Near Forfar test centre
Rated moderate from its real manoeuvre load, 4 roundabouts, 17 turns and 2 signalled junctions across 23 navigation steps.
This is an independent 20.9 km practice route near Forfar test centre, taking roughly 30 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.
On this route you’ll practise roundabout approach & exit, dual-carriageway joins, national-speed roads, 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, pubs and parks, 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 Forfar 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 54-step drive on real, named roads (about 20.8 km). An indicative practice loop, not an official DVSA route — the roads and junctions are real, the sequence is a rehearsal.
Drive southwest on New Road.
New Road12 m
Turn right to stay on New Road.
New Road114 m
Turn right onto West High Street.
West High Street185 m
Move right onto East High Street.
East High Street615 m
Turn left onto Montrose Road/B9113.
Montrose Road201 m
Turn right onto Yeaman Street.
Yeaman Street199 m
Turn left onto Arbroath Road/A932.
Arbroath Road154 m
Turn right onto Restenneth Drive.
Restenneth Drive415 m
Turn right onto South Street/B9128. Continue on South Street.
South Street644 m
Turn right onto East High Street/A932.
East High Street87 m
Turn left onto Prior Road/B9134. Continue on B9134.
B9134911 m
Turn left onto Station Road.
Station Road1.3 km
Turn right onto Brechin Road/A926.
Brechin Road370 m
Turn left onto Kirriemuir Road/A926.
Kirriemuir Road1.0 km
Turn left onto Merlin Gardens.
Merlin Gardens27 m
Turn left to stay on Merlin Gardens.
Merlin Gardens231 m
Turn left onto Mallard Drive.
Mallard Drive23 m
Turn right onto Kirriemuir Road/A926.
Kirriemuir Road770 m
Turn right onto Brechin Road/A926.
Brechin Road203 m
Turn right onto Taylor Street.
Taylor Street304 m
Turn left onto Bankhead Road.
Bankhead Road98 m
Turn left onto Robertson Terrace.
Robertson Terrace307 m
Turn left onto Brechin Road/A926.
Brechin Road102 m
Turn left onto Taylor Street.
Taylor Street94 m
Turn right onto Taylor Street Gardens.
Taylor Street Gardens34 m
Turn right to stay on Taylor Street Gardens.
Taylor Street Gardens11 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Taylor Street Gardens.
Taylor Street Gardens11 m
Turn left to stay on Taylor Street Gardens.
Taylor Street Gardens34 m
Turn left onto Taylor Street.
Taylor Street94 m
Turn right onto Brechin Road/A926.
Brechin Road259 m
Turn right onto Lochside Road.
Lochside Road509 m
Turn right onto Turfbeg Place.
Turfbeg Place43 m
Turn left.
1 m
Make a right U-turn.
1 m
Turn right onto Turfbeg Place.
Turfbeg Place43 m
Turn left onto North Loch Road.
North Loch Road509 m
Turn left onto Brechin Road/A926.
Brechin Road462 m
Turn left onto Kirriemuir Road/A926.
Kirriemuir Road1.7 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit.
3 m
Exit the roundabout onto A90/Forfar Bypass.
A902.3 km
Turn left towards A94.
A94222 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Glamis Road/A94.
57 m
Exit the roundabout onto Glamis Road/A94.
Glamis Road2.3 km
Move right onto East High Street.
East High Street486 m
Turn left onto North Street/B9128.
North Street284 m
Turn left onto Victoria Street/B9128. Continue on B9128.
B9128370 m
Turn left onto Castle Street.
Castle Street342 m
Turn left onto East High Street.
East High Street486 m
Turn left onto North Street/B9128.
North Street284 m
Turn left onto Victoria Street/B9128. Continue on B9128.
B9128370 m
Turn left onto Castle Street.
Castle Street342 m
Turn left onto East High Street.
East High Street574 m
Turn left onto Prior Road/B9134.
Prior Road215 m
You have arrived at your destination.
Directions for the Forfar · 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.
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.
Roundabout
Approach in the correct lane, signal on the exit before yours, and keep checking your mirrors as you leave.
Dual-carriageway join
About 2.3 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 (20, 30, 40, 60, 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.
Forfar East and Old Parish Church
Start near Forfar East and Old Parish Church.
St. John's Scottish Episcopal Church
Continue to St. John's Scottish Episcopal Church.
1st Stop 2 Shop
Continue to 1st Stop 2 Shop.
Sher Khan
Continue to Sher Khan.
Sandeman's Cars
Continue to Sandeman's Cars.
Railway
Continue to Railway.
Zoar Inn
Continue to Zoar Inn.
Ferngreen
Continue to Ferngreen.
Forfar Auto Repair Centre
Continue to Forfar Auto Repair Centre.
Forfar Open Garden
Continue to Forfar Open Garden.
Original Factory Shop
Continue to Original Factory Shop.
KFC
Continue to KFC.
McDonald's
Continue to McDonald's.
Bakery 79
Continue to Bakery 79.
St. Margaret's Parish Church
Continue to St. Margaret's Parish Church.
West End Bar
Continue to West End Bar.
Forfar Community Church
Continue to Forfar Community Church.
Stag
Continue to Stag.
10 Cafe Bar
Continue to 10 Cafe Bar.
Nail Candy by Holly
Finish back near Nail Candy by Holly, completing the loop.
4 roundabouts · 20 turns · 4 sets of lights
4 roundabouts · 18 turns · 3 sets of lights
9 roundabouts · 16 turns · 3 sets of lights
3 roundabouts · 8 turns · 4 sets of lights
This route is 20.9 km and takes about 30 min to drive at a steady learner pace. It is an independent practice loop near Forfar test centre, not an official DVSA route.