 • A951 • A968 • A982
Hill and Mountain Passes
IrelandBallybane Pass • Barnesmore Gap • Black Valley Pass • Borlin Valley Pass • Caha Pass • Conor Pass • Cousane Gap • Doo Lough Pass • Gap of Dunloe • Glenshane Pass • Healy Pass • Keimaneigh Pass • Moll's Gap • Priest's Leap • Sally Gap • Vee Gap • Wicklow Gap • Windy Gap
ScotlandBealach na Ba • Cairn o'Mount • (Cairnwell Pass) • Carter Bar • Corrieyairack Pass • Devils Staircase • Gaick Pass • (The Lecht) • Mam Ratagan Pass • Pass of Drumochter • Rannoch Moor • Rest and Be Thankful • (The Slochd)
Wales & MarchesAnchor Pass • The Burway • Bwlch Penbarras • Bwlch y Groes • Bwlch y Cloddiau • Crimea Pass • Gospel Pass • Horseshoe Pass • Llywel Mountain Road • Nant-y-Garth Pass • Pass of Aberglaslyn • Pass of Llanberis • Sychnant Pass • The Wyche
TranspennineBuckstones Pass • Buttertubs Pass • Cat and Fiddle • Harthope Moss • Hartside Top • Mam Tor • Nenthead Pass • Snake Pass • Standedge Pass • Trough of Bowland • Tynehead Pass • Winnats Pass • Windy Hill • Woodhead Pass
LakelandBirker Fell • Blea Tarn Pass • Hardknott Pass • Honister Pass • Kirkstone Pass • Newlands Pass • Old Coach Road • Strawberry Bank • The Struggle • Whinlatter Pass • Wrynose Pass

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