Description of local environment

Air quality

There are no Air Quality Management Areas (AQMA) (Air Quality Management Areas) or Air Quality Monitoring Stations (Scottish Air Quality) within 10km of the scheme. Sites monitoring air quality in the wider area record bandings to be within the ‘green zone’ (Low Index 1-3) indicating good baseline air quality.

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

Baseline air quality is likely to be primarily influenced by traffic travelling along the A9 and A86, with secondary sources largely associated with the railway to the south, activities in Kingussie to the west, and surrounding agricultural and forestry operations.

Cultural heritage

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

A search through the cultural heritage tool Pastmap revealed that a large 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.

The closest features to the scheme include a HER township and enclosure (Knappach; Reference MHG2581) located approximately 25m south of the scheme and an NRHE road bridge (Ruthven Bridge; Reference 111756) located approximately 80m northwest of the scheme.

Works will be restricted to previously engineered ground within the A9 trunk road boundary and any features with cultural heritage value are likely to have been removed during the construction of the A9. Therefore, this receptor has no constraints (as identified in Environmental Baseline) that are likely to be impacted by the proposed works and as such, ‘cultural heritage’ is scoped out and is not discussed further within this RoD.

Landscape and visual effects

The scheme lies within the Cairngorms National Park (CNP) (Site code: 8623) (SiteLink), 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 entirety of the scheme is located within an area classed as ‘Motorway and Major Roads’ which is defined as motorways, service stations and park-and-rides.(HLAmap).

The scheme is located within the Landscape Character Type (LCT) 127 ‘Upland Strath’ which has the following key characteristics:

  • Large, broad, flat bottomed strath, with some narrower pinch-point sections.
  • Valley floor with the meandering River Spey and frequent lochs and marshes.
  • Meadows and wetlands prone to flooding on the valley floor.
  • Mixed pastures and broadleaved woodland in more undulating areas.
  • Wetlands flanked by mixed woodland and conifer forests.
  • Main communication corridor housing A9 trunk road and railway.
  • Estate houses and policy landscapes in many parts of the strath.
  • A well-settled area with a series of settlements occurs along the northern side of the strath at bridging points over the River Spey. They are popular tourist destinations serving the Cairngorms National Park. Elsewhere farms and houses are frequent along main and minor roads.
  • Views to the Cairngorm mountains.
  • Noise and activity from busy A9.

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

The scheme lies approximately 45m southeast of several designated sites (listed below): 

  • River Spey Special Area of Conservation (SAC) (Site code: 8365)
  • Insh Marshes SAC (Site code: 8274):
  • River Spey – Insh Marshes Special Protection Area (SPA) (Site code: 8571)
  • River Spey – Insh Marshes RAMSAR (Site code: 8452)

 

Due to the proximity of the works to the River Spey SAC, River Spey – Insh Marshes RAMSAR/SPA and Insh Marshes SAC, the scheme holds ecological connectivity to the noted European Sites. The ‘Roads and Bridges Maintenance Activities within the Drumochter Hills, River Spey and River Spey - Insh Marshes European Sites, Highland Region Habitats Regulations Appraisal (HRA)’ has been completed for the noted European Sites which covers a variety of maintenance activities, including resurfacing schemes. Further details are provided in the ‘Biodiversity’ section below.

The River Spey – Insh Marshes Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) (Site code: 1364) lies approximately 45m northwest of the scheme, overlapping with the designated areas listed above.

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.

Under the same search criteria, the NBN Atlas holds the following records of invasive and injurious weeds:

  • Broad-leaved dock (Rumex obtusifolius)
  • Common ragwort (Jacobaea vulgaris)
  • Rosebay willowherb (Chamaenerion augustifolium)

A search on the Transport Scotland Asset Management Performance System (AMPS) holds no records of any injurious weeds or Invasive Non-Native Species (INNS).

The scheme extent is located within in a semi-rural area, with agricultural land and woodland surrounding the scheme with the River Spey lying approximately 45m northwest of the scheme.

An unnamed area of Ancient (of semi-natural origin) woodland (Wood ID: 17585) listed on the Ancient Woodland Inventory (AWI) lies directly adjacent to either side of the scheme.

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

 

An ecological constraints survey (ECS) was completed by BEAR Scotland’s Environmental Team on 27/05/2026.

