A steep paved road to Lochan na Lairige

A steep paved road to Lochan na Lairige

Scotland, europe

Length

14.64 km

Elevation

558 m

Difficulty

hard

Best Season

Year-round

Okay, picture this: you're in the Perthshire Highlands of Scotland, ready for an adventure. You're about to tackle the road up to Lochan na Lairige, a mountain reservoir and one of the highest roads in the country.

The whole route is paved, which is nice, but don't get too comfortable. This isn't a Sunday drive for beginners! There are sections so narrow that two regular-sized cars can't pass each other. Seriously, you need to know how to reverse. Plus, it's steep in places, with some ramps hitting a gradient of 13%.

This epic road stretches for about 14.64km (9.1 miles), heading north-south from Bridge of Balgie to Milton Morenish. You'll climb to a whopping 558m (1,830ft) above sea level, and the views? Absolutely stunning! Plus, you can take another road down to Loch Ericht. Just watch out for some private access roads!

Where is it?

A steep paved road to Lochan na Lairige is located in Scotland (europe). Coordinates: 52.9522, -2.7633

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Road Details

Country
Scotland
Continent
europe
Length
14.64 km
Max Elevation
558 m
Difficulty
hard
Coordinates
52.9522, -2.7633

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