Near Hawick test centre
Rated moderate from its real manoeuvre load, 4 roundabouts and 22 turns across 28 navigation steps.
This is an independent 16.4 km practice route near Hawick 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 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 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 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 67-step drive on real, named roads (about 16.2 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 1st exit onto A7/Commercial Road.
North Bridge Roundabout4 m
Exit the roundabout onto A7/Commercial Road. Continue on A7.
A7703 m
Turn right onto Albert Road.
Albert Road50 m
Turn left onto Victoria Road.
Victoria Road462 m
Turn right onto Langlands Road.
Langlands Road458 m
Move left onto Wilton Path.
Wilton Path267 m
Turn left onto Dickson Street.
Dickson Street825 m
Turn right onto Guthrie Drive.
Guthrie Drive814 m
Turn right onto Roxburghe Drive.
Roxburghe Drive357 m
Turn left onto Hazelwood Road.
Hazelwood Road300 m
Turn left onto Stirches Road.
Stirches Road413 m
Turn left onto Wellfield Road.
Wellfield Road165 m
Turn left onto Havelock Bank.
Havelock Bank98 m
Move right onto Branxholme Road.
Branxholme Road182 m
Turn left onto Churchill Road.
Churchill Road126 m
Turn right onto Silverbuthall Road.
Silverbuthall Road50 m
Turn left onto Atkinson Road.
Atkinson Road234 m
Turn left onto Bowden Road.
Bowden Road133 m
Turn left onto Roxburghe Drive.
Roxburghe Drive237 m
Move right.
70 m
Turn left.
43 m
Turn right.
29 m
Turn left.
70 m
Move left onto Roxburghe Drive.
Roxburghe Drive237 m
Turn right onto Bowden Road.
Bowden Road133 m
Turn right onto Atkinson Road.
Atkinson Road234 m
Turn right onto Silverbuthall Road.
Silverbuthall Road415 m
Turn left onto Havelock Bank.
Havelock Bank127 m
Turn left onto Branxholme Road.
Branxholme Road611 m
Move left onto Silverbuthall Road.
Silverbuthall Road217 m
Turn left onto Churchill Road.
Churchill Road126 m
Turn right onto Branxholme Road.
Branxholme Road182 m
Move left onto Havelock Bank.
Havelock Bank98 m
Turn right onto Wellfield Road.
Wellfield Road165 m
Turn left onto Stirches Road.
Stirches Road178 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
Move left onto Tower Knowe/B6399.
Tower Knowe32 m
Turn right onto Howegate.
Howegate131 m
Move right onto Drumlanrig Square.
Drumlanrig Square409 m
Turn left onto Renwick Terrace.
Renwick Terrace89 m
Turn right to stay on Renwick Terrace.
Renwick Terrace138 m
Turn right to stay on Renwick Terrace.
Renwick Terrace72 m
Turn right onto Rosebank Road.
Rosebank Road504 m
Turn left onto Beaconsfield Terrace.
Beaconsfield Terrace231 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 left.
35 m
You have arrived at your destination.
Directions for the Hawick · Route 6 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 North Bridge Roundabout. Get into the correct lane early and check your exit mirror before leaving.
Dual-carriageway join
About 2.9 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.
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.
Hawick Police Station
Continue to Hawick Police Station.
North Bridge Roundabout
Continue to North Bridge Roundabout, taking the junction with good observation.
Mart Street Bus Stance
Continue to Mart Street Bus Stance.
Station Bar
Continue to Station Bar.
Bargain Buys
Continue to Bargain Buys.
Teviot Day Service
Continue to Teviot Day Service.
Wilton Parish Church
Continue to Wilton Parish Church.
Wilton Swimming Pool
Continue to Wilton Swimming Pool.
Stirches Primary School
Continue to Stirches Primary School.
Nisa Local
Continue to Nisa Local.
Love Cashmere
Continue to Love Cashmere.
Exchange Bar
Continue to Exchange Bar.
Moore's
Continue to Moore's.
Cutz N Colour
Continue to Cutz N Colour.
St Mary and David's
Continue to St Mary and David's.
Teviot Parish Church
Continue to Teviot Parish Church.
Hawick Baptist Church
Continue to Hawick Baptist Church.
Hawick Congregational Church
Continue to Hawick Congregational Church.
Teri Bikes
Finish back near Teri Bikes, completing the loop.
6 roundabouts · 20 turns
6 roundabouts · 19 turns
5 roundabouts · 20 turns
5 roundabouts · 16 turns
This route is 16.4 km and takes about 35 min to drive at a steady learner pace. It is an independent practice loop near Hawick test centre, not an official DVSA route.