B951

The B951 is a cross-country B-road through the foothills of the Cairngorms in north west Angus.

Dykend

The route starts on the B955 (former A926) on the western edge of Kirriemuir and heads westward, curving through fields and initially across more-or-less flat terrain. Presently it passes to the south of the Loch of Kinnordy before bending to the right and making for the hills ahead. The climb is not as steep as may be expected as the road zig-zags through a series of sharp bends to find the Cromie Burn at almost the last minute, and climbs with it in to Kirkton of Kingoldrum, which guards a gap in the hills. The road through the village then winds around a horseshoe bend to cross the burn, only to cross it a second time a couple of fields later. A short straight then climbs past the 200m contour, before a sharp left bend leads onto a longer straight across the hillside.

Running past a patch of woodland and through fields, with a handful of farms dotted along the roadside, the B951 starts to climb again after a couple of kinks at the western end of the straight. The road then curves around the northern shore of the Loch of Lintrathen to find the valley of the Melgam Water (which runs through the loch). This is then followed upstream across a summit at 269m to Dykend, with more forestry than fields along the roadside, where it is crossed just before meeting the B954 at a crossroads. The route continues to wind north west through a narrow pass called the Holm of Needs into Glen Isla. After a long level section, it turns at Bellaty Farm to drop towards the river bank, which is loosely followed to the tiny, but beautifully situated village of Kirkton of Glen Isla.

Beyond the village, road and river meander gently around Gallow Hill, climbing gently before the road turns to cross the Isla at Brewlands Bridge. Now on the west side of Glen Isla, the road continues to follow the river north, upstream, the wide valley floor laid to fields with small woods and rough grazing land above the road. Then, just before Meikle Forter, the road turns left to climb more steeply with the Balloch Burn through a gap in the hills with a summit of 364m. The pass is largely empty moorland as it curves round to the watershed, then the road plunges into a block of forestry which screens Glen Shee ahead. Before long, however, the trees peel back and the road turns south west to descend down to the river through a series of wiggly bends. Some pretty ruins mingle with inhabited houses, and a prominent old church tower stands amongst the trees before the Cray Bridge is reached. The B951 then zig-zags across the Shee Water for a final climb up to the improved Lair Junction on the A93.

The 1922 MOT Road List defines this route as: Lair - Dykend - Kirriemuir