Devil's Elbow tourist attraction plans approved

PLANS to create a visitor attraction out of a once-notorious stretch of winding Scottish road have been formally approved.
The dramatic landscape of the Glenshee area is set to be enjoyed by more tourists under the new plans. Image: ContributedThe dramatic landscape of the Glenshee area is set to be enjoyed by more tourists under the new plans. Image: Contributed
The dramatic landscape of the Glenshee area is set to be enjoyed by more tourists under the new plans. Image: Contributed

The one-in-six gradient Cairnwell Pass with a double-hairpin bend a mile below the summit that was once so notorious it earned the nickname The Devil’s Elbow was straightened out in the 1960s, although the original tracks remain and are still used by adventurous walkers, careful cyclists, and very energetic runners.

The road, the A93 near Glenshee on the Perthshire/Aberdeenshire border, used to be feared by nervous drivers and was famously tackled by the Queen and Prince Philip.

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Now the Cairngorms National Park Authority (CPNA) has gained permission to create an attraction, complete with seating, walkways and information boards, at the viewpoint.

The proposal is part of the authority’s Scottish Scenic Routes Initiative, which involves the creation of a tourist trail from Blairgowrie to Grantown-on-Spey.

CPNA planning committee convener Eleanor Mackintosh said yesterday: “This road is as famous because of the amount of snow it gets, as it has stunning landscapes.

“We hope by promoting it through the Scenic Routes Initiative - creating attractive and interesting stop-off points - we can encourage more visitors to this area of the Cairngorms National Park.”

Designers Daniel Smith and Philip Zoechbauer won a competition to create the Glenshee viewpoint.

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