Air quality

The schemes are not located within an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) declared by Perth and Kinross council (Air Quality in Scotland).

No Air Quality Monitoring Stations (AQMS) are located within 10km of the proposed works (Air Quality in Scotland).

No Scottish Pollutant Release Inventory (SPRI) sites which record air pollutants, are located within 10km of the schemes (Scotland’s Environment).

Baseline air quality at the scheme locations is likely to be primarily influenced by traffic along the A9 trunk road. The Perth to Inverness railway line runs close to and passes under the carriageway in this area so occasional train movement will therefore also have an impact. However, it is likely that train movements will be infrequent.

Cultural heritage

The schemes are all located either partially or entirely within the ‘Battle of Killiecrankie’ Inventory Battlefield boundary, which is the area in which the main events of the 1689 battle are considered to have taken place and where associated physical remains and archaeological evidence occur or may be expected.

There are five Listed Buildings within 300m of the works: Shierglas Farmhouse, Shierglas Steading, Essangal Limekiln, Urrard House and Old Faskally Cottage. These are all further than 30m from the carriageway.

There are also several Historic Environment Records (HERs) and Canmore database records listed within 300m of scheme extents, the closest of which lies 20m from the schemes.

No Scheduled Monuments, Garden & Designed Landscapes, Conservation Areas or World Heritage sites were identified within 300m of the schemes (PastMap).

Landscape and visual effects

The schemes are located within the Cairngorms National Park (site code 8623). The National Park has the following Special General Qualities:

• Magnificent mountains towering over moorland, forest and strath.
• Vastness of space, scale and height
• Strong juxtaposition of contrasting landscapes
• A landscape of layers, from inhabited strath to remote, uninhabited upland
• ‘The harmony of complicated curves’
• Landscapes both cultural and natural

The southernmost scheme (Killiecrankie Duals to Single) is located within the Loch Tummel National Scenic Area (NSA) (SiteLink) which has the following Special Qualities:

• A breathtakingly beautiful landscape, both lowland and highland
• Loch Tummel, the heart of the NSA
• Rich and varied woodlands
• Peacefulness and tranquillity
• The celebrated Queen’s view
• Spectacular and famous mountain gorge – the Pass of Killiecrankie
• The picturesque Linn of Tummel

The Landscape Character Types (LCT) which the schemes fall within are 129 - Broad Glen with Estates and 372 - Lower Upland Glens.

The schemes are located within a semi-rural location on the A9, with land use surrounding the scheme dominated by woodland, fields of rough grassland and urban development associated with settlements of Blair Atholl, Killiecrankie and Ardclune. The Perth to Inverness railway line runs close to and passes under the carriageway in scheme extents.

The A9 Trunk Road, within the North West, connects Perth with Thurso. It commences immediately north of Inveralmond Roundabout in Perth leading generally northwards for a distance of 357 kilometres to its junction with an unclassified road leading to Holborn Head lighthouse at Scrabster. The A9 is a mixture of single carriageway, ‘2+1’ carriageway and stretches of two-lane dual carriageway.

Biodiversity

Designated Sites

River Tay Special Area of Conservation (SAC) (NatureScot Site Code: 8366) is spanned by the carriageway within the ‘River Garry to Shierglas’ scheme extents; and is located within 300m of the other two schemes.

Tulach Hill and Glen Fender Meadows SAC (NatureScot Site Code: 8401) lies approximately 750m south of the schemes at its closest point.

Cairngorms Massif Special Protection Area (SPA) (NatureScot Code: 10234) lies approximately 450m east of the schemes at its nearest point.

The following locally and/or nationally designated sites with biodiversity features are located within 300m of the scheme (SiteLink):

• Tulach Hill Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) (SiteLink).
• Aldclune and Invervack Meadows SSSI (SiteLink). The SSSI is crossed by the A9 Essangal bridge within scheme extents.
• Pass of Killiecrankie SSSI (SiteLink) lies 100m west of the schemes at its nearest point.

Records

The NBN Atlas holds the following records of injurious weeds:

• Common ragwort (Jacobea vulgaris)
• Creeping thistle (Cirsium arvense)

No invasive non-native species (INNS) of plants were noted.

Transport Scotland’s Asset Management Performance System (AMPS) was also checked using the above criteria and found record of rosebay willowherb (Chamaenerion angustifolium) and common ragwort within the verges.

There are no areas of woodland or individual trees covered by a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) within 300m of the scheme extents (Perth and Kinross Council).

Habitat

Habitat in the surrounding area includes rough grazing areas, sparse tree coverage, and some riparian habitat along the River Garry and its tributaries.

The Ancient Woodland Inventory (AWI) holds records of two areas of woodland (ancient, of semi-natural origin) that lie adjacent to the west and north of the southernmost scheme (NatureScot).

Geology and soils

The schemes do not lie within a Geological Conservation Review Site (GCRS), or within a geologically designated Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) (NatureScot).

Soils within the scheme extents are recorded as humus-iron podzols and brown earths. The schemes are located within a ‘Class 0’ category of carbon and peatland importance, which relates to non-peat soil types (Scotland’s Soils).

Bedrock within the scheme extents is recorded as ‘Killiecrankie Schist Formation - Semipelite and micaceous psammite’ and ‘Blair Atholl Dark Limestone and Dark Schist Formation – Metalimestone’, which are both metamorphic bedrocks (BSG Geology Viewer).

