Skip to content
Practice route
Challenging

Montrose · Route 3

Near Montrose test centre

24.6 km
Distance
35 min
Duration
Challenging
Difficulty
19
Manoeuvres
Difficulty: Challenging

Rated challenging from its real manoeuvre load, 8 roundabouts, 14 turns and 4 signalled junctions across 24 navigation steps.

How this route is examined

This is an independent 24.6 km practice route near Montrose 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.

On this route you’ll practise multiple roundabouts, 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, pubs, shops 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 Montrose 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.

Manoeuvre breakdown

What you’ll actually do on this loop, counted from its turn-by-turn directions.

6
Left turns
8
Right turns
8
Roundabouts
4
Traffic lights
24
Total steps

Skills & features

14
Roundabouts
20, 30, 40, 60 mph
Speed limits
20
Landmarks

This route helps you practise:

  • Multiple roundabouts
  • National-speed roads
  • 20 mph zones
  • Changing speed limits
  • Residential manoeuvres
  • Busy A-roads
  • Sustained concentration

Road mix

  • A-roads 14.7 km
  • Minor roads 4.2 km
  • Residential 3.4 km
  • Unclassified 1.4 km
  • B-roads 0.5 km
  • service_other 0.3 km

Turn-by-turn directions

The full 74-step drive on real, named roads (about 24.6 km). An indicative practice loop, not an official DVSA route — the roads and junctions are real, the sequence is a rehearsal.

  1. Depart:

    Drive west on Garrison Road.

    Garrison Road82 m

  2. Turn right:

    Turn right onto Ferry Road.

    Ferry Road48 m

  3. Turn left:

    Move left onto Caledonia Street.

    Caledonia Street155 m

  4. Turn right:

    Turn right onto Ferry Street/B9100.

    Ferry Street456 m

  5. Turn left:

    Move left onto Castle Place.

    Castle Place308 m

  6. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Upper Craigo Street.

    Upper Craigo Street69 m

  7. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Castle Street.

    Castle Street225 m

  8. Turn right:

    Turn right onto Castle Place.

    Castle Place52 m

  9. Turn left:

    Move left onto High Street.

    High Street186 m

  10. Turn left:

    Move left to stay on High Street.

    High Street152 m

  11. Turn right:

    Turn right onto John Street.

    John Street308 m

  12. Turn right:

    Turn right onto Panmure Place.

    Panmure Place790 m

  13. Turn right:

    Turn right onto Wharf Street/B9133.

    Wharf Street358 m

  14. Turn right:

    Turn right onto Basin View/A92.

    Basin View680 m

  15. Roundabout:

    Enter Basin View Roundabout and take the 4th exit onto Western Road.

    Basin View Roundabout62 m

  16. Leave roundabout:

    Exit the roundabout onto Western Road.

    Western Road94 m

  17. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Hume Street.

    Hume Street97 m

  18. Turn left:

    Turn left onto High Street.

    High Street9 m

  19. Turn left:

    Move left to stay on High Street.

    High Street584 m

  20. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Blackfriars Street.

    Blackfriars Street280 m

  21. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Western Road North.

    Western Road North169 m

  22. Turn right:

    Turn right onto Lower Hall Street.

    Lower Hall Street31 m

  23. Turn right:

    Turn right onto Basin View/A92.

    Basin View294 m

  24. Roundabout:

    Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Basin View/A92.

    24 m

  25. Leave roundabout:

    Exit the roundabout onto Basin View/A92.

    Basin View319 m

  26. Roundabout:

    Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto North Esk Road/A92.

    10 m

  27. Leave roundabout:

    Exit the roundabout onto North Esk Road/A92.

    North Esk Road394 m

  28. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Brechin Road.

    Brechin Road482 m

  29. Roundabout:

    Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Brechin Road/A935.

    29 m

  30. Leave roundabout:

    Exit the roundabout onto Brechin Road/A935. Continue on A935.

    A935515 m

  31. Turn left:

    Turn left.

    114 m

  32. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Omar Avenue.

    Omar Avenue46 m

  33. Turn left:

    Turn left.

    131 m

  34. Turn right:

    Turn right.

    11 m

  35. Turn right:

    Turn right onto Brechin Road/A935. Continue on A935.

    A935516 m

  36. Roundabout:

    Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Brechin Road.

    9 m

  37. Leave roundabout:

    Exit the roundabout onto Brechin Road.

    Brechin Road212 m

  38. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Panter Crescent.

    Panter Crescent306 m

  39. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Borrowfield Road.

    Borrowfield Road111 m

  40. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Tailyour Crescent.

    Tailyour Crescent152 m

  41. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Gardyne Street.

    Gardyne Street108 m

  42. Turn right:

    Turn right onto Panter Crescent.

    Panter Crescent184 m

  43. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Brechin Road.

    Brechin Road270 m

  44. Turn right:

    Turn right onto North Esk Road/A92.

    North Esk Road394 m

  45. Roundabout:

    Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto North Esk Road/A92.

    40 m

  46. Leave roundabout:

    Exit the roundabout onto North Esk Road/A92.

    North Esk Road896 m

  47. Keep left:

    Keep left to take Coronation Avenue/A937.

