Near Montrose test centre
Rated easy from its real manoeuvre load, 5 roundabouts, 11 turns and 1 signalled junction across 19 navigation steps.
This is an independent 13.6 km practice route near Montrose test centre, taking roughly 25 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 Basin View 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, 20 mph zones, residential manoeuvres and busy a-roads. 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, pubs, churches 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 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.
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 13.6 km). An indicative practice loop, not an official DVSA route — the roads and junctions are real, the sequence is a rehearsal.
Drive west on Garrison Road.
Garrison Road82 m
Turn right onto Ferry Road.
Ferry Road48 m
Move left onto Caledonia Street.
Caledonia Street155 m
Turn right onto Ferry Street/B9100.
Ferry Street456 m
Move left onto Castle Place.
Castle Place424 m
Turn left onto Basin View/A92.
Basin View129 m
Turn left onto Wharf Street/B9133.
Wharf Street358 m
Turn left onto Hill Street.
Hill Street554 m
Turn right onto St Peter's Road.
St Peter's Road109 m
Turn left onto St Peter's Place.
St Peter's Place225 m
Turn left onto Union Road.
Union Road87 m
Turn right onto Provost Scott's Road.
Provost Scott's Road110 m
Turn right onto Wellington Street.
Wellington Street52 m
Turn right onto Union Place.
Union Place92 m
Turn left onto Union Street.
Union Street233 m
Turn left onto Union Row.
Union Row318 m
Turn left onto Dorward Road.
Dorward Road45 m
Turn right.
21 m
Turn left onto Dorward Road.
Dorward Road71 m
Turn left.
21 m
Turn right onto Dorward Road.
Dorward Road223 m
Turn right onto Mount Road.
Mount Road743 m
Turn left onto Broomfield Road.
Broomfield Road213 m
Turn left onto North Esk Road/A92.
North Esk Road479 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto North Esk Road/A92.
40 m
Exit the roundabout onto North Esk Road/A92.
North Esk Road896 m
Keep left to take Coronation Avenue/A937.
Coronation Avenue456 m
Turn left onto Newhame Road.
Newhame Road1.3 km
Turn right onto North Esk Road/A92.
North Esk Road613 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto North Esk Road.
5 m
Exit the roundabout onto North Esk Road.
North Esk Road503 m
Turn right onto Lower Hall Street.
Lower Hall Street102 m
Turn left onto St John's Place.
St John's Place45 m
Turn right onto St John's Cottages.
St John's Cottages37 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on St John's Cottages.
St John's Cottages37 m
Turn left onto St John's Place.
St John's Place45 m
Turn left onto Lower Hall Street.
Lower Hall Street136 m
Turn right onto Basin View/A92.
Basin View294 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Medicine Well Drive/A935.
6 m
Exit the roundabout onto Medicine Well Drive/A935.
Medicine Well Drive560 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Brechin Road/A935.
7 m
Exit the roundabout onto Brechin Road/A935. Continue on A935.
A935515 m
Turn left.
114 m
Turn left onto Omar Avenue.
Omar Avenue46 m
Turn left.
131 m
Turn right.
11 m
Turn right onto Brechin Road/A935. Continue on A935.
A935516 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Medicine Well Drive/A935.
30 m
Exit the roundabout onto Medicine Well Drive/A935.
Medicine Well Drive560 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Basin View/A92.
30 m
Exit the roundabout onto Basin View/A92.
Basin View541 m
Enter Basin View Roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Basin View/A92.
Basin View Roundabout38 m
Exit the roundabout onto Basin View/A92.
Basin View547 m
Turn left onto Bridge Street.
Bridge Street131 m
You have arrived at your destination.
Directions for the Montrose · Route 8 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.
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 Basin View Roundabout. Get into the correct lane early and check your exit mirror before leaving.
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.
Ferry Stop
Start near Ferry Stop.
Frost the Bakers
Continue to Frost the Bakers.
Sharkys
Continue to Sharkys.
Bamse (Royal Norwegian Navy Dog) Memorial
Continue to Bamse (Royal Norwegian Navy Dog) Memorial.
Nisa
Continue to Nisa.
Spicy Mo
Continue to Spicy Mo.
St. Mary's and St. Peter's
Continue to St. Mary's and St. Peter's.
Mid Links
Continue to Mid Links.
Scott Park
Continue to Scott Park.
Dundee and Angus College - Montrose Learning Centre
Continue to Dundee and Angus College - Montrose Learning Centre.
Lochside Church
Continue to Lochside Church.
Howdens Joinery
Continue to Howdens Joinery.
Toolstation
Continue to Toolstation.
Black Abbot
Continue to Black Abbot.
Black Horse Inn
Continue to Black Horse Inn.
Northern Vaults
Continue to Northern Vaults.
Medicine Well Park
Continue to Medicine Well Park.
Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses
Continue to Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses.
Basin View Roundabout
Continue to Basin View Roundabout, taking the junction with good observation.
Tesco
Finish back near Tesco, completing the loop.
4 roundabouts · 16 turns
5 roundabouts · 17 turns · 1 set of lights
8 roundabouts · 14 turns · 4 sets of lights
6 roundabouts · 20 turns · 3 sets of lights
This route is 13.6 km and takes about 25 min to drive at a steady learner pace. It is an independent practice loop near Montrose test centre, not an official DVSA route.