Near Aberdeen South (Cove) test centre
Rated demanding from its real manoeuvre load, 35 roundabouts and 7 turns across 51 navigation steps.
This is an independent 21.1 km practice loop near Aberdeen South (Cove) test centre, taking roughly 18 min to drive. It is NOT an official DVSA examiner route, the DVSA does not publish those, but it uses the same local roads and junction types an examiner is likely to choose.
Along the way you'll meet Bridge of Dee Roundabout and Garthdee Roundabout. Knowing the approach, lane and exit at each one before you arrive is the difference between a planned manoeuvre and a last-second reaction, and last-second reactions are where avoidable faults come from.
On this route you’ll practise roundabout approach & exit, independent driving and sustained concentration. Driving it a few times before your test builds the muscle memory that frees up attention for observation and decision-making on the day.
The loop is anchored by 16 catalogued landmarks, including parks, stations, named junctions and shops, so you can navigate it from recognisable features rather than a memorised turn list. Rehearsing it in this way means that on test day the area already feels familiar, and your attention is free for the traffic rather than the map.
Whatever the route, your practical test follows the same national shape: an eyesight check, a couple of vehicle-safety questions, around forty minutes of general driving, one reversing manoeuvre chosen by the examiner, and roughly twenty minutes of independent driving following signs or a sat-nav. Practising on roads like these is how you make each of those elements feel routine rather than new.
Treat this route as practice, not a script. The value is not in repeating one fixed sequence but in getting comfortable with the road types, speed changes and junction patterns of the area around Aberdeen South (Cove) test centre, so that whatever order your examiner chooses on the day, none of it is unfamiliar. Drive it a few times, focus on smooth observation and planning, and it becomes one more stretch of road you already know, which is exactly the kind of preparation that turns nerves into confidence.
If you are practising with a supervising driver rather than an instructor, take it steadily: agree the manoeuvre spots in advance, keep to a comfortable pace, and stop to talk through anything that felt rushed. And remember the basics that apply on every road, mirrors before any change of speed or direction, signals in good time, and a following distance that gives you room to react. Those habits travel with you long after the test is passed.
What you’ll actually do on this loop, counted from its turn-by-turn directions.
This route helps you practise:
The full 51-step drive on real, named roads (about 21.1 km). An indicative practice loop, not an official DVSA route — the roads and junctions are real, the sequence is a rehearsal.
Drive northeast.
8 m
Turn right.
20 m
Turn left onto Moss Road.
Moss Road56 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Moss Road.
38 m
Exit the roundabout onto Moss Road.
Moss Road150 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Gateway Drive.
24 m
Exit the roundabout onto Gateway Drive.
Gateway Drive148 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Wellington Road.
89 m
Exit the roundabout onto Wellington Road.
Wellington Road706 m
Turn left onto Wellington Road/A956. Continue on A956.
A956702 m
Turn right to take the A92 ramp towards Kincorth/Garthdee/Aberdeen.
Stonehaven Road3.1 km
Enter Bridge of Dee Roundabout and take the 2nd exit towards A92/Universities/ARI.
Bridge of Dee Roundabout36 m
Exit the roundabout towards A92/Universities/ARI.
Stonehaven Road319 m
Enter Garthdee Roundabout and take the 1st exit towards Robert Gordon University.
Garthdee Roundabout7 m
Exit the roundabout towards Robert Gordon University.
Garthdee Road178 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Garthdee Road.
71 m
Exit the roundabout onto Garthdee Road.
Garthdee Road172 m
Enter Garthdee Roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Stonehaven Road/A92.
Garthdee Roundabout83 m
Exit the roundabout onto Stonehaven Road/A92.
Stonehaven Road278 m
Turn left towards B9077/Altens Industrial Estate/Tullos Industrial Estate.
Great Southern Road694 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto West Tullos Road/B985.
27 m
Exit the roundabout onto West Tullos Road/B985.
West Tullos Road571 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto West Tullos Road/B985.
38 m
Exit the roundabout onto West Tullos Road/B985.
West Tullos Road1.1 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Wellington Road/A956.
62 m
Exit the roundabout onto Wellington Road/A956.
Wellington Road878 m
Enter Wellington Roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Wellington Road/A956.
Wellington Roundabout88 m
Exit the roundabout onto Wellington Road/A956.
Wellington Road2.0 km
Turn left to take the A92 ramp towards A92 South/Marywell/Portlethen/Newtonhill.
A92338 m
Keep right to stay on A92 towards A92 South/Marywell/Portlethen/Newtonhill.
A923.7 km
Take the Portlethen Junction exit towards Badentoy Park.
A92193 m
Keep left to take A90 towards Badentoy Park.
A90142 m
Move left.
180 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A92.
36 m
Exit the roundabout onto A92.
A921.9 km
Take the Findon Junction exit towards Portlethen/Marywell/Findon.
A92422 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit.
79 m
Exit the roundabout.
165 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit towards Marywell.
26 m
Exit the roundabout towards Marywell.
701 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Wellington Road.
41 m
Exit the roundabout onto Wellington Road.
Wellington Road823 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Gateway Drive.
87 m
Exit the roundabout onto Gateway Drive.
Gateway Drive148 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Moss Road.
82 m
Exit the roundabout onto Moss Road.
Moss Road150 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Moss Road.
35 m
Exit the roundabout onto Moss Road.
Moss Road56 m
Turn right.
20 m
Turn left.
8 m
You have arrived at your destination.
Directions for the Aberdeen South (Cove) · Roundabout practice loop loop. Always drive to the road and conditions you see, not the list — signs, signals and other traffic take priority.
These are the real named features along the loop, straight from our route catalogue. Use them to recognise where you are and to anticipate the hazard each one brings, not to memorise a fixed order.
Decide your lane and exit on the approach to each of these, get set up early.
Expect busier traffic, pick-ups and pedestrians around these.
Watch for 20 mph zones, crossings and children near these.
Pedestrian crossings and parked cars are common nearby.
Frequent stop-start traffic and pedestrians, keep your speed down.
Roundabout
Watch your lane discipline and signalling at Bridge of Dee Roundabout, Garthdee Roundabout. Get into the correct lane early and check your exit mirror before leaving.
Navigate by these 16 catalogued landmarks rather than a memorised turn list, an indicative loop, not an official DVSA route.
Charleston Forest Park
Start near Charleston Forest Park.
Flyover
Continue to Flyover.
Bridge of Dee Roundabout
Continue to Bridge of Dee Roundabout, taking the junction with good observation.
Boots
Continue to Boots.
Garthdee Roundabout
Continue to Garthdee Roundabout, taking the junction with good observation.
Asda
Continue to Asda.
Currys
Continue to Currys.
Newlands Cottage
Continue to Newlands Cottage.
Sainsbury's Local
Continue to Sainsbury's Local.
Tan Allure
Continue to Tan Allure.
McDonald's
Continue to McDonald's.
Ashvale Take Away
Continue to Ashvale Take Away.
Muse Hair Salon & walk in barbers
Continue to Muse Hair Salon & walk in barbers.
Portlethen Road Pre-School Nursery
Continue to Portlethen Road Pre-School Nursery.
Subway
Continue to Subway.
Ewing Motors
Finish back near Ewing Motors, completing the loop.
26 roundabouts · 7 turns
30 roundabouts · 15 turns
22 roundabouts · 20 turns
14 roundabouts · 16 turns
This route is 21.1 km and takes about 18 min to drive at a steady learner pace. It is an independent practice loop near Aberdeen South (Cove) test centre, not an official DVSA route.