📌 Road pass between Spittal of Glenshee, Perth & Kinross and Braemar, Aberdeenshire
★★★★
Running above wooded gorges and through huge glacial valleys, the A93 climbs ever more steeply until the magic 670 metres above sea level is reached in passing the county border from Perthshire into Aberdeenshire. The Cairnwell Pass is the country’s highest road, one of its most scenic, and one of the most enjoyable to drive; Top Gear made the trip here to road test the Jaguar F-TYPE in 2013, for example. The steepest climbs and descents are either side of Glenshee Ski Centre (the notorious Devil’s Elbow hairpins fortunately now bypassed), but the magnificent Cairngorm scenery extends all the way from Blairgowrie in the south to Braemar in the north. It’s also the bane of many a Scottish skier’s life; in winter the road can be a different beast, with the long southern approach particularly vulnerable to drifting snow.
Glenisla junction at Lair (northbound) 
Spittal of Glenshee (northbound) 
Spittal of Glenshee (northbound) 
Gleann Beag (northbound) 
Southern approach to the pass, seen from Ben Gulabin 
Gleann Beag (northbound) 
Gleann Beag (northbound) 
Final ascent (northbound) 
Summit of the pass at Glenshee Ski Centre (northbound) 
Descent on the north side (northbound) 
Clunie Water (northbound) 
Clunie Water (northbound) 
Heavy traffic approaching the ski centre (southbound) 
Beginning the descent (southbound) 
Near the old Devil’s Elbow hairpins (southbound) 
Gleann Beag (southbound)
🌍 Location
📌South end is at Spittal of Glenshee turnoff
🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NO 111702
🛰️ GPS coordinates: 56.814789,-3.458167
△ Summit is near Glenshee Ski Centre
🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NO 142775
🛰️ GPS coordinates: 56.880790,-3.410616
📌 North end is at Braemar
🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NO 152915
🛰️ GPS coordinates: 57.006457,-3.397945
🚌 Bus to Braemar at north end of pass or infrequently to Spittal of Glenshee at south end. No public transport across the pass itself
🚗 Surfaced A-road, suitable for vehicles, with various car park / laybys
📝 Key info
▶ 24 km / 15 mi | ▲ 330 m
⌚ Almost always open – snow closes the pass a few times each winter, mainly overnight
🎫 Free