    Coronation Avenue366 m

  48. Turn right:

    Turn right onto Forties Road.

    Forties Road422 m

  49. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Brent Avenue.

    Brent Avenue421 m

  50. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Coronation Avenue/A937.

    Coronation Avenue663 m

  51. Turn right:

    Turn right onto Charleton Road/A92.

    Charleton Road32 m

  52. Turn right:

    Make a sharp right onto Coronation Avenue/A937. Continue on A937.

    A9371.7 km

  53. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Hospital Road.

    Hospital Road1.5 km

  54. Turn right:

    Turn right onto A937.

    A9373.6 km

  55. Turn right:

    Turn right onto Charleton Road/A92. Continue on A92.

    A92929 m

  56. Roundabout:

    Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Basin View/A92.

    20 m

  57. Leave roundabout:

    Exit the roundabout onto Basin View/A92.

    Basin View321 m

  58. Roundabout:

    Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Medicine Well Drive/A935.

    33 m

  59. Leave roundabout:

    Exit the roundabout onto Medicine Well Drive/A935.

    Medicine Well Drive560 m

  60. Roundabout:

    Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Brechin Road/A935.

    7 m

  61. Leave roundabout:

    Exit the roundabout onto Brechin Road/A935. Continue on A935.

    A935515 m

  62. Turn left:

    Turn left.

    114 m

  63. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Omar Avenue.

    Omar Avenue46 m

  64. Turn left:

    Turn left.

    131 m

  65. Turn right:

    Turn right.

    11 m

  66. Turn right:

    Turn right onto Brechin Road/A935. Continue on A935.

    A935516 m

  67. Roundabout:

    Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Medicine Well Drive/A935.

    30 m

  68. Leave roundabout:

    Exit the roundabout onto Medicine Well Drive/A935.

    Medicine Well Drive560 m

  69. Roundabout:

    Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Basin View/A92.

    30 m

  70. Leave roundabout:

    Exit the roundabout onto Basin View/A92.

    Basin View541 m

  71. Roundabout:

    Enter Basin View Roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Basin View/A92.

    Basin View Roundabout38 m

  72. Leave roundabout:

    Exit the roundabout onto Basin View/A92.

    Basin View547 m

  73. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Bridge Street.

    Bridge Street131 m

  74. Arrive:

    You have arrived at your destination.

Directions for the Montrose · Route 3 loop. Always drive to the road and conditions you see, not the list — signs, signals and other traffic take priority.

Local roads & landmarks

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.

Schools

Watch for 20 mph zones, crossings and children near these.

  • St Margaret's RC Primary School
  • Dundee and Angus College - Montrose Learning Centre

Churches

Useful navigation anchors on the loop.

  • Melville South Church
  • Montrose Old and St Andrew's Church
  • Knox's United Free Church
  • St. Mary's and St. Peter's
  • Lochside Church

Parks & green space

Pedestrian crossings and parked cars are common nearby.

  • Medicine Well Park

Pubs

Easy landmarks to navigate the loop by.

  • Sharkys
  • Market Arms
  • Black Horse Inn
  • Northern Vaults

Shops & parades

Frequent stop-start traffic and pedestrians, keep your speed down.

  • Nisa
  • Spicy Mo
  • Asda Express
  • Grove

Watch out for

  • Multiple roundabouts

    Approach in the correct lane, signal on the exit before yours, and keep checking your mirrors as you leave.

  • Changing speed limits

    Limits change across this route (20, 30, 40, 60 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.

Drive it: landmark by landmark

Navigate by these 20 catalogued landmarks rather than a memorised turn list, an indicative loop, not an official DVSA route.

  1. Melville South Church

    Start near Melville South Church.

  2. Montrose Old and St Andrew's Church

    Continue to Montrose Old and St Andrew's Church.

  3. Sharkys

    Continue to Sharkys.

  4. Knox's United Free Church

    Continue to Knox's United Free Church.

  5. Market Arms

    Continue to Market Arms.

  6. St. Mary's and St. Peter's

    Continue to St. Mary's and St. Peter's.

  7. Nisa

    Continue to Nisa.

  8. Spicy Mo

    Continue to Spicy Mo.

  9. Black Horse Inn

    Continue to Black Horse Inn.

  10. Northern Vaults

    Continue to Northern Vaults.

  11. Picture House

    Continue to Picture House.

  12. St Margaret's RC Primary School

    Continue to St Margaret's RC Primary School.

  13. Dundee and Angus College - Montrose Learning Centre

    Continue to Dundee and Angus College - Montrose Learning Centre.

  14. Lochside Church

    Continue to Lochside Church.

  15. Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses

    Continue to Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses.

  16. Asda Express

    Continue to Asda Express.

  17. Grove

    Continue to Grove.

  18. Howdens Joinery

    Continue to Howdens Joinery.

  19. Greenpark Garage

    Continue to Greenpark Garage.

  20. Medicine Well Park

    Finish back near Medicine Well Park, completing the loop.

More routes at Montrose test centre

Route FAQs

This route is 24.6 km and takes about 35 min to drive at a steady learner pace. It is an independent practice loop near Montrose test centre, not an official DVSA route.