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‘All I want for Christmas is a safe Toll of Birness’

The junction is seen as one of the most dangerous in the north-east.

Aberdeenshire Council leader Gillian Owen. Image: Colin Rennie/DC Thomson
Aberdeenshire Council leader Gillian Owen. Image: Colin Rennie/DC Thomson

All Aberdeenshire council leader Gillian Owen wants for Christmas this year is for the Toll of Birness to be made safer.

She is urging the Scottish Government to “take the bull by the horns” in the 2025 and make changes to the road, which connects Ellon to Fraserburgh and Peterhead.

Gillian Owen, who has been council leader since last year, believes the Scottish Government’s failure to dual the A90 to the junction has meant the road continues to be one of the most dangerous in the country.

When the late Alex Salmond became first minister in 2007, he pledged to start dualling the A90 between Ellon and Peterhead in his first 100 days in office.

However, this was never done, even when the A90 between Balmedie and Ellon was dualled for the AWPR.

In December 2022, former transport minister Jenny Gilruth threw out these plans in favour of measures “to deal with the challenge of climate change” on the road.

Back in 2013, the now council leader set up campaign group Why Stop at Ellon?,

The group’s aim is to “dual the A90 Ellon onwards but also to improve the Toll of Birness”.

The A90 between Ellon and Peterhead is not dualled. Image: Chris Sumner/DC Thomson.

Speaking to The P&J, Councillor Owen said: “It was all around why did we stop building the dual carriageway at Ellon.

“I considered it a very stupid thing to do.

“If it would have just gone a wee bit further up the road and actually taken into account the Toll of Birness. That junction is a pretty high-flying junction in terms of accidents or near misses.”

Civil servant’s shock at seeing Toll of Birness for first time

Despite receiving a “no, no, no, no, no” from then transport secretary Michael Matheson about him visiting the route in 2013, she received a visit from Transport Scotland chiefs two years later after a bad accident on the road.

The agency’s now chief executive Alison Irvine and senior transport planner David Torrance visited and travelled from Ellon Park and Ride to Buchan House in Peterhead for a public meeting.

When Ms Irvine saw the Toll of Birness junction, the Ellon politician remembers her saying, “oh my God, what’s that?” and called it “shocking”.

Fiona Hyslop.
Councillor Owen wants to meet with transport secretary Fiona Hyslop. Image: Sandy McCook/DC Thomson.

However, nine years later and the road, which is the at junction of the A90 to Peterhead and the A952 to Fraserburgh has the same layout.

Some measures have been put in place, including surface improvements and flashing lights.

Despite these changes, Councillor Owen does not “understand” why the Scottish Government are not doing more.

“It’s not just at the junction, it’s coming between” and she admits that she is “not too bothered” about it being dualled the full way to Peterhead, although doubling it to the Toll of Birness is a “top priority” with a roundabout being put in place.

Councillor Owen added: “That should work really well in making sure that the flow of traffic continues.

“At the same time, the safety aspect of driving on that road becomes better.”

Toll of Birness.
Additional safety measures have been put up at the Toll of Birness in recent years. Image: Kenny Elrick/DC Thomson.

Councillor Owen believes the money coming from the multi-million pound north-east investment zone that was announced last year, is a “huge opportunity” to “enhance” the region’s road networks.

“We have to make sure that the economy has the ability to build and grow.

“I think by actually enhancing that particular road junction and the roads, we can achieve that easily.”

Transport Scotland ‘providing record investment’

A Transport Scotland spokesman said: “We are continuing to support Scotland’s trunk road network with a budget of nearly £1.1 billion.

We are providing record investment in critical safety, adaptation, maintenance and improvement priorities, and progressing major road projects, including the dualling of the A9 and improving the A83.”

Conversation