B9134

The B9134 is a slower alternative to the A90 (former A94) between the Angus towns of Forfar and Brechin but mostly stays to the south of Lemno Water and the River South Esk. The route was originally unclassified but had gained its number by 1932.

Entering Brechin

The route starts on the A932, Arbroath Road to the east of Forfar town centre and yards away from that route's junction with the B9113. It heads north east along Prior Road and soon after a double bend it becomes Old Brechin Road, signifying this as the older road to Brechin until the A94, now A90 was built on the flatter terrain of Strathmore to the north, in total contrast to this rollercoaster route. A long straight leads out of Forfar and quickly reaches the small village of Lunanhead. Once through the village, there are a series of bends at Clochtow Farm and it is here that the road begins its climb up a valley between the Hill of Finavon on the left and Pitscandly and Turin Hill to the right. This climb is steep in places for a mile or so but gradually eases over the next mile. Heading back in the opposite direction shows off a tremendous view over Forfar and Strathmore with the Sidlaw Hills on the left. On a clear day the peaks of Ben Vorlich and Ben Lawers can be seen 50 miles away. The road reaches its highest point of around 160m near a group of larch trees on a cairn which is now becoming obscured by a plantation of trees at Carsegownie Farm. Although the route then starts to drop downhill, there are more hills to climb along with an even better view on the other side of Aberlemno.

Before reaching the tiny village, the route passes a junction on the left with the narrow treacherous road that snakes over the Hill of Finavon, eventually reaching the A90, the only such route that links this old route to the newer one. The hamlets of Aberlemno and Crosston are soon reached with the famous Pictish Sculptured Stones on the roadside on the right, three of them sit directly on the verge. The B9134 leaves the village by a series of bends, one of which has the gable-end of a cottage to avoid and then faces the second climb of the route. This is a short sharp rise over the shoulder of Angus Hill, which although not particularly high, does provide a panoramic view northwards over Strathmore to the mountains, the A90 can also now be seen on the other side of the River South Esk. A lay-by lies just east of the summit of the road which drops more steeply on this side, descending nearly 100 metres in around a mile to the hamlet of Netherton.

Road summit of Angus Hill from the lay-by

From here there is one more slight rise to negotiate, but the road is flatter from this point although still undulating enough to make overtaking hazardous. Also hazardous are a couple of extremely acutely angled junctions on the right, The first of which is the C44, which heads back towards Forfar, the second of which heads east for a mile or so, reaching the A933 just south of Brechin Bridge. The B9134 also soon crosses the South Esk at Stannochy Bridge (single-file, priority for traffic heading to Brechin). After the bridge a big wall appears on the right signifying the grounds of Brechin Castle and the route soon ends at a T junction with the A935 (former A94); left to the A90 in a mile, right to the town of Brechin in half a mile.