Near Dundee test centre
Rated easy from its real manoeuvre load, 8 roundabouts, 7 turns and 2 signalled junctions across 18 navigation steps.
This is an independent 32.2 km practice route near Dundee test centre, taking roughly 25 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 Glamis Road, Riverside Drive, Swallow Roundabout, Coupar Angus Interchange and Kingsway West and 4 more named junctions. 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 multiple roundabouts, dual-carriageway joins, national-speed roads, changing speed limits, residential manoeuvres, busy a-roads 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 20 catalogued landmarks, including pubs, schools, churches and named junctions, 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 Dundee 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:
Road mix
The full 103-step drive on real, named roads (about 32.2 km). An indicative practice loop, not an official DVSA route — the roads and junctions are real, the sequence is a rehearsal.
Drive west.
7 m
Turn right.
19 m
Turn right onto Kilspindie Place.
Kilspindie Place111 m
Turn left onto Kilspindie Road.
Kilspindie Road132 m
Turn right onto Dunsinane Avenue.
Dunsinane Avenue297 m
Turn right onto King's Cross Road.
King's Cross Road601 m
Turn left onto Harefield Road.
Harefield Road112 m
Turn right onto Balfield Road.
Balfield Road406 m
Turn right onto Loon's Road.
Loon's Road240 m
Turn left onto Coupar Street.
Coupar Street177 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Coupar Street.
Coupar Street177 m
Turn left onto Loon's Road.
Loon's Road107 m
Make a sharp left onto Logie Street/A923. Continue on A923.
A923224 m
Move right onto City Road.
City Road275 m
Turn right onto Tullideph Road.
Tullideph Road443 m
Turn right onto Ancrum Road.
Ancrum Road109 m
Turn left onto Logie Street/A923. Continue on A923.
A923275 m
Turn right onto Gray's Lane.
Gray's Lane178 m
Turn left onto Burnside Street.
Burnside Street110 m
Turn left onto High Street.
High Street537 m
Turn right onto Ancrum Road.
Ancrum Road657 m
Move left onto Glamis Road.
Glamis Road865 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Glamis Road.
14 m
Exit the roundabout onto Glamis Road.
Glamis Road444 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Blackness Road.
25 m
Exit the roundabout onto Blackness Road.
Blackness Road398 m
Turn left onto Elliot Road.
Elliot Road174 m
Turn left onto Eton Street.
Eton Street137 m
Turn right onto Cambridge Street.
Cambridge Street96 m
Turn left onto Elliot Road.
Elliot Road246 m
Turn left onto Glamis Road.
Glamis Road166 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Glamis Road.
36 m
Exit the roundabout onto Glamis Road.
Glamis Road343 m
Turn left onto Perth Road.
Perth Road1.1 km
Turn left onto Rockfield Street.
Rockfield Street71 m
Turn left onto Shaftesbury Road.
Shaftesbury Road168 m
Turn left onto Grosvenor Road.
Grosvenor Road3 m
Turn left to stay on Grosvenor Road.
Grosvenor Road74 m
Turn right onto Perth Road.
Perth Road1.2 km
Turn left onto Riverside Drive.
Riverside Drive419 m
Turn right to stay on Riverside Drive.
Riverside Drive9 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Riverside Avenue/A85.
60 m
Exit the roundabout onto Riverside Avenue/A85.
Riverside Avenue2.7 km
Enter Swallow Roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto A90/Kingsway West.
Swallow Roundabout83 m
Exit the roundabout onto A90/Kingsway West.
A901.3 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit towards A90/Aberdeen/Forfar.
68 m
Exit the roundabout towards A90/Aberdeen/Forfar.
A904.0 km
Enter Strathmartine Roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A90/Kingsway.
Strathmartine Roundabout39 m
Exit the roundabout onto A90/Kingsway.
A90809 m
Enter Old Glamis Roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Old Glamis Road.
Old Glamis Roundabout67 m
Exit the roundabout onto Old Glamis Road.
Old Glamis Road287 m
Turn left onto Barnes Avenue.
Barnes Avenue454 m
Turn left onto Graham Street.
Graham Street287 m
Turn left onto A90/Kingsway.
A90443 m
Enter Old Glamis Roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A90/Kingsway.
Old Glamis Roundabout32 m
Exit the roundabout onto A90/Kingsway.
A90808 m
Enter Strathmartine Roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Strathmartine Road.
Strathmartine Roundabout69 m
Exit the roundabout onto Strathmartine Road.
Strathmartine Road394 m
Turn left onto Camperdown Road.
Camperdown Road840 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto MacAlpine Road.
10 m
Exit the roundabout onto MacAlpine Road.
MacAlpine Road589 m
Enter Kingsway West and take the 3rd exit onto Kingscross Road.
Kingsway West189 m
Exit the roundabout onto Kingscross Road.
Kingscross Road791 m
Turn right onto Harefield Road.
Harefield Road137 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Harefield Road.
29 m
Exit the roundabout onto Harefield Road.
Harefield Road372 m
Turn left onto Tofthill Place.
Tofthill Place87 m
Move left onto Bright Street.
