Scottish National Tourist Routes
Scotland is, in many people's view, a very scenic country worth exploring in detail. As such, it is perhaps unsurprising that it has a number of official Tourist Routes (Map), as well as some less official, local routes and trails (see Scottish Tourist Routes for more) designed to guide tourists around some of the more interesting sites and sights that this fabulous country has to offer. The routes don't always lead you from door to door of the attractions along the way, and whilst some visitors will undoubtedly stick doggedly to the routes as signed, there is plenty of scope to turn off here and there, either following the brown signs to nearby destinations, or to make your own discoveries along the numerous side roads and country lanes.
Route List and Map
There are 12 National Tourist Routes, mostly providing an alternative to trunk roads. Some follow the coast (Angus, Argyll, Fife, North Coast), and some go through other scenic areas (Deeside, Galloway, The Highlands, Moray Firth, Perthshire). Others focus on history and culture (Borders, Clyde Valley and Forth Valley). However, that isn't to say that the scenic routes do not have historical or cultural interest, nor that the historical/cultural routes do not have scenery.
Route | From | To | Length | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Angus Coastal Tourist Route | Dundee | Stonehaven | 58 miles | View |
Argyll Coastal Route | Tarbet | North Ballachulish | 149 miles | View |
Borders Historic Route | Edinburgh | border nr Carlisle | 95 miles | View |
Clyde Valley Tourist Route | Elvenfoot | Hamilton | 42 miles | View |
Fife Coastal Tourist Route | Kincardine | Newport-on-Tay | 85 miles | View |
Forth Valley Tourist Route | South Queensferry | Bannockburn | 39 miles | View |
Galloway Tourist Route | Gretna Green | Ayr | 96 miles | View |
Highland Tourist Route | Aberdeen | Inverness | 118 miles | View |
Moray Firth Tourist Route | Inverness | Mound Rock | 80 miles | View |
North & West Highlands Route | Ullapool | John o' Groats | 160 miles | View |
Perthshire Tourist Route | Greenloaning | Pitlochry | 45 miles | View |
Deeside Tourist Route | Perth | Aberdeen | 107 miles | View |
Angus Coastal Tourist Route
Bervie Bridge at Inverbervie on the A92 | |
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The Angus Coastal Tourist Route runs from Dundee to Stonehaven, via the historic coastal towns of Arbroath and Montrose. It provides a 55-mile coastal alternative to the A90 via Forfar, which is a dual carriageway journey of 52 miles.
Argyll Coastal Route
The new Butter Bridge on the A83 over the Allt Kinglas | |
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The Argyll Coastal Route is the second longest of the main tourist routes in Scotland as it runs around the county of Argyll from the shores of Loch Lomond south west via Loch Fyne to Lochgilphead and then north through Oban to the historic county boundary at Loch Leven. In truth, the coast is often out of sight but in this peaceful landscape the route is not so much about what lies along it, as what can be accessed from it, so take a bit longer, follow the side roads and see what you find whether a quiet bay on one of the many sea lochs, a tranquil forest glade or a picturesque valley in the foothills of the Mountains.
Borders Historic Route
Teindside Bridge, spanning the River Teviot on the A7 near Teviothead | |
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The Borders Historic Route exclusively follows the A7 between Edinburgh and Carlisle. Nevertheless, it is a fine drive, through a selection of the Borders Towns such as Galashiels, Selkirk and Hawick, before climbing up through the hills and crossing the watershed at Teviothead to drop steadily down to the flat lands around Carlisle. Along the way there is plenty of scope for stopping and taking short detours to fully explore this varied and often overlooked corner of Scotland
Clyde Valley Tourist Route
Wolfclyde Bridge on the A72 | |
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The Clyde Valley Tourist Route provides an alternative to the M74 between Abington (J14) and Hamilton (J6), serving the World Heritage Site at New Lanark.
Deeside Tourist Route
Heading north out of Spittal of Glenshee | |
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The Deeside Tourist Route runs from Perth to Aberdeen on the A93 via Braemar. It provides a 107-mile alternative route through the eastern Cairngorm Mountains, taking in historic castles, scenic glens and wild mountains as well as passing near a range of sites associated with Queen Victoria near Balmoral Castle. The direct route on the A90 dual carriageway between the two cities is 83 miles. However, with Balmoral, and Scone Palace en route, the A93 is a route fit for Royalty.
