Near Hawick test centre
Rated moderate from its real manoeuvre load, 5 roundabouts and 16 turns across 23 navigation steps.
This is an independent 16.9 km practice route near Hawick 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.
Along the way you'll meet North Bridge Roundabout. 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, 20 mph zones, 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, named junctions, stations and schools, 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 Hawick 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 55-step drive on real, named roads (about 16.9 km). An indicative practice loop, not an official DVSA route — the roads and junctions are real, the sequence is a rehearsal.
Drive southwest on Burnfoot Road.
Burnfoot Road979 m
Turn left to stay on Burnfoot Road.
Burnfoot Road156 m
Move left onto A7/Wilton Hill.
A7578 m
Enter North Bridge Roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A698.
North Bridge Roundabout32 m
Exit the roundabout onto A698.
A698273 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 5th exit onto Mart Street/A698.
76 m
Exit the roundabout onto Mart Street/A698. Continue on A698.
A698273 m
Enter North Bridge Roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Mansfield Road.
North Bridge Roundabout57 m
Exit the roundabout onto Mansfield Road.
Mansfield Road1.1 km
Move left onto Hamilton Road.
Hamilton Road219 m
Turn right to stay on Hamilton Road.
Hamilton Road83 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Hamilton Road.
Hamilton Road83 m
Turn right to stay on Hamilton Road.
Hamilton Road839 m
Turn left onto Burnfoot Road.
Burnfoot Road1.4 km
Turn left to stay on Burnfoot Road.
Burnfoot Road109 m
Turn left onto Wilton Glebe.
Wilton Glebe134 m
Turn right onto Wilton Hill Terrace.
Wilton Hill Terrace404 m
Turn left onto A7/Wilton Hill.
A7176 m
Turn right onto Havelock Street.
Havelock Street171 m
Turn left onto Wellfield Road.
Wellfield Road165 m
Turn right onto Stirches Road.
Stirches Road413 m
Turn right onto Hazelwood Road.
Hazelwood Road300 m
Turn right onto Roxburghe Drive.
Roxburghe Drive356 m
Turn left onto Guthrie Drive.
Guthrie Drive814 m
Turn left onto Stirches Road.
Stirches Road825 m
Turn right onto Princes Street.
Princes Street620 m
Turn left onto A7/Albert Road. Continue on A7.
A7279 m
Turn left onto Bath Street.
Bath Street66 m
Turn left onto Blackpaling Lane.
Blackpaling Lane189 m
Turn left onto Albert Road.
Albert Road101 m
Turn right onto A7/Albert Road. Continue on A7.
A7179 m
Turn right onto A7/Buccleuch Street. Continue on A7.
A7226 m
Turn left onto Buccleuch Place.
Buccleuch Place165 m
Turn left onto Buccleuch Terrace.
Buccleuch Terrace169 m
Turn right onto Beaconsfield Terrace.
Beaconsfield Terrace65 m
Turn right onto A7/Buccleuch Road. Continue on A7.
A7225 m
Turn left onto A7/Sandbed. Continue on A7.
A7881 m
Enter North Bridge Roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto A698.
North Bridge Roundabout61 m
Exit the roundabout onto A698.
A698273 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 4th exit onto Bourtree Place/B6399.
48 m
Exit the roundabout onto Bourtree Place/B6399.
Bourtree Place184 m
Turn right onto North Bridge Street.
North Bridge Street16 m
Turn right to stay on North Bridge Street.
North Bridge Street222 m
Turn right onto Union Street/C37.
Union Street35 m
Turn right to stay on Union Street/C37.
Union Street117 m
Turn left onto Bourtree Place/B6399.
Bourtree Place22 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Weensland Road/A698.
49 m
Exit the roundabout onto Weensland Road/A698.
Weensland Road865 m
Turn left onto Oliver Park.
Oliver Park370 m
Turn left onto Weensland Road/A698.
Weensland Road264 m
Turn left onto Oliver Park.
Oliver Park370 m
Turn right onto Weensland Road/A698.
Weensland Road605 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Mart Street/A698.
41 m
Exit the roundabout onto Mart Street/A698.
Mart Street126 m
You have arrived at your destination.
Directions for the Hawick · Route 2 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.
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 North Bridge Roundabout. Get into the correct lane early and check your exit mirror before leaving.
Dual-carriageway join
About 2.7 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.
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.
Roxy's
Start near Roxy's.
North Bridge Roundabout
Continue to North Bridge Roundabout, taking the junction with good observation.
Mart Street Bus Stance
Continue to Mart Street Bus Stance.
Wiggly Worms Day Nursery
Continue to Wiggly Worms Day Nursery.
Crown Decorating Centre
Continue to Crown Decorating Centre.
Hawick Elim Community Church
Continue to Hawick Elim Community Church.
Havelock Street Stores
Continue to Havelock Street Stores.
Advanced Windows & Doors ltd
Continue to Advanced Windows & Doors ltd.
Wilton Parish Church
Continue to Wilton Parish Church.
Argos
Continue to Argos.
Hawick Kingdom Hall
Continue to Hawick Kingdom Hall.
Teviot Parish Church
Continue to Teviot Parish Church.
Stags Head
Continue to Stags Head.
St Mary and David's
Continue to St Mary and David's.
Station Bar
Continue to Station Bar.
Hawick Baptist Church
Continue to Hawick Baptist Church.
Hawick Congregational Church
Continue to Hawick Congregational Church.
Little Green Store
Continue to Little Green Store.
Oliver Park
Continue to Oliver Park.
Hunter and Logan
Finish back near Hunter and Logan, completing the loop.
6 roundabouts · 20 turns
6 roundabouts · 19 turns
5 roundabouts · 20 turns
4 roundabouts · 22 turns
This route is 16.9 km and takes about 30 min to drive at a steady learner pace. It is an independent practice loop near Hawick test centre, not an official DVSA route.