B955

The B955 essentially connects the town of Kirriemuir in central Angus to the head of Glen Clova, with the particularity that at its northern end it forms a long loop serving both sides of the glen.

Route

Kirriemuir - Glen Clova

The route starts on the western edge of Kirriemuir at a crossroads which is a TOTSO for the A926. It then heads northwest along Slade Road, bypassing the town centre as it curves around the western side of the urban area. The B951 heads off westward towards Glen Isla as the B955 curves to the right and heads northeast along Cortachy Road, from which two branches of the B956 run southeastward into the town centre. The first of these is a TOTSO for the B955, despite meaning that the 'through route' is a near hairpin, while the B955 continues ahead. Having skirted the whole northwestern side of Kirriemuir (houses to the right, fields to the left) the road reaches a T-junction by the golf course on the northern edge of town. The B955 TOTSOs again here, turning left and passing the golf course to the right.

Bridge over the Quharity Burn

Having finally left the town behind, the route curves round to the right at a realigned former crossroads and then dips steadily down through fields towards the River South Esk. It crosses a couple of small burns and passes turnings leading to Inverquharity and Cortachy Castles along the way. Before reaching the South Esk, however, the road has to cross the Prosen Water. After running through trees along the south bank for a while, the B955 turns sharply right to cross Prosen Bridge. The road then climbs steadily through woodland, interspersed with fields, and passes the tiny village of Cortachy before running through Dykehead – neither place is particularly sizeable. Still climbing, the route is now on the hillside above the River South Esk.

For the next three miles, the road stays well above the river as it winds northwards through the narrow mouth of Glen Clova. Patches of woodland continue to line the road, but from time to time the view ahead opens up, and from the lonely cottage of Glenarm, the vast bowl of Glen Clova, ringed by mountains, can be seen stretching into the distance. Having climbed steadily from Dykehead, the road now dips down to the river bank, and forks, this being the start of the loop around the glen. The mainline continues on the west side of the valley, while the road across Gella Bridge to the east side has to give way.

Glen Clova Loop

The fork junction above Gella Bridge

Continuing upstream, on the western edge of the glen, the road meanders gently along the hillside passing a few scattered properties set amongst the fields which cover the valley floor. The valley floor is very flat, the river only losing ten or so metres of height in the 6 miles of the B955 loop. The road, however, climbs and falls, reaching a summit of over 250m as it enters a forestry plantation. As the valley narrows, the road turns to the north west and the Cairngorms come in to view at the head of the glen. It is a stunning vista, with the lush green valley spread out between the steep slopes of the hills, and the grey mountains rising in the distance. A final farm is passed as the road drops down towards the river, finally turning sharp right to cross the river by means of the narrow Clova Bridge and enter Clova.

The first, and only, junction with a public road since Dykehead (other than with itself) is found in front of the hotel, where the B955 turns sharp right. To the left, a dead-end minor road continues northwestward for a further 5km to the foot of Glen Doll, where car parks provide access to the hills beyond. The B955 now begins its downstream run, quickly leaving the tiny village behind to snake down the eastern side of the glen. There are a few more houses on this side of Glen Clova, slightly larger fields along the valley floor and less forestry on the slopes above. This, in addition to the fact that most traffic making a full circuit seems to travel up the west side and down the east, seems to make this section of the B955 slightly busier, although both sides of the glen are generally lightly trafficked.

The route summit on the return run is passed near Wheen, and at 252m it is slightly lower than on the west side of the glen. Apart from Clova village, Rottal is the largest settlement in the glen, perhaps half a dozen houses near the farm and lodge at the widest point of the glen. The Rottal Burn - the largest of the many tributaries the B955 has to cross in Glen Clova - is also crossed here. Turning a little more to towards the south, the route continues to wind along the hillside before turning sharp left at Clachnabrain and dropping towards the river. After a brief run on the east bank, a double bend carries the road across the Gella Bridge, followed by a short climb back to reach the fork where the B955 splits, a round trip of 13 miles.

History

The original route of the B955

When first classified in 1922, the B955 number applied only to Lindsay Street and Morrison Street in Kirriemuir. However, by 1932 it had been extended to its full length into Glen Clova, following a short multiplex along the A926 in Kirriemuir. Indeed, the surviving TOTSO is explained by the fact that this is the original route of the A926. At some point before the mid 1950s, Kinnordy Road was added to the B955 route as a spur. Much more recently, the route of the A926 has been moved within Kirriemuir, so that it now follows Lindsay Street to avoid the great loop around the north of the town. This means that the original B955 is now entirely numbered A926, but much of the old A926 route in the town has been renumbered to B955. Kinnordy Road has, however, become part of the B956.

The 1922 MOT Road List defines this route as: Kirriemuir Bye-pass