Near Dundee test centre
Rated moderate from its real manoeuvre load, 8 roundabouts, 13 turns and 2 signalled junctions across 23 navigation steps.
This is an independent 35.4 km practice route near Dundee test centre, taking roughly 35 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 Strathmartine Roundabout, Old Glamis Road, Harefield Road, Coupar Angus Road and Coupar Angus Interchange and 1 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, 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 shops, churches, pubs 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 118-step drive on real, named roads (about 35.4 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 right onto Loon's Road.
Loon's Road842 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Strathmore Avenue.
29 m
Exit the roundabout onto Strathmore Avenue.
Strathmore Avenue818 m
Enter Dens Road and take the 2nd exit onto Caird Avenue.
Dens Road32 m
Exit the roundabout onto Caird Avenue.
Caird Avenue351 m
Turn right onto Clepington Road.
Clepington Road24 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Clepington Road.
31 m
Exit the roundabout onto Clepington Road.
Clepington Road436 m
Turn left onto Graham Street.
Graham Street528 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 Road239 m
Turn left onto Charlotte Street.
Charlotte Street439 m
Turn left onto A90/Kingsway West.
A90361 m
Enter Strathmartine Roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Strathmartine Road.
Strathmartine Roundabout70 m
Exit the roundabout onto Strathmartine Road.
Strathmartine Road333 m
Turn left onto Park Road.
Park Road628 m
Turn left onto Old Glamis Road.
Old Glamis Road210 m
Enter Old Glamis Roundabout and take the 1st exit onto A90/Kingsway.
Old Glamis Roundabout6 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 right onto Gillburn Road.
Gillburn Road1.1 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Old Glamis Road.
91 m
Exit the roundabout onto Old Glamis Road.
Old Glamis Road438 m
Enter Old Glamis Roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Old Glamis Road.
Old Glamis Roundabout38 m
Exit the roundabout onto Old Glamis Road.
Old Glamis Road585 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Clepington Road.
15 m
Exit the roundabout onto Clepington Road.
Clepington Road333 m
Turn right onto Hindmarsh Avenue.
Hindmarsh Avenue21 m
Turn right to stay on Hindmarsh Avenue.
Hindmarsh Avenue46 m
Turn left onto Clepington Road.
Clepington Road300 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Clepington Road.
4 m
Exit the roundabout onto Clepington Road.
Clepington Road537 m
Turn left onto Hospital Street.
Hospital Street321 m
Turn right onto Strathmore Avenue.
Strathmore Avenue235 m
Turn left onto Lawton Road.
Lawton Road328 m
Turn left onto Law Crescent.
Law Crescent323 m
Turn right onto Law Road.
Law Road19 m
Move left to stay on Law Road.
Law Road133 m
Turn right onto Kinghorne Road.
Kinghorne Road159 m
Turn left onto Minard Crescent.
Minard Crescent174 m
Turn left onto Law Street.
Law Street237 m
Turn right onto Dudhope Terrace.
Dudhope Terrace562 m
Move left to stay on Dudhope Terrace.
Dudhope Terrace21 m
Turn left onto Lochee Road/A923.
Lochee Road114 m
Turn right onto Pole Park Road.
Pole Park Road235 m
Turn right onto Edward Street.
Edward Street120 m
Turn left onto Forest Park Place.
Forest Park Place29 m
Move left onto Larch Street.
Larch Street233 m
Turn left onto Urquhart Street.
Urquhart Street48 m
Turn left onto Brook Street.
Brook Street485 m
Turn left onto Lochee Road/A923.
Lochee Road221 m
Move right onto Rankine Street.
Rankine Street388 m
Move left onto Gardner Street.
Gardner Street155 m
Turn right onto Campbell Street.
Campbell Street133 m
Turn right onto Lawside Road.
Lawside Road401 m
Turn right onto Inverary Terrace.
Inverary Terrace311 m
Move right onto Gardner Street.
Gardner Street795 m
Turn left onto Harefield Road.
Harefield Road249 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Harefield Road.
58 m
Exit the roundabout onto Harefield Road.
Harefield Road251 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
Move right onto High Street/A923. Continue on A923.
A923511 m
Enter Coupar Angus Road and take the 1st exit onto South Road.
Coupar Angus Road15 m
Exit the roundabout onto South Road.
South Road754 m
Turn right onto Greenlee Drive.
Greenlee Drive20 m
Turn right to stay on Greenlee Drive.
Greenlee Drive75 m
Turn left to stay on Greenlee Drive.
Greenlee Drive273 m
Turn left.
113 m
Turn right.
1 m
Make a right U-turn.
1 m
Turn left.
113 m
Turn right onto Greenlee Drive.
Greenlee Drive273 m
Turn right to stay on Greenlee Drive.
Greenlee Drive75 m
Turn left to stay on Greenlee Drive.
Greenlee Drive20 m
Turn right onto South Road.
South Road492 m
Turn left to stay on South Road.
South Road22 m
Turn right onto Arran Drive.
Arran Drive1.1 km
Turn right onto Myrekirk Road.
Myrekirk Road223 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit towards A90/Aberdeen/Forfar.
99 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 1st exit onto Old Glamis Road.
Old Glamis Roundabout5 m
Exit the roundabout onto Old Glamis Road.
Old Glamis Road585 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Clepington Road.
38 m
Exit the roundabout onto Clepington Road.
Clepington Road10 m
Move left onto Caird Avenue.
Caird Avenue358 m
Enter Dens Road and take the 3rd exit onto Strathmore Avenue.
Dens Road38 m
Exit the roundabout onto Strathmore Avenue.
Strathmore Avenue817 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Brantwood Avenue.
9 m
Exit the roundabout onto Brantwood Avenue.
Brantwood Avenue841 m
Turn left onto Coupar Street.
Coupar Street130 m
You have arrived at your destination.
Directions for the Dundee · Route 5 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.
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 Strathmartine Roundabout. Get into the correct lane early and check your exit mirror before leaving.
Dual-carriageway join
About 7.9 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 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.
Arnold Clark
Start near Arnold Clark.
Dundee United Free Church
Continue to Dundee United Free Church.
Trinity Baptist Church
Continue to Trinity Baptist Church.
Ambassador Bar
Continue to Ambassador Bar.
Strathmartine Roundabout
Continue to Strathmartine Roundabout, taking the junction with good observation.
Old Glamis Road
Continue to Old Glamis Road, taking the junction with good observation.
Science
Continue to Science.
White's Bar
Continue to White's Bar.
Glens
Continue to Glens.
Dundee Synagogue
Continue to Dundee Synagogue.
St. David's High Kirk
Continue to St. David's High Kirk.
Beiderbeckes Bistro
Continue to Beiderbeckes Bistro.
Harefield Road
Continue to Harefield Road, taking the junction with good observation.
Ancrum Arms
Continue to Ancrum Arms.
Railway Tavern
Continue to Railway Tavern.
Coupar Angus Road
Continue to Coupar Angus Road, taking the junction with good observation.
Kettledrum
Continue to Kettledrum.
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.
Coldside Nursery School
Finish back near Coldside Nursery School, 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 35.4 km and takes about 35 min to drive at a steady learner pace. It is an independent practice loop near Dundee test centre, not an official DVSA route.