Deeside & the Heart 200

3 days · 3 driving roads · 244 miles of them · best May–September

Perthshire and Royal Deeside. The Heart 200 is the signed loop around Perth; peel off it for the A93 over Glenshee — Britain's highest main road — and the A939 Lecht, the old military rollercoaster to Tomintoul. Three days with a night in Braemar or Ballater and another in Tomintoul or Grantown.

Worth knowing: The Lecht is usually the first A-road in Britain to close with snow, and the snow gates at both ends mean it. Glenshee has the same problem a bit later. Even in June you can have a hail shower on the plateau. Fuel at Blairgowrie, Braemar and Tomintoul — nothing on either pass. Heart 200 is a touring loop; don't try to average 60.

The roads, in order

1. Heart 200 Heart 200 (A9/A827/A85/A84 loop) · Perth → Perth · 200 mi · 7 h 🍽️ Falls of Dochart Inn · 📷 Loch Earn at St Fillans · ☕ Habitat Cafe · 📷 Queen's View
2. Old Military Road — Glenshee A93 · Blairgowrie → Braemar · 35 mi · 50 min ⚠ Snow gates close in winter storms 📷 Cairnwell summit layby · ☕ Glenshee Ski Centre café · ⛽ Braemar Garage · 🍽️ The Bothy, Braemar
3. The Lecht Old Military Road A939 · Cockbridge (Corgarff) → Tomintoul · 9 mi · 15–20 min ⚠ ⚠ Usually the first road in Britain to close with snow — snow gates at both ends 📷 Corgarff Castle viewpoint · ☕ Lecht Ski Centre café · ⛽ Tomintoul filling station · 🍽️ The Clockhouse, Tomintoul

Drive it

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