Geology and soils

The scheme does not lie within a Geological Conservation Review Site (GCRS), or a geologically designated SSSI (NatureScot Sitelink).

Bedrock Geology within the scheme is listed as ‘Loch Laggan Psammite Formation-Micaceous psammite’ which is rocks with a sedimentary origin (BGS Geology Viewer).

Superficial deposits within the scheme are listed as ‘Alluvium-Clay, silt, sand and gravel’ and ‘Glaciofluvial sheet deposits-Sand, gravel and boulders’ (BGS Geology Viewer).

Component soils within the scheme are listed as alluvial soils (Scotland’s Soils).

Soils within the scheme extent 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).

Works will be restricted to previously engineered ground within the A9 trunk road boundary. Therefore, this receptor has no constraints (as identified in Environmental Baseline) that are likely to be impacted by the proposed works and as such, ‘geology and soils’ is scoped out and is not discussed further within this RoD.

Material assets and waste

The resurfacing and civil works are necessary to address surface and structural deterioration of the A9 trunk road.

Materials used will consist of:

  • Asphaltic material
  • Bituminous emulsion bond coat
  • Milled in road studs
  • Thermoplastic road marking paint
  • Hazard Markers
  • Concrete
  • Edging Kerbs
  • Tactile Paving
  • Sub base

A site compound is not required for this scheme.

Wastes are anticipated to be primarily planings from the carriageway surface course which will be reused off-site to improve local farm roads.).

The value of the scheme does not exceed £350,000 therefore, a Site Waste Management Plan (SWMP) is not required.

Noise and vibration

The scheme does not fall within a Candidate Noise Management Area (CNMA) as defined by the Transportation Noise Action Plan (TNAP) (Transport Noise Action Plan). 

Noise modelled data from Environmental Noise Directive (END) Round 4 Noise Mapping Indicates 24 hour annual average noise level (Lden) between 65 and 75dB on the A9 at the scheme location (Scotland's Noise).

Given the semi-rural nature of the area, it is considered likely that the baseline noise levels will be low, with noise levels mainly influenced by vehicles travelling along the trunk road with secondary sources deriving from agricultural activities.

Population and human health

There are three residential properties and one commercial property located within 300m of the scheme, the nearest of which is situated approximately 65m southeast of the scheme.

Within the scheme extent, there are two laybys, including one on the northbound carriageway and one on the southbound carriageway.

No other public receptors, such as street lighting, public footpaths, or bus stops, etc., are present within the scheme extent.

Three overlapping routes listed on WalkHighlands lie approximately 20m northeast of the scheme:

  • ‘Speyside Way 8: Kincraig to Newtonmore’
  • ‘Newtonmore to Kincraig’
  • ‘Glen Feshie to Kingussie’

There are no Core Paths within 300m of the scheme extent.

Route 7 listed on the National Cycle Network (NCN) lies approximately 20m northeast of the scheme.

A traffic vehicle counter that lies approximately 1.2km north of the scheme, ‘A9 Kingussie’ (Site ID: 0000JTC00312), recorded an Average Dailly Traffic (ADT) count of 8,930 vehicles, 26.4% of which were Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) in 2025.

Road drainage and the water environment

The scheme is underpinned by the Upper Spey Sand and Gravel groundwater (ID: 150814), in the Scotland river basin district. It is 252.4 square kilometres in area and was classified by Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) under the Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC (WFD) as having an overall status of ‘good’ in 2024 (Water Classification Hub). 

The River Spey - Spey Dam to Loch Insh river (ID: 23142), in the River Spey catchment of the Scotland river basin district lies 45m northwest of the scheme at the nearest point and was given an overall status of ‘Moderate ecological potential’ in 2024 by SEPA.

Milton Burn (ID: 23143), in the River Spey catchment of the Scotland river basin district. The main stem is approximately 19.6 kilometres in length and lies approximately 170m northeast of the scheme. It was given an overall status of ‘Good’ in 2024 by SEPA.

The Lochan an Tairbh (Unclassified by SEPA) lies approximately 95m northeast of the scheme.

Several locations throughout the scheme are identified as having a high likelihood of flooding (10% chance) due to surface water and minor watercourse flooding within 300m of the scheme extent. The nearest of which is located directly adjacent to the scheme.(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).