This.ph001 wrote: ↑Wed Oct 11, 2017 3:17 pm Indeed! The A9 up the east coast isn't that special at all. Going anti-clockwise from Inverness, much better to take the A9 only as far north as Novar than take the B9176 (Struie Road) up to where it meets the A836. Then take the A836 to Tongue and pick up the N500 there going Anticlockwise.
Heading to Inverness via Glenshee, Braemar, Tomintoul and Grantown-on-Spey will give you a better driving “loop” than the A9 too, albeit only if you have time. Agree that there’s not much to see/do in the north east, but I guess it’s worth doing once. It’s actually pretty nice in itself how the scenery just builds and builds as you go west.
Don’t be afraid of doing some roads more than once too. It’s a trek to get up there - might as well make the most of it!