OLD MILITARY ROA D
Generally speaking, heading north of the border reveals a veritable embarrassment of riches where incredible driving roads are concerned, and there’s one in particular that even hard-bitten motoring journalists talk about in reverential, hushed tones – the Old Military Road. What’s particularly wonderful about this heavenly ribbon of Tarmac, which cleaves straight through the heart of the Cairngorms National Park, is that you can increase the fun by starting further south near Cray and then branching off onto the B9136 further north to follow the picturesque River Avon all the way up to Ballindalloch. Our route, however, begins in the little town of Braemar, and starts relatively gently with a picturesque drive alongside the River Dee on the A93. Join the B976 at Crathie and follow a fairly narrow route north before hooking up with the A939. This is where the fun really begins. The road gets wider (and better metalled) and the views ever more spectacular. There are laybys big enough to swallow coaches, here, but we doubt you’ll want to stop once you’ve sampled the successive long straights and sweeping curves.
‘An incredible rollercoaster road with spectacular views’
Stick to the A939 where it meets the A944 (good for transaxle Porsches, we hear) and keep going – you’ll want a car with ample torque, because this is where the OMR starts to climb. Stop for a breather at the Lecht Ski School, then keep your foot hard down as you power beyond Tomintoul (maybe stopping for lunch at the Richmond Arms or Glenavon Hotel). Get ready for some tasty bends and switchbacks on the approach to the Bridge of Brown (where there’s a nice little tearoom), before beginning the final descent into Grantown-on- Spey.