Description of local environment

Air quality

No Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs) declared by the Perth & Kinross Council are located within 10km of the scheme (Scottish Air Quality).

There are no registered Scottish Pollutant Release Inventory (SPRI) sites located within 10km of the scheme (Scotland’s Environment).

Baseline air quality is likely to be primarily influenced by traffic along the A9 carriageway, with secondary sources likely to arise from nearby land management.

Cultural heritage

A search of the Historic Environment Scotland (HES) PastMap, records the Category B Listed Building Dalnacardoch Lodge (Reference: LB6014) approximately 35m south of the scheme.

Of lesser cultural heritage value, several Historic Environment Records (HERs) and National Records of Historic Environment (NRHEs) lie within 300m of the scheme extent, the closest of which both lie directly adjacent to the scheme extent:

  • Dunkeld - Dalnacardoch - Ruthven - Aviemore - Inverness Military Road; Dalnacardoch HER
    • Classification: Military Road - Early Modern
    • Reference: MPK9303
  • A9 Dualling Programme: Pitlochry to Glengarry NRHE
    • Classification: No class (event) (period unassigned)
    • Reference: 369047

There are no Garden & Designed Landscapes, Conservation Areas, Battlefields, Scheduled Monuments or World Heritage Sites within 300m of the scheme.

Construction of the A9 is likely to have removed any archaeological remains that may have been present within the area. Due to the lack of cultural heritage assets within the scheme footprint, the proposed project does not carry the potential to cause direct or indirect impact to cultural or archaeological features. As such, impact has been assessed as being ‘no change’ and has been scoped out of requiring further assessment.

Landscape and visual effects

The scheme is located wholly within the Cairngorms National Park (NP) (Site Code: 8623), which has the following 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 is not located within any other areas designated for landscape character or quality, such as National Scenic Areas (Sitelink).

The Landscape Character Type (LCT) within the scheme extents is recorded as ‘Upland Glen – Cairngorms’ (LCT 126, which has the following key characteristics:

  • Strong evidence of glacial processes, including steepened sides and level floors, shattered rock faces on higher slopes, hummocks of resistant rock on some glen floors and terraces of glacial deposits at the edges of glen floors.
  • Often form arrival points into the Cairngorms National Park.
  • Size varies from large e open passes to narrower, more secluded glens.
  • Enclosed predominantly by steep slopes.
  • Frequently differing land-use on one side of the glen to the other - linked to aspect.
  • Improved, grazed fields on glen floors and floodplains.
  • Mostly settled, some only sparsely, but often extensive evidence of past settlement, including prehistoric hut circles and associated field systems, pre-improvement townships, and seasonal shielings.
  • Some landmark historic buildings.
  • Access varies from narrow roads, estate and forestry tracks to main routes, but most have some form of road running through them.
  • Varied experience when passing through glens from open and expansive to sheltered and secluded.
  • Views to adjacent uplands; from which parts of the glens are visible and provide contrast.

The A9 Trunk Road 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

No European sites (i.e. Special Protection Areas (SPAs), Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) or Ramsar sites) are located within 2km of, or hold ecological connectivity to, the scheme extents (Sitelink).

There are no Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs), Local Nature Conservation Sites (LNCS) or Local Nature Reserves (LNRs) designated for biodiversity features within 300m of, or with connectivity to the scheme (Sitelink).

The National Biodiversity Network (NBN) Atlas holds several records of bird species within 2km of the scheme. The search criteria included only records during the past ten years and which have open-use attributions (OGL-CC0-CC-BY). Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended), all wild birds and their active nests are protected, with certain species receiving additional protection.

Under the same search criteria, the NBN Atlas holds no records of protected mammal species.

Under the same search criteria, the NBN Atlas holds no records of injurious weeds or invasive non-native species (INNS).

The Transport Scotland Asset Management Performance System (AMPS) holds records of the injurious weed, common ragwort (Jacobaea vulgaris), within the scheme extent.

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

There are no areas listed on the Ancient Woodland Inventory within 300m of the scheme.

Surrounding habitat consists of primarily grassland and some woodland in the surrounding area. The River Garry runs parallel to the A9 to the south and is located approximately 80-240m from the southbound carriageway.

An ecological constraints survey (ECS) was completed prior to phase 1 & 2 of the works, which overlaps with the survey area of phase 3 (the proposed works). The survey was conducted on 02/09/2025 by the BEAR Scotland Environment Team and remains valid.