Superficial deposits within scheme extents include ‘Alluvium - Clay, silt, sand and gravel’, and ‘Till, Devensian – Diamicton’ (BSG Geology Viewer).

The works are restricted to previously engineered ground within the A9 carriageway boundary. No soil/earth works are required, and there are no areas designated for geological features in proximity to scheme extents. As such, no change to geology and soil is expected and ‘geology and soils’ are scoped out and is not discussed further within this RoD.

Material assets and waste

The proposed works are required to resurface the worn carriageway surface and reinstate road markings including traffic loops. Materials used will consist of:

• Asphaltic material
• Thermoplastic road-marking paint
• Bituminous emulsion bond coat
• Milled in road studs

As the value of each scheme does not exceed £350,000, Site Waste Management Plans (SWMPs) are not required.

The schemes involve the removal of the surface course and localised areas of binder course. Planings will be reused under SEPA approved methods in accordance with the Paragraph 13 exemption, described in Schedule 3 of the Waste Management Licensing Regulations (exemption numbers: WML/XS/2006087, WML/XS/2011316 and WML/XS/2011317).

No site compound is required for these works. Storage of plant and equipment will be within TM on the A9 carriageway. 

Noise and vibration

For residential, community and commercial receptors, refer to the ‘Population and Human Health’ section below.

The works do not fall within a Candidate Noise Management Area (CNMA) as defined by the Transportation Noise Action Plan (Road Maps) (TNAP).

The nighttime modelled noise level (Lnight) along the A9 within the schemes extents range between 65-70 decibels (ScotGov). Baseline noise levels at the schemes extents are likely to be primarily influenced by traffic along the A9. Secondary sources are derived from the Highland Main (rail) Line, which passes under the A9 carriageway within the schemes extents.

In 2023, the average annual daily flow (AADF) of traffic was measured on the A9 carriageway approximately 18km west of the schemes extents (Site: 40725), and accounted for 10,210 vehicles, including 1,873 (18%) heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) (Road Traffic Statistics).

Population and human health

There are approximately six residential properties within 300m of the schemes, with the closest two within 50m of the carriageway by the River Garry to Shierglas scheme extents with minimal roadside screening. The other four are further away and screened from the works by bands of woodland.

There is a lay-by adjacent to the westbound carriageway at the western edge of the scheme extent, and an off slip is located on the eastbound carriageway at the eastern scheme extent of the River Garry to Shierglas scheme.

There are no pedestrian facilities (i.e. footways or bus stops) within any scheme extents.

There are no core paths (Perth and Kinross Council), National Cycle Routes (OS Maps) or walking routes as listed on WalkHighlands (WalkHighlands) with connectivity to the schemes.

Traffic management (TM) will utilise nighttime lane closure with a convoy system in place.

Road drainage and the water environment

The River Garry (Errochty Water Confluence to L Faskally) (ID: 6836) which is spanned by the A9 within one of the scheme extents (and located within 300m of the others) was classified by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) under the Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC (WFD) as having ‘Good ecological potential’ in 2023 (SEPA).

Several minor waterbodies, considered to be tributaries or drainage ditches, lie within 300m of the schemes extents, with many of these being culverted under the A9 carriageway within the schemes extents.

The schemes fall within the ‘Tummel and Tay Sand and Gravel’ groundwater body (ID: 150735), which was classified as ‘Good’ in 2023 (SEPA).

The schemes fall within 300m of the Allt Girnaig Drinking Water Protection Area (Surface) which lies underneath the A9 by Killiecrankie (Scotland's Environment)

SEPA Flood Map has highlighted a high (10% chance each year) likelihood of river flooding around the River Garry. However, the carriageway is raised so generally has no likelihood of flooding with a few patches with low (0.1% chance each year) likelihood of flooding.

Climate

The Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 sets out the target and vision set by the Scottish Government for tackling and responding to climate change (The Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009). The Act includes a target of reducing CO² emissions by 80% before 2050 (from the baseline year 1990). The Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) (Scotland) Act 2019 amended the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 to bring the target of reaching net-zero emissions in Scotland forward to 2045 (Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) (Scotland) Act 2019).

The Scottish Government has since published its indicative Nationally Determined Contribution (iNDC) to set out how it will reach net-zero emissions by 2045, working to reduce emissions of all major greenhouse gases by at least 75% by 2030 (Scotland's contribution to the Paris Agreement: indicative Nationally Determined Contribution - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)). By 2040, the Scottish Government is committed to reducing emissions by 90%, with the aim of reaching net-zero by 2045 at the latest.

Transport Scotland is committed to reducing carbon across Scotland’s transport network and this commitment is being enacted through the Mission Zero for Transport (Mission Zero for transport | Transport Scotland). Transport is the largest contributor to harmful climate emissions in Scotland. In response to the climate emergency, Transport Scotland are committed to reducing their emissions by 75% by 2030 and to a legally binding target of net-zero by 2045.

Policies and plans

This Record of Determination has been undertaken in accordance with all relevant regulations, guidance, policies and plans, notably including the Environment and Sustainability Discipline of the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (DMRB)) and Transport Scotland's Environmental Impact Assessment Guidance (Guidance - Environmental Impact Assessments for road projects (transport.gov.scot)).