Description of local environment

Air quality

There are no Air Quality Management Areas (AQMA) declared by Perth and Kinross Council (Air Quality Management Areas) or Air Quality Monitoring Stations (Scottish Air Quality) within 10km of the scheme.

There are no sites (which record air pollutant releases) listed on the Scottish Pollution Release Inventory (SPRI) within 10km of the scheme.

Due to the rural nature of the scheme, air quality is anticipated to be high throughout the scheme extents, with road traffic and agricultural activities providing the main impact on the local air quality.

Cultural heritage

A search through the cultural heritage tool Pastmap revealed that the scheme lies entirely within ‘Battle of Killiecrankie’ (ID: BTL12) battlefield.

A number of features of lesser cultural value such as Historical Environment Records (HERs) and National Records of the Historic Environment (NRHEs) were identified within 300m of the scheme:

  • ‘Battle of Killiecrankie’ HER (ID: MPK5256) which covers the scheme extents.
  • Aldclunie NRHE (ID: 379924) is depicted 100m south of the scheme.

There are no Listed Buildings, Garden and Designed Landscapes, Conservation Areas or World Heritage Sites within 300m of the scheme.

Landscape and visual effects

The scheme lies within the Cairngorms National Park, which 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 scheme does not lie within any National Scenic Areas (NSA), National Nature Reserves (NNR) or Local Nature Reserves (LNR) (SiteLink).

The scheme is located within the Land Character Type (LCT) 129 ‘Broad Glen with Estates’, which has the following key characteristics:

  • Large glens
  • Contained by high, rounded hills.
  • Flat, broad strath floors, sometimes constricted into rocky wooded gorges, housing the upper/mid sections of major rivers flowing down from the Cairngorms.
  • The rivers are a feature whether meandering in sinuous loops or faster-flowing along boulder-strewn stretches.
  • Number of side glens cut by tributary streams/burns.
  • Pastures on valley floors, interspersed with policy tree planting and stretches of riparian woodland.
  • Policy woodlands that often include areas of parkland trees.
  • Extensive woodlands: steeper slopes have conifer forest with some heather moorland on open hills.
  • Settlements at bridging points and crossroads.
  • Large estate houses and castles with associated lodges, cottages and steadings.
  • Diverse landscape character with much visual interest.

The scheme is within an area with the land use classed as ‘Motorway and Major Roads’ (HLAmap):

  • Motorways, service stations and park-and-rides are included as HLA data as they cover considerable areas of land; only major junctions and dual carriageways are shown for other roads

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. The scheme is located just north of Pitlochry and south Blair Athol.

Biodiversity

The scheme lies within 2km of the following European sites:

  • River Tay Special Area of Conservation (SAC) (Site code: 8366) lies 450m southwest of the scheme measured by hydrological connectivity via Allt Chluain watercourse. The SAC lies 390m south measured in a direct line from the scheme extents.
  • Cairngorms Massif Special Protection Area (SPA) (Site code: 10234) lies 1.4km northeast of the scheme measured in a direct line.
  • Tulach Hill and Glen Fender Meadows SAC (Site code: 8401) lies 680m south of the scheme measured in a direct line.

Due to potential connectivity of the works to the above designated sites, a Habitats Regulations Appraisal (HRA) was undertaken, which concluded that there will be no Likely Significant Effects (LSE) on the sites’ qualifying features.

There are no Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) within 300m of the scheme (SiteLink).However, the Tulach Hill SSSI (Site code: 1568) overlaps with the Tulach Hill and Glen Fender SAC which lies approximately 680m south of the scheme.

The Tulach Hill SSSI was included in the HRA for completeness; however, no impacts are expected due to the features being immobile and works being out with the SSSI boundary.

Numerous records of bird species were also returned within 2km of the works under the same search criteria. Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended) (WCA), all wild birds and their nests are protected with some birds, particularly those listed on Schedule 1 of the Act, receiving additional protection.

The NBN atlas holds no records of any injurious weeds or Invasive Non-Native Species (INNS) (as listed in the Network Management Contract (NMC)) under the same search criteria.

A search on the Transport Scotland Asset Management Performance System (AMPS) holds records of common ragwort (Jacobaea vulgaris) and rosebay willowherb (Chamaenerion augustifolium) within the verges of the A9 at the scheme extent.

Habitats in proximity to the scheme is somewhat limited to due to fields of pastoral land either side of the A9 with habitat provided by thin strips of young broadleaved tree shelterbelts flanking the carriageway. Freshwater habitat is provided by Allt Chluain which is spanned by the A9 within the scheme and the River Garry in which Allt Chluain outlaws 450 southwest of the scheme.

Two unnamed areas of woodland as listed on the Ancient Woodland Inventory (AWI) lie within 300m of the scheme. The closest of these is an ancient (of semi-natural origin) woodland (ID: 17953) located approximately 65m west of the scheme.

There are no areas within the Tree Preservation Order (TPO) within 300m of the scheme.

A site visit was deemed unnecessary as the proposed works are limited solely to resurfacing activities with potential of routine maintenance of road drainage system within the existing A9 carriageway footprint. The works will not interact with adjacent land, habitats, or features, with no vegetation management, excavation, or earthworks proposed. Given the constrained working area and the comprehensive availability of up-to-date desk-based data (including aerial imagery, mapping, designated sites datasets, and historic environment records), all relevant environmental considerations could be robustly assessed without the need for an on-site inspection.

