Near Glasgow (Baillieston) test centre
Mostly steady roads with few demanding junctions, a gentle loop to build confidence.
This is an independent 17.7 km practice loop near Glasgow (Baillieston) test centre, taking roughly - 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 Bargeddie Roundabout, Sandyhills Road and Springhill Parkway. 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, 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 20 catalogued landmarks, including schools, named junctions, pubs 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 Glasgow (Baillieston) 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 72-step drive on real, named roads (about 21.2 km). An indicative practice loop, not an official DVSA route — the roads and junctions are real, the sequence is a rehearsal.
Drive east on Springhill Parkway.
Springhill Parkway307 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Springhill Parkway.
16 m
Exit the roundabout onto Springhill Parkway.
Springhill Parkway124 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Springhill Parkway.
78 m
Exit the roundabout onto Springhill Parkway.
Springhill Parkway118 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Springcroft Road.
15 m
Exit the roundabout onto Springcroft Road.
Springcroft Road445 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 4th exit onto Easterhouse Road.
57 m
Exit the roundabout onto Easterhouse Road.
Easterhouse Road416 m
Turn left onto Edinburgh Road/A8. Continue on A8.
A8828 m
Enter Swinton Roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Rhindhouse Road.
Swinton Roundabout14 m
Exit the roundabout onto Rhindhouse Road.
Rhindhouse Road173 m
Turn left onto Swinton Avenue.
Swinton Avenue206 m
Turn left onto Swinton View.
Swinton View75 m
Turn right to stay on Swinton View.
Swinton View15 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Swinton View.
Swinton View15 m
Turn left to stay on Swinton View.
Swinton View75 m
Turn right onto Swinton Avenue.
Swinton Avenue206 m
Turn right onto Rhindhouse Road.
Rhindhouse Road116 m
Move left.
45 m
Enter Swinton Roundabout and take the 1st exit onto A89.
Swinton Roundabout12 m
Exit the roundabout onto A89.
A89843 m
Enter Bargeddie Roundabout and take the 4th exit onto Coatbridge Road/A89.
Bargeddie Roundabout356 m
Exit the roundabout onto Coatbridge Road/A89.
Coatbridge Road479 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Langmuir Road/A752.
41 m
Exit the roundabout onto Langmuir Road/A752.
Langmuir Road580 m
Turn left onto Langmuir Way.
Langmuir Way140 m
Turn right.
22 m
Turn left.
55 m
Turn left.
20 m
Turn left onto Langmuir Way.
Langmuir Way209 m
Turn left onto Langmuir Road/A752.
Langmuir Road497 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Langmuir Road/A752.
59 m
Exit the roundabout onto Langmuir Road/A752. Continue on A752.
A7521.7 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Aitkenhead Road/A752.
62 m
Exit the roundabout onto Aitkenhead Road/A752.
Aitkenhead Road429 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 4th exit onto Aitkenhead Road/A752.
52 m
Exit the roundabout onto Aitkenhead Road/A752.
Aitkenhead Road32 m
Keep straight to stay on Aitkenhead Road/A752.
Aitkenhead Road391 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 5th exit onto Aitkenhead Road/A752.
112 m
Exit the roundabout onto Aitkenhead Road/A752.
Aitkenhead Road429 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Old Edinburgh Road.
27 m
Exit the roundabout onto Old Edinburgh Road.
Old Edinburgh Road93 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Holmbrae Road/A752.
4 m
Exit the roundabout onto Holmbrae Road/A752.
Holmbrae Road186 m
Turn right onto Calderbraes Avenue.
Calderbraes Avenue408 m
Turn left onto Kirkhill Road.
Kirkhill Road9 m
Keep right to stay on Kirkhill Road.
Kirkhill Road53 m
Turn left onto Dalveen Drive.
Dalveen Drive211 m
Turn left onto Glencroft Avenue.
Glencroft Avenue62 m
Turn left onto Calderbraes Avenue.
Calderbraes Avenue871 m
Turn left onto Old Edinburgh Road/B7001.
Old Edinburgh Road875 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Glasgow Road/A721.
26 m
Exit the roundabout onto Glasgow Road/A721. Continue on A721.
A7211.3 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Hamilton Road/A74.
43 m
Exit the roundabout onto Hamilton Road/A74. Continue on Hamilton Road.
Hamilton Road2.2 km
Turn right onto Woodend Road.
Woodend Road26 m
Move left onto Kirkinner Road.
Kirkinner Road450 m
Turn right onto Sandgate Avenue.
Sandgate Avenue179 m
Turn left onto Criffell Road.
Criffell Road358 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 6th exit onto Sandyhills Road.
98 m
Exit the roundabout onto Sandyhills Road.
Sandyhills Road252 m
Turn right onto Baillieston Road/A89.
Baillieston Road936 m
Turn left onto Barrachnie Road/B7058.
Barrachnie Road1.2 km
Turn right onto Edinburgh Road/A8.
Edinburgh Road121 m
Turn left onto Springcroft Drive.
Springcroft Drive187 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Springcroft Avenue.
61 m
Exit the roundabout onto Springcroft Avenue.
Springcroft Avenue562 m
Turn left onto Springcroft Road.
Springcroft Road280 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Springhill Parkway.
41 m
Exit the roundabout onto Springhill Parkway.
Springhill Parkway307 m
You have arrived at your destination.
Directions for the Glasgow (Baillieston) · Route 16 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.
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 Bargeddie Roundabout. Get into the correct lane early and check your exit mirror before leaving.
Dual-carriageway join
About 0.9 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, 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.
Bargeddie Primary School
Start near Bargeddie Primary School.
Bargeddie Roundabout
Continue to Bargeddie Roundabout, taking the junction with good observation.
Barrachinnie Inn
Continue to Barrachinnie Inn.
Clachann Bar
Continue to Clachann Bar.
Gables Pub
Continue to Gables Pub.
Kennedy Cars
Continue to Kennedy Cars.
Langmuir
Continue to Langmuir.
Mailcoach
Continue to Mailcoach.
Mount Vernon
Continue to Mount Vernon.
Oscar's
Continue to Oscar's.
Sandyhills Parish Church
Continue to Sandyhills Parish Church.
Sandyhills Road
Continue to Sandyhills Road, taking the junction with good observation.
Sherwoods
Continue to Sherwoods.
Springcroft
Continue to Springcroft.
Springhill Parkway
Continue to Springhill Parkway, taking the junction with good observation.
St Kevin's Primary School and Nursery
Continue to St Kevin's Primary School and Nursery.
Swinton Tavern
Continue to Swinton Tavern.
UK FORKS
Continue to UK FORKS.
VW Commercial
Continue to VW Commercial.
Windmill Tavern
Finish back near Windmill Tavern, completing the loop.
This route is 17.7 km and takes about - to drive at a steady learner pace. It is an independent practice loop near Glasgow (Baillieston) test centre, not an official DVSA route.