Bright Street135 m
Turn left onto Methven Street.
Methven Street81 m
Turn right onto Camperdown Street.
Camperdown Street133 m
Turn right onto Burnside Street.
Burnside Street68 m
Turn right onto High Street.
High Street287 m
Keep right to stay on High Street.
High Street47 m
Turn right onto Coupar Angus Road/A923.
Coupar Angus Road105 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Coupar Angus Road/A923.
29 m
Exit the roundabout onto Coupar Angus Road/A923.
Coupar Angus Road717 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Coupar Angus Road/A923.
18 m
Exit the roundabout onto Coupar Angus Road/A923.
Coupar Angus Road115 m
Enter Coupar Angus Interchange and take the 3rd exit onto A90/Kingsway West.
Coupar Angus Interchange133 m
Exit the roundabout onto A90/Kingsway West.
A90758 m
Take the exit.
A90284 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto MacAlpine Road.
17 m
Exit the roundabout onto MacAlpine Road.
MacAlpine Road587 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto MacAlpine Road.
20 m
Exit the roundabout onto MacAlpine Road.
MacAlpine Road169 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto MacAlpine Road.
24 m
Exit the roundabout onto MacAlpine Road.
MacAlpine Road428 m
Turn left onto St Fillans Place.
St Fillans Place170 m
Turn left onto St Fillans Road.
St Fillans Road101 m
Turn right onto MacAlpine Road.
MacAlpine Road343 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto MacAlpine Road.
32 m
Exit the roundabout onto MacAlpine Road.
MacAlpine Road129 m
Turn right onto Turnberry Avenue.
Turnberry Avenue94 m
Turn left onto Gullane Road.
Gullane Road97 m
Turn right to stay on Gullane Road.
Gullane Road71 m
Turn left onto Gullane Place.
Gullane Place136 m
Turn left onto Rosemount Road.
Rosemount Road100 m
Turn left onto Staffa Place.
Staffa Place125 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Staffa Place.
Staffa Place125 m
Turn left onto Rosemount Road.
Rosemount Road59 m
Turn right onto Telford Road.
Telford Road111 m
Turn right onto Faraday Street.
Faraday Street207 m
You have arrived at your destination.
Directions for the Dundee · Route 1 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.
Watch for 20 mph zones, crossings and children near these.
Useful navigation anchors on the loop.
Pedestrian crossings and parked cars are common nearby.
Easy landmarks to navigate the loop by.
Frequent stop-start traffic and pedestrians, keep your speed down.
Multiple roundabouts
Watch your lane discipline and signalling at Swallow Roundabout, Old Glamis Roundabout, Strathmartine Roundabout. Get into the correct lane early and check your exit mirror before leaving.
Dual-carriageway join
About 8.1 km of this loop is dual carriageway. Build your speed on the slip road, take an effective rearward observation, and merge without forcing other traffic to brake.
Changing speed limits
Limits change across this route (30, 40, 50, 70 mph). Watch for repeater signs and adjust early, examiners mark you down for carrying the wrong speed into a new limit.
Residential streets
Narrow residential roads mean parked cars, pedestrians and reduced visibility. Cover the brake, keep your speed down and be ready to give way.
Navigate by these 20 catalogued landmarks rather than a memorised turn list, an indicative loop, not an official DVSA route.
Ancrum Arms
Start near Ancrum Arms.
Logie Bar
Continue to Logie Bar.
Ancrum Road
Continue to Ancrum Road.
St Mary the Immaculate Conception
Continue to St Mary the Immaculate Conception.
Glamis Road
Continue to Glamis Road, taking the junction with good observation.
Dundee Women's Hospital
Continue to Dundee Women's Hospital.
Botanic Community Garden
Continue to Botanic Community Garden.
Riverside Drive
Continue to Riverside Drive, taking the junction with good observation.
Swallow Roundabout
Continue to Swallow Roundabout, taking the junction with good observation.
Coupar Angus Interchange
Continue to Coupar Angus Interchange, taking the junction with good observation.
Kingsway West
Continue to Kingsway West, taking the junction with good observation.
Old Glamis Roundabout
Continue to Old Glamis Roundabout, taking the junction with good observation.
Strathmartine Roundabout
Continue to Strathmartine Roundabout, taking the junction with good observation.
Burger-Van
Continue to Burger-Van.
Dundee Westgait (Lochee)
Continue to Dundee Westgait (Lochee).
Lochee Baptist Chapel
Continue to Lochee Baptist Chapel.
Dryburgh Street
Continue to Dryburgh Street, taking the junction with good observation.
Sandy's Bar
Continue to Sandy's Bar.
MacAlpine Road
Continue to MacAlpine Road, taking the junction with good observation.
Rexel Electrical
Finish back near Rexel Electrical, completing the loop.
10 roundabouts · 7 turns · 3 sets of lights
10 roundabouts · 16 turns · 3 sets of lights
8 roundabouts · 12 turns · 3 sets of lights
7 roundabouts · 18 turns · 3 sets of lights
This route is 32.2 km and takes about 25 min to drive at a steady learner pace. It is an independent practice loop near Dundee test centre, not an official DVSA route.