A974

Route

The B9119 (former A974) near Drumlasie

The A974 was a cross-country A-road in south Aberdeenshire. Starting on the A944 at Westhill, a few miles west of Aberdeen, the road continued more-or-less due west, initially across the relatively flat land of eastern Aberdeenshire. After a nearly two mile long straight, it crossed the B977 in Echt and then the terrain became more hilly and the road got twitsier to avoid the steep gradients. Continuing west, the A980 was crossed at Mill Maud after which the road ran southwards through the village of Tarland. A couple of miles further on, the road ended at a crossroads on the A97 just to the north of Ordie, where it also met the B9119.

History

Originally numbered B974, the road was upgraded to Class I status without changing its number in the mid-1920s. The B974 had originally started on the A97 at Milton of Logie near Ordie, but was extended along a previously unclassified road to reach the A93 near Cambus o' May station before 1926, and the A974 followed the same route. Some time before 1932, the A97 was re-routed along this latter section, and the A974 was curtailed at Milton of Logie (the old section of the A97 from Milton of Logie to Dinnet becoming the B9119).The road survived until 1974 before being downgraded to Class II status once more, becoming a long extension of the B9119. The easternmost section, a few hundred metres to the east of Westhill, is now part of the A944 owing to road improvements in the area. A number of realignments have been made to the route, particularly at its eastern end where a series of roundabouts have also been added for access to Westhill and its industrial estates. Many of these improvements post date the downgrading of the A974, however.