Near Dunfermline test centre
Rated moderate from its real manoeuvre load, 8 roundabouts, 8 turns and 3 signalled junctions across 18 navigation steps.
This is an independent 17.9 km practice route near Dunfermline 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 Bothwell Gardens Roundabout, St Leonard Roundabout, King Malcolm Roundabout, St. Margaret Roundabout and Castle Brae. 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, 20 mph zones, 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 churches, shops, named junctions and pubs, 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 Dunfermline 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 57-step drive on real, named roads (about 17.9 km). An indicative practice loop, not an official DVSA route — the roads and junctions are real, the sequence is a rehearsal.
Drive northeast.
17 m
Turn right.
13 m
Turn left onto Garvock Hill.
Garvock Hill70 m
Turn right onto Garvock Bank.
Garvock Bank660 m
Turn right onto Woodmill Road.
Woodmill Road1.6 km
Enter Bothwell Gardens Roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Bothwell Street/A823.
Bothwell Gardens Roundabout4 m
Exit the roundabout onto Bothwell Street/A823. Continue on A823.
A823398 m
Enter St Leonard Roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Hospital Hill/A823.
St Leonard Roundabout30 m
Exit the roundabout onto Hospital Hill/A823. Continue on A823.
A823827 m
Enter King Malcolm Roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Grange Drive.
King Malcolm Roundabout131 m
Exit the roundabout onto Grange Drive.
Grange Drive96 m
Make a right U-turn at Grange Wynd to stay on Grange Drive.
Grange Drive109 m
Enter King Malcolm Roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Queensferry Road/A823.
King Malcolm Roundabout114 m
Exit the roundabout onto Queensferry Road/A823.
Queensferry Road1.0 km
Enter St. Margaret Roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Queensferry Road/A823.
St. Margaret Roundabout49 m
Exit the roundabout onto Queensferry Road/A823.
Queensferry Road295 m
Enter Pitreavie Roundabout and take the 4th exit onto Queensferry Road/A823.
Pitreavie Roundabout355 m
Exit the roundabout onto Queensferry Road/A823.
Queensferry Road314 m
Enter St. Margaret Roundabout and take the 3rd exit.
St. Margaret Roundabout89 m
Exit the roundabout.
27 m
Move left onto Carnegie Avenue.
Carnegie Avenue899 m
Turn right onto Castle Brae.
Castle Brae422 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 4th exit onto Castle Brae.
48 m
Exit the roundabout onto Castle Brae.
Castle Brae419 m
Turn left onto Carnegie Avenue.
Carnegie Avenue354 m
Turn left onto Maclean Gate.
Maclean Gate57 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 4th exit onto Maclean Gate.
51 m
Exit the roundabout onto Maclean Gate.
Maclean Gate57 m
Turn right onto Carnegie Avenue.
Carnegie Avenue648 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Masterton Road.
11 m
Exit the roundabout onto Masterton Road.
Masterton Road783 m
Turn left onto Morrison Drive.
Morrison Drive265 m
Turn left onto Pitcorthie Drive.
Pitcorthie Drive1.5 km
Turn left onto Laburnum Road.
Laburnum Road175 m
Enter King Malcolm Roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Queensferry Road/A823.
King Malcolm Roundabout148 m
Exit the roundabout onto Queensferry Road/A823. Continue on A823.
A823822 m
Enter St Leonard Roundabout and take the 4th exit onto Hospital Hill/A823.
St Leonard Roundabout85 m
Exit the roundabout onto Hospital Hill/A823.
Hospital Hill475 m
Turn left onto Aberdour Road/B916.
Aberdour Road898 m
Turn left.
50 m
Turn right onto Lathalmond Square.
Lathalmond Square95 m
Turn left to stay on Lathalmond Square.
Lathalmond Square49 m
Turn left to stay on Lathalmond Square.
Lathalmond Square70 m
Turn left to stay on Lathalmond Square.
Lathalmond Square48 m
Turn right to stay on Lathalmond Square.
Lathalmond Square26 m
Turn left.
50 m
Turn right onto Aberdour Road/B916.
Aberdour Road320 m
Turn right onto Blacklaw Road.
Blacklaw Road626 m
Turn left onto Beveridge Street.
Beveridge Street445 m
Turn right onto St Andrews Street.
St Andrews Street379 m
Turn right onto Hospital Hill/A823.
Hospital Hill331 m
Enter St Leonard Roundabout and take the 4th exit onto Hospital Hill/A823.
St Leonard Roundabout85 m
Exit the roundabout onto Hospital Hill/A823. Continue on A823.
A823827 m
Enter King Malcolm Roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Grange Drive.
King Malcolm Roundabout131 m
Exit the roundabout onto Grange Drive.
Grange Drive96 m
Turn right onto Grange Wynd.
Grange Wynd10 m
You have arrived at your destination.
Directions for the Dunfermline · Route 9 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.
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 Bothwell Gardens Roundabout, St Leonard Roundabout, King Malcolm Roundabout. Get into the correct lane early and check your exit mirror before leaving.
Changing speed limits
Limits change across this route (20, 30, 40 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.
Dunfermline Islamic Centre
Start near Dunfermline Islamic Centre.
Morrisons Daily
Continue to Morrisons Daily.
Vine Church
Continue to Vine Church.
Bothwell Gardens Roundabout
Continue to Bothwell Gardens Roundabout, taking the junction with good observation.
St Leonard's Parish Church
Continue to St Leonard's Parish Church.
Edwards Bar and Grill
Continue to Edwards Bar and Grill.
Hospital Hill Gospel Hall
Continue to Hospital Hill Gospel Hall.
St Leonard Roundabout
Continue to St Leonard Roundabout, taking the junction with good observation.
King Malcolm Roundabout
Continue to King Malcolm Roundabout, taking the junction with good observation.
St. Margaret Roundabout
Continue to St. Margaret Roundabout, taking the junction with good observation.
Castle Brae
Continue to Castle Brae, taking the junction with good observation.
Sir Hector Maclean of Duart & Battle of Inverkeithing Memorial
Continue to Sir Hector Maclean of Duart & Battle of Inverkeithing Memorial.
Hope House Seventh Day Adventist Church
Continue to Hope House Seventh Day Adventist Church.
Olive Tree
Continue to Olive Tree.
Paint Shed
Continue to Paint Shed.
Subway
Continue to Subway.
Our Lady of Lourdes Church
Continue to Our Lady of Lourdes Church.
K.S. Store
Continue to K.S. Store.
Everest Inn
Continue to Everest Inn.
Hair Creations
Finish back near Hair Creations, completing the loop.
7 roundabouts · 8 turns · 3 sets of lights
8 roundabouts · 6 turns · 5 sets of lights
8 roundabouts · 12 turns
11 roundabouts · 8 turns
This route is 17.9 km and takes about 25 min to drive at a steady learner pace. It is an independent practice loop near Dunfermline test centre, not an official DVSA route.