B9038
| B9038 | ||||
| Location Map ( geo) | ||||
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| From: | Whitehills (NJ655654) | |||
| To: | Inverboyndie (NJ664639) | |||
| Distance: | 1.2 miles (1.9 km) | |||
| Meets: | B9121, B9139, A98 | |||
| Highway Authorities | ||||
| Traditional Counties | ||||
| Route outline (key) | ||||
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For the original B9038 in east Aberdeenshire, see B9038 (Balmedie).
The B9038 is a short route connecting the fishing village of Whitehills in Banffshire to the A98 Inverness to Fraserburgh road close to Inverboyndie, some 2.5km west of Banff. The route was originally unclassified but gained its number in around 1945.
The route starts in the centre of Whitehills by turning off the B9121 Seafield Street and heads southeast along the residential Loch Street. After passing the last houses, the route starts to climb a little across fields with fine views across Boyndie Bay to the north. It slowly curves away from the coast, turning inland and it's not long before the B9139 comes in from the right at a staggered crossroads. Originally the B9038 ended here, with the B9139 continuing to the left through Inverboyndie to meet the A98. However, that has now been declassified and so it is the B9038 that continues on a further 500m or so, past an industrial estate to end on the A98 at Inverboyndie Junction.
History
In 1972 the B9038 was still shown as terminating on the B9139 on the OS Quarter Inch Map. At this time, the junction was a straight crossroads, presumably with the B9139 maintaining priority. However, the route through Inverboyndie has some tight bends and a narrow bridge, to it was evidently decided that it was better to upgrade the minor road south of the crossroads, rather than trying to improve the existing B9139. This was done and the number extended in the mid 1970s. As a result, the crossroads was rebuilt with the stagger (and an 'oversize' sliproad for traffic turning left into the B9139). A sharp bend opposite the industrial estate was removed, where the line of the old road can still be traced by following the field boundary behind the block of trees. Inverboyndie Junction with the A98 was also rebuilt, with a new bridge over the Burn of Boyndie; the old line is now incorporated into the farmyard.