'Constant worry': The notorious 5.2-mile long stretch of the A9 sparking emergency plea

Residents along a notorious stretch of the A9 have spoken of their fears, in the latest part of our special news series

Dunkeld is surely one of the most picturesque towns in Scotland. But to get in or out of the town, motorists are faced with one of the most dangerous sections of the A9.

The Pass of Birnam to Tay Crossing section is near the bottom of the pile in the Scottish Government’s dualling programme, because there is no easy solution - mainly because the single carriageways are already touching rows of houses on one side, and the town’s railway station on the other.

Campaigners for improved road safety on the A9 from Dunkeld and Birnam. | Supplied

Ian Davidson lives in Dunkeld and was involved in a crash on this section of the A9 back in January. He said residents in the area no longer believe this road will ever be dualled.

“There is a general acceptance amongst the older folk here they won’t see the dualling,” he said. “But we need a workable temporary measure because we can’t go on like this, or we will all be killed off. How many need to be wiped out before we get something?”

Mr Davidson said he and others in the town had “known for a long time” the Pass of Birnam to Tay Crossing section could not be upgraded as part of the main project to dual the A9 between Perth and Inverness.

He said: “You get the feeling this section is much worse than anywhere else because there is less space to work with and geological issues.

Ian Davidson | Rachel Amery

“Contractors don’t want to touch it. There is no great enthusiasm to take on such a difficult problem.”

The dangers on this section of the road are already having massive ramifications for those who live there. Mr Davidson said residents avoid leaving the town on a Friday because the road will be busier then and said others such as the local postman avoid using the A9 altogether.

Pam Green is another local, and she has been campaigning for the past three years for safety on this stretch of the A9 to be improved. 

She said: “It is very stressful for people living with this constant worry. We all worry when family and friends visit in case they are involved in an accident.

“There are frequent accidents and near misses at the junctions, which have involved local residents and people travelling through our area.”

The Scotsman looks at this notorious stretch of the A9 in our latest part of the series | NationalWorld

Ms Green added: “The completion of the A9 dual carriageway between Luncarty and Pass of Birnam in August 2021 means that you can drive between Plymouth and Birnam on dual carriageways or motorways - the first single carriageway and junction on this journey a driver hits, and I say this deliberately, is the Birnam/Bankfoot junction.”

Work on this section is due to begin in summer 2027, with a contract being awarded in autumn 2028. The stretch is due to be completed by the end of 2032. But residents say they cannot wait that long for safety to be improved.

Alison Brydon is from Invermill Caravan Park, just off the A9 - and she has some suggestions for Transport Scotland.

“Following our campaign there have been some minor improvements, for example lines repainted to mark the junctions,” she said.

“We want to see more done - lighting the junctions, a 50mph speed limit for this stretch, a temporary roundabout at Dunkeld, improved signage warning drivers they are approaching junctions ahead and it is a single track road, and police enforcement of the speed limit with speed cameras.”

Mr Davidson said: “[Various safety measures] could be done. We don’t want to hear difficult, we want to hear what are our options, how do we go about it, which one is best and what can we afford? That’s always going to come into it ... this is a definite case of good enough is good enough.”

He added: “At the moment it’s just folks in Dunkeld moaning about it, but that will change if a kid is killed in a crash on their way to school.”

Transport Scotland and the Scottish Government have been working with some of these locals to design this dualled section since 2018.

Back then, the group came up with its own suggestions of how to get this section of the A9 dualled, and the Government said it “remains committed” to continuing to work together.

A Government spokesman said: “The preferred route option includes a number of the elements of the community’s preferred route option identified through the co-creative process, including a roundabout at Dunkeld and the junction layouts at The Hermitage and Dalguise.

“Inclusion of these will help meet the community’s objective of promoting long-term and sustainable economic growth within Dunkeld, Birnam and the surrounding area.”

The spokesman said all of the options available to the Government at this point “involve significant construction work within a constrained corridor”. However, the spokesman added ministers were committing to improving safety in the short term on the A9 ahead of it being fully dualled.

“In relation to the existing junction at Dunkeld, solar powered illuminated road studs were installed to provide greater clarity of the A9/A822/A923 Dunkeld and Inver staggered junction layout at night, along with the new/freshed red infill surface in hatched areas to give greater emphasis to turning areas and separating streams of traffic,” he said.

“In addition, directional traffic signs were improved at the A9/A822/A923 Dunkeld and Inver staggered junction.

“An assessment has also been commissioned to investigate potential improvements for traffic joining the A9 from the A923 and A822 at the Dunkeld and Inver junctions prior to the delivery of the dualling works.

“An initial option assessment report is being prepared by Transport Scotland’s operating company, which is expected to be published for discussion with local stakeholders in the coming months.”