Geology and soils

The Glen Garry SSSI (NatureScot site code: 710) is located approximately 20m north of the scheme at its closest point and is designated for earth sciences (Dalradian): bare outcrops of different bands of sedimentary rocks, mostly in the middle Highlands.

The western extent of the scheme lies within the A9 Road Cuttings and River Garry Gorge Geological Conservation Review Site (GCRS) (Site code: 9251) which is an area with an exceptional example of Dalradian polyphase folding on a large scale. The GCRS is partially underpinned by Glen Garry SSSI; however, the works are restricted to engineered ground within the central reservation of the A9 carriageway and are not located within the SSSI boundary.

Bedrock geology within the scheme extent is comprised of Gaick Psammite Formation-Psammite (British Geological Survey). Superficial deposits within the scheme extents are comprised of hummocky (Moundy) Glacial Deposits-Diamicton (sand and gravel) (British Geological Survey).

The component soils recorded by Scotland’s Environment within the scheme extents are peaty gleyed podzols.

The scheme is located within the following two class zones of carbon and peatland importance (Scotland’s Environment):

  • Class 0: Peatland habitats are not typically found on such soils.
  • Class 4: Predominantly mineral soil with some peat soil

Material assets and waste

The proposed works are required to ensure that a suitable VRS system (including rope safety barrier and QuadGuard CEN crash cushion) is in place to reduce the risk of errant vehicles entering the central reserve and reaching roadside hazards. Additionally, an existing concrete drainage ditch will be replaced and a new manhole added as part of the drainage system. Materials used will consist of:

  • Beams and posts for safety barrier
  • Terminal P1
  • Crash cushion QuadGuard CEN system
  • Concrete bases
  • Grate drainage system

The existing VRS system will be 100% recycled and all excavated earth will be redistributed on site.

The value of the scheme exceeds £350,000; therefore, a Site Waste Management Plan (SWMP) is required and will be completed as part of these works.

No site compound is required for these works. Storage of plant and material will be at BEAR Kingussie Depot and transported daily as required.

Noise and vibration

The works do not fall within a Candidate Noise Management Area (CNMA) as defined by the Transportation Noise Action Plan (Road Maps) (Transport Noise Action Plan (TNAP) 2024 to 2028).

Round 4 Noise Mapping shows the average day, evening and night-time noise levels (LDEN) at the scheme to be between 68 – 70dB (Scotland’s noise)

Due to the rural nature of the surrounding habitat, baseline noise levels are likely to be primarily influenced by traffic travelling along the A9 carriageway, in addition to nearby land use.

Population and human health

There are approximately three residential homes within 300m of the scheme extent, the closest of which lies approximately 30m south of the scheme extent, however, visual and acoustic screening is provided by intervening woodland.

Two junctions lie within the scheme extent, one on the southbound carriageway and one on the northbound carriageway.

There are no other non-motorised road user (NMU) provisions within the scheme.

There is one National Cycle Network (NCN) Route, ‘National Route 7’ that runs adjacent to the scheme and lies approximately 10m south of the southbound carriageway at the nearest point.

There are no Core Paths or routes listed on WalkHighlands within 300m of the scheme.

The nearest, most up to date, traffic counter on the A9 (ID: 0000JTC00308) which is located approximately 10.15km east of the scheme, estimated an Average Daily Traffic (ADT) count of 11,336 in 2025 with 24.1% of that being Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs).

Road drainage and the water environment

The scheme is located within the Rannoch groundwater (ID: 150691), in the Scotland river basin district. It is 1273.4 square kilometres in area and it was given an overall status of ‘Good’ in 2024 by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) under the Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC (WFD)

River Garry from Garry Intake to Errochty Water confluence (ID: 6911) is located approximately 80m south of the scheme at the nearest point. It is in the River Tay catchment of the Scotland river basin district. The main stem is approximately 13.2 kilometres in length. The water body has been designated as a heavily modified water body on account of physical alterations that cannot be addressed without a significant impact on water storage for hydroelectricity generation and was given an overall status of ‘Good ecological potential’ by SEPA in 2024.

Edendon Water (ID: 6609), lies within the River Tay catchment of the Scotland river basin district. The main stem is approximately 17.5 kilometres in length and is spanned by the A9 carriageway approximately 90m west of scheme extents. It was given an overall status of ‘Moderate ecological potential’ in 2024 by SEPA under the WFD.

There are numerous watercourses (unclassified by SEPA) that lie within 300m of scheme extents.

There are numerous areas throughout the scheme extents that have a high likelihood (10% each year) of flooding due to river flooding and surface water and small watercourses flooding (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).