Fife Coastal Tourist Route
A917 Anstruther High Street | |
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The Fife Coastal Tourist Route doesn't offer the splendour of Highland Scenery found on some of the other routes listed here, instead it guides the visitor through some of the most picturesque and interesting coastal villages Scotland has to offer. Culross comes first, and whets the appetite, but it is the villages of the East Neuk: Elie, St Monans, Pittenweem, Anstruther and Crail that are the real jewels along this fascinating coast. Fishing villages aside, there are ruinous castles, old industrial sites and a myriad other places of interest at which to pause. Of course, the best way to explore this coast is on the Fife Coast Path, but for those short on time, driving this route is the next best thing, and avoids some of the less salubrious stretches of the path. Beyond the East Neuk, the route visits the historic Cathedral City of St Andrews, before finishing in Newport on Tay opposite Dundee.
Forth Valley Tourist Route
Hopetoun Wood on the A904 | |
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The Forth Valley Tourist Route provides an alternative to the M9 between Edinburgh and Stirling. At first glance, it seems to be one of the least interesting routes described on this page, however, delve a little deeper, be prepared to make those additional little detours and this is an absorbing and rewarding corner of Scotland that offers plenty for the keen explorer to discover.
Galloway Tourist Route
Parton Village on the A713 | |
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The Galloway Tourist Route runs from Gretna on the English border to Ayr on the Clyde Coast. It is a route which starts on the flat lands of the Solway coast, skirting the shore to Dumfries, and then turns inland through low hills to Castle Douglas. From there the landscape becomes somewhat more dramatic as it climbs through the Glenkens on the banks of the River Ken, crosses the open moorland around Carsphairn and plunges down Glen Muck into Ayrshire. The final destination of Ayr is a worthy finishing post with a fine town centre and vast beach to relax on.
Highland Tourist Route
A939 near Lecht Summit | |
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The Highland Tourist Route runs from Aberdeen to Inverness via the Cairngorms and Alford. It provides a 113-mile alternative to the 102-mile A96 route. Along the way, the landscape changes from the fertile flat lands of the east coast to the forested glens of Strathdon and then the wild high moorlands of the Cairngorm fringe. The descent is perhaps more dramatic as the road plunges into the lush Speyside before continuing north west to the fertile ground of the Moray Firth and the Highland Capital. This is a route of ever changing landscapes and great roads which is just begging the driver to explore.
Moray Firth Tourist Route
The A862 leaving Inverness | |
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The Moray Firth Tourist Route takes some of the former route of the A9 between Inverness and The Mound (between Dornoch and Golspie), with other scenic routes included. It consists of two main loops off the A9, with a brief return in-between.
The Moray Firth Tourist Route follows the former A9 route from Inverness to Bonar Bridge and then runs via Lairg to the coast north of Dornoch. At nearly 70 miles, versus the 42 for the A9 it is longer but takes in a range of different attractions, and some wildly different scenery, as it curls inland around the heads of the firths and then climbs over the hills.
North & West Highlands Route
Kylesku Bridge on the A894 | |
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The North & West Highlands Route runs from Ullapool to John o' Groats. For 160 miles it loosely follows the coast north through Sutherland and then east across the top of Scotland along the A835, A837, A894, A838 and A836, the route goes through some of the most remote and scenic locations in Scotland. Whilst there are few of your modern attractions designed to entertain and excite, the landscape is the attraction on this route from vast sandy beaches to intimate wooded glens, high mountain summits to the prettiest of lochs, this is a route worth dawdling along and enjoying. The scenery changes as often as the weather, and to catch a view just as the sun comes out is truly magical.
Perthshire Tourist Route
Crieff High Street on the A85 | |
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The Perthshire Tourist Route provides an alternative to the A9 between Dunblane and Pitlochry, avoiding Perth. It is a far more interesting route than the somewhat dull A9, even if Scotlands Fair City of Perth is missed. Instead the route takes in the pretty towns of Crieff and Aberfeldy, exploring some of the wild country in between.