A913

Approaching the junction with the A92

The A913 is a cross-country road running mostly through north west Fife before crossing into Perthshire, passing through a series of pretty villages along the way.

The route starts off in the western fringes of Cupar at a simple T junction with the A91. It runs northwestwards along Balgarvie Road, passing between Duffus Park and residential areas, before leaving the town behind and climbing gently across farmland. A sweeping S bend at Easter Balgarvie Farm is followed by a tighter, snaking section through Kilmaron Den, before the road straightens up. It then crosses a low summit below Mount Hill, before a long straight descent to a staggered crossroads with the A92. Both arms of the A913 have clearly been twisted to improve the junction, but the old straight through line is obvious as the route continues west through a shallow valley. The small, scattered village of Balmeadie is strung along the roadside, with short side roads leading to Glenduckie and Dunbog at the further end.

The road has now turned to head south for a short time, this being the last straight section for a few miles. Although the road remains a fairly uniform width, it has the feeling of becoming narrower, with the verges shrinking and the bends becoming tighter and more frequent. Traffic certainly slows as it winds round the bends into Lindores village, with Lindores Loch lying a short distance to the south along the B937. The next section becomes twistier still as the road cuts through a low pass in the Ochil Hills, although strictly speaking the hills to the north east may not be part of the Ochils, they are certainly a continuation of the range of hills which stretches along the northern boundary of Fife.

The B936 turns off to the south as the A913 winds through the narrow pass of the Den of Lindores, much of the valley floor occupied by the village of the same name. As the valley opens up, the road descends along a long gentle curve to the historic village of Newburgh on the banks of the Tay (although the road remains inland). The scanty remains of Lindores Abbey lie off to the north, and side roads give access to the shore and the start of the Fife Coast Path. The long, wide High Street, has a delightful mixture of local vernacular architecture, interspersed with some more modern buildings, offering a good range of businesses. The road then climbs steadily out of the village and follows a series of short straights, loosely following the railway line westwards.

This is now Perthshire, but the scenery changes very little as the road crosses the railway line with signals for the narrow bridge, and winds down into Abernethy, famous for the round tower which stands detached from the church in the centre of the village. At the entrance to the village lies a roundabout for a housing estate, quickly followed by a mini where Main Street forks left. The A913 has, however, always followed its current line along Back Dykes, the only deviation being at the western end where it used to fork left along the tail end of Main Street, old and new routes rejoining at another Mini Roundabout. Abernethy has a lot in common with the more picturesque village of Fife, and is worth exploring before the final stretch of the A913 is undertaken.

The route then heads west out of Abernethy along Perth Road, passing some fine detached houses before crossing farmland. A left turn climbs steeply up through Glenfoot into Abernethy Glen, and then the road opens up and becomes a fast, well aligned route to Aberargie. Despite appearances, the A913 never followed Nethermill Place, but improvements have then seen a new road cut through the village to end on a roundabout on the A912 (former A90). The old route is now cut off at both ends and only accessible from a new link to the A913.

The 1922 MOT Road List defines this route as: Aberargie - Newburgh - Cupar