B9120

The B9120 is a secondary road passing through Laurencekirk in southern Kincardineshire.

Approaching Brae Cottages, below the Hill of Garvock

The route starts at a T junction on the B966 just outside the pretty village of Fettercairn and runs southeasterly in a series of straights across the undulating landscape of fields and woodland. There are a handful of buildings scattered along the roadside, but most of the farms sit back on side roads or down driveways. The road dips slightly to cross the Luther Water on a sweeping S bend at Blackiemuir, before gently climbing into Laurencekirk. A sharp left - right on the edge of town leads onto Blackiemuir Avenue, which crosses the Dundee to Aberdeen railway line on its way into the town centre. The first section of the route then comes to an end at a T-junction with the A937 High Street. To continue, traffic needs to turn left here and follow the High Street northeastward for some 600m, before the B9120 sets off again from a sharp (and unsigned) right turn amongst the shops.

Running southeastward again, the B9120 follows Alma Place and Garvock Road out to the A90 bypass. Here the B9120 was moved with the construction of the bypass to create a staggered crossroads, although crossing the busy dual carriageway can still be rather tricky. Having now left Laurencekirk behind, this second part of the route climbs steadily up the western slopes of the Hill of Garvock, curving to the north east as the gradient increases. Winding up between fields and trees, at length the road comes to a long right hand bend with a viewpoint car park in the apex offering spectacular panorama across the Howe of the Mearns. The summit is a little higher still, somewhere near 235m, before the road dips down towards the distant coast.

Snaking bends drop down to much shaper zig-zagging bends at Longleys, followed by a long straight between fields. There's another sharp double-bend over a burn as the route continues to lose height, with the final stretch being a series of short straights connected by sweeping bends. The last bend sweeps past Lauriston Castle and then, within sight of the sea, the route ends at a crossroads on the A92 some 2.5km eastnortheast of St Cyrus.

History

The route was originally unclassified; it had gained its number south east of Laurencekirk by 1928 when it is shown on the Michelin Map and was extended to the west between 1932 and 1935.