B9017
| B9017 | ||||
| Location Map ( geo) | ||||
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| From: | Aultmore (NJ408518) | |||
| To: | Montgrew (NJ450520) | |||
| Distance: | 2.9 miles (4.7 km) | |||
| Meets: | A96, B9116, A95 | |||
| Highway Authorities | ||||
| Traditional Counties | ||||
| Route outline (key) | ||||
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The B9017 bypasses the Banffshire town of Keith to the north, passing through the village of Newmill instead.
The route starts on the A96 about a mile to the west of Keith and heads east. The centre line immediately disappears, as the road bends sharply right then less sharply left, but there is still room for two cars to squeeze past each other. It contours round the hill then undulates north eastwards across the fields on the edge of Strathisla. Keith itself is clearly visible to the right, with a large group of bonded warehouses in the foreground. Presently the road reaches Newmill, the only place of any size en route. The B9116 turns off to the right on the near edge of town after which the B9017 runs along Main Street. Half way along, the road splits to pass either side of an impressive war memorial clock tower, which stands isolated in the middle of the square, protected by railings. Newmills for long had a slightly run down and depressed feel, but in recent years some of the derelict houses have been restored or replaced, and the village is starting to feel brighter.
Main Street is a wide road with room for parking on both sides, but at the far end of the village, the road squeezes through a narrow bridge and resorts to being a narrow S2. After crossing a field, it bends right and drops down the hill before turning left and levelling out as it continues across the fields. It ends soon afterwards at a realigned T-junction on the A95.
History
As originally classified in 1922, the B9017 did not pass through Newmill at all. Instead, it turned south at the entrance to the village along what is now the B9116, winding down hill alongside the burn. It then turned left at the crossroads and followed the straight road back to its current route. The changes seem to have happened prior to 1932 when the OS 10 Mile Map shows the B9116 and implies that the B9017 has been rerouted to pass through the village.