Geology and soils

The scheme does not lie within a SSSI designated for geological features or a Geological Conservation Review Site (GCRS) (SiteLink).

Bedrock Geology within the scheme is listed as Killiecrankie Schist Formation-Semipelite and micaceous psammite (BGS Geology Viewer).

Superficial Deposits within the scheme is listed as Till, Devensian-Diamicton (BGS Geology Viewer).

Soils within the scheme are recorded as ‘humus-iron podzols’ (Scotland’s Soils).

Within the scheme extent the soils are recorded as being of Carbon and Peatland ‘Class 0’, which refers to mineral soils where peatland habitats are not typically found on such soils (Scotland’s Peatland Map).

The works are confined to the man-made ground of the A9 carriageway with no requirement to enter land out within the trunk road corridor. Therefore, geology and soils have been screened out from further assessment,

Material assets and waste

The proposed works are necessary to resurface a section of the A9 carriageway, requiring base/binder inlay. Materials used will consist of:

  • TS2010 10mm aggreggate
  • AC20 40/60 Binder
  • Milled in road studs
  • Thermoplastic road marking paint
  • Bituminous emulsion bond coat

Wastes anticipated to be removed planings from the surface course, which will be recovered for re-use in line with BEAR Scotland’s Procedure 126: The Production of Fully Recovered Asphalt Road Plannings. A waste exemption is not required for this scheme. Coal tar has not been highlighted as being present within the scheme. 

The scheme is valued at £296,000, and as such a site waste management plan (SWMP) is not required.

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

Noise and vibration

Noise modelled data from Environmental Noise Directive (END) Round 4 Noise Mapping Indicates 24 hour annual average noise level (Lden) between 70 and 80dB on the A9 at the scheme location (Scotland's Noise).

Given the rural nature of the area, it is considered likely that the baseline noise levels will be low, with noise mainly influenced by vehicles travelling along the trunk road. Secondary sources are derived from day-to-day land management activities.

The scheme does not fall within a Candidate Noise Management Area (CNMA) as defined by the Transportation Noise Action Plan (TNAP) (transportation-noise-action-plan).

Population and human health

There are four residential properties within 300m of the scheme. The closest of these is located approximately 160m south of the scheme and screened by raised roadside embankment, tree shelterbelts and intervening trees.

One layby lies adjacent to the A9 southbound carriageway at the scheme southern extents.

There are no junctions located within the scheme extents, however an end point of a slip road from Blair Atholl lies immediately north of the scheme extents.

There are no other public assets within the scheme extent such as street lighting, public pathways or bus stops.

There are no National Cycle Networks (NCN), routes listed on WalkHighlands or Core Paths within 300m of the scheme.

A traffic vehicle counter that lies approximately 1km southeast of the scheme, ‘A9 Killiecrankie’ (Site ID: 000000000307), recorded and Average Dailly Traffic (ADT) count of 11,520 vehicles, 14.9% of which were Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) in 2024.

Road drainage and the water environment

The A9 within the scheme extents spans Allt Chluain, which is an unclassified waterbody by Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) under the Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC (WFD).

Allt Chluain flows for approximately 450m into a southerly direction where it outflows into the River Garry (Errochty Water Confluence to L Faskally) (ID: 6836). The River Garry is a river in the River Tay catchment of the Scotland river basin district which was classified by SEPA in 2024 as having an overall status of ‘Good ecological potential’ (Water Classification Hub). 

The scheme is located within ‘Killin, Aberfeldy and Angus Glens’ groundwater body (ID: 150699). It is 3741.1 square kilometres in area which was given an overall status of ‘Good’ in 2024 by SEPA.

One area listed as having a high likelihood (10% chance) of flooding due to surface water and small watercourses flooding is located within the scheme extents (SEPA Flood Maps).

Climate

The Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 (‘The Act’), and its subsequent amendment under the Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) (Scotland) Act 2019, sets the framework for the Scottish Government to address climate change. The Act has an ambitious target to reach Net Zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045, with any residual emissions balanced by removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This is five years earlier than the rest of the UK due to the greater potential for carbon sequestration in Scotland.

The Act was amended to replace interim targets with carbon budgets. Carbon budgets are legally binding caps on greenhouse gas emissions in Scotland over five-year periods. In line with the Act, the Climate Change Committee (CCC) published advice on the level of Scotland’s four carbon budgets, covering the period 2026 to 2045, recommending what the Scottish Government sets its carbon budgets at for annual average levels of emissions. These recommendations are based on an ambitious but credible route to Net Zero for Scotland by 2045.

Emissions reductions from surface transport are the largest contribution to meeting the first two carbon budgets. The pathway for surface transport emission reduction is primarily driven by the uptake of electric vehicles, in addition to measures to enable a shift from car use to public transport and active travel, which all play a role in reducing emissions from fossil fuel cars. Ensuring efficiency of existing transport infrastructure and improving/providing new active travel facilities is therefore important to support these carbon reduction budgets.

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 the above noted legally binding target of net-zero by 2045. 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).