Pass of Drumochter, an iconic road in the Scottish Highlands

Pass of Drumochter (Bealach Druim Uachdair) is a mountain pass at an elevation of 463m (1,519ft) above the sea level, located in Perth and Kinross, in Scotland. The pass is regularly closed by winter snowstorms.

Bealach Druim Uachdair

Tucked away in the Grampian Mountains, within the Scottish Highlands, the road to the summit is totally paved. It’s called A9 road. It’s an old military road built between 1728 and 1730. It was rebuilt in the late 1920s and early 1930s. Nestled between the northern and southern central Scottish Highlands, the pass is the highest point on the road.

The pass is 37.81km (23.5 miles) long, running from Dalwhinnie, on the western edge of the Cairngorms National Park, to Aldclune. The pass is located between the northern and southern central Scottish Highlands. Always check the weather forecast before you start your journey: adverse conditions are common. In winter can be subject to severe weather conditions. The temperature can drop drastically here and the mist suddenly descends, even in the middle of the summer. There are routine winter patrols from November to March. The road is reinforced by the narrowness of the glen and the very steep slopes of containing hills.