Journey from Sunderland to Rothes

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Sat 10 Feb 2018 12:09
Journey from Sunderland to Rothes - Confused!
Help! I will be driving from Sunderland to Rothes - my husband usually does the driving but is unable to do so this year. Our normal route is A19, Ai, a90,A9 then A95. Feel okay about most of journey but it is the junctions slip roads etc around Edinburgh and getting to Queensferry Bridge and roads around Perth which make me a bit nervous. Have Tom Tom to help and my husband will still navigate. But any help gladly received!
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Sat 10 Feb 2018 12:46
Journey from Sunderland to Rothes - RobJP

The route looks perfectly sensible.

The only real advice I'd try to give, regarding the more complex junctions, is to have a good look at them on Google earth to get a really good idea of the layout - including using the 'street view' function.

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Sat 10 Feb 2018 13:01
Journey from Sunderland to Rothes - badbusdriver

I'd second the google street view option. Done it myself a few times, nothing to beat seeing the sections of road in question, from the road. Only other thing id add, is some notes on each section, particularly which lane you should use.

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Sat 10 Feb 2018 13:10
Journey from Sunderland to Rothes - gordonbennet

A reasonably inexpensive stand alone sat nav with 'lane guidance' might be worth getting if you're TT doesn't have that facility, as you approach the junction the screen will change showing you which lane goes where, Garmin's system is good for this, TT's/other's may be just as good or better.

I agree some junctions can be most unpleasant, in heavy traffic you can be completely in the wrong lane because you can't see the sign before you get there, and arrows painted on the road are all very well until they are covered by rows of cars covering them up, worse at peak times when the vast majority of drivers will be regulars who are in a rush.

Edited by gordonbennet on 10/02/2018 at 13:11

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Sat 10 Feb 2018 13:25
Journey from Sunderland to Rothes - FiestaOwner

Hi, I drive around Perth quite often (several time a week).

The Queensferry Crossing was upgraded to motorway (M90) at the start of this month.

Once you're on the Queensferry crossing stay on the M90 untill you've gone past the Bridge of Earn junction (Junction 9). Once you are past Junction 9 (still on M90) keep in the left lane.

Take the next exit on the left (Junction 10). The off slip has 2 lanes. Take the left lane (signposted A9 Inverness).

Follow the road to Broxden roundabout. You are going straight ahead at this roundabout (the 2nd exit). You can be in either lane, but if you're not sure, I would keep to the left lane on the approach. It is at this roundabout the road changes to the A9.

Stay on this road till the next roundabout (Inveralmond). I would stay in the left lane (of the 3 at the roundabout). Inveralmond roundabout has traffic lights on it. At Inveralmond roundabout take the 2nd exit on the left (It's easy to go wrong here and take the 1st exit and go into the retail park by mistake!).

Now stay on the A9 untill the A95 junction, just past Aviemore.

Be warned that there can be long queues at Broxden roundabout heading North on Friday afternoons, particularly if it's a bank holiday weekend.

Once your North of Perth remember to stop off in at least one of the local villages for a break (Dunkeld, Pitlochry, Blair Atholl etc). Wouldn't stop off in Perth if you don't know how to get in or out.

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Sat 10 Feb 2018 20:23
Journey from Sunderland to Rothes - Ian_SW

If you want a more relaxing southern end of the route, take the A696 off the A1 (past Newcastle airport), and follow this and then the A68 up to Edinburgh. It's quite a few miles shorter, and has very little traffic. From Sunderland you'll need to take a different route out to the A1 other than the A19, but as that's at the home end you'll know that but better than me.

The main thing to watch out for is when coming back south. The road signs shortly after you come off the Forth Bridge make no mention of how to get to England, and you're presented with the options of Edinburgh or Glasgow. Don't take the junction labelled Edinburgh, it goes straight into the city centre, which isn't a great place to drive if you don't know where you're going. You have to head towards Glasgow (even though this seems totally illogical), and then it joins the A720 city bypass a junction further down.

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