Practical test centre in Banff

The A98 is the main coastal route through Banff, connecting it westward to Buckie and Elgin and eastward to Fraserburgh, and most drivers approaching from either direction will find themselves on this road at some point. Coming from Aberdeen, the more usual route follows the A96 towards Huntly before picking up the A97 north into Banff, a drive of around forty-five miles that takes in a good stretch of open Aberdeenshire farmland. Duff House, the Georgian mansion near the town centre, is a recognisable landmark if you are trying to judge how close you are.

Between the coastal A98 and the more rural A97 approach, test routes around Banff tend to combine faster open-road sections with tighter turns through the older parts of town near the harbour, which is a different rhythm to routes based purely in a city centre. LPOD’s Silver 30 intensive course is structured to cover that kind of mixed-speed driving in a compressed timetable, so candidates are not meeting sixty-limit A-roads for the first time in test week. A deposit from £180 holds your booking, with the balance set by how many hours you take.

If you are coming from Banff itself or from Buckie further along the coast, LPOD can arrange lessons that start from your own street, which is particularly useful here given how much of the test route involves roads you will already be using day to day.

Regardless of location, the test follows the same national format: an eyesight check, vehicle safety questions, general driving through normal traffic, one manoeuvre, and an emergency stop for roughly a third of candidates, finishing with about twenty minutes of independent driving using road signs or a sat nav. Passing means fifteen or fewer driving faults and nothing serious or dangerous. Around Banff, independent driving sections often combine the coastal A98 with the older streets near the harbour, so learners should be ready to shift from open-road speed to careful town driving within the same short stretch.

On test day, bring your provisional licence and allow extra time if you are relying on the A98, since it can be slow behind farm or fishing-related traffic in places. A rule that took effect on 12 May 2026 means the candidate alone can book or manage their DVSA test booking, so have that account sorted well in advance. Our page on learner driver insurance is worth checking too if you plan to practise in your own car before the course begins. DVSA’s standard weekday fee for a practical car test currently stands at £62, paid to DVSA when you book rather than to LPOD, with a different rate applying to evening or weekend slots where they are offered. Instructors who know this coastline are familiar with how quickly the A98 can slow behind slower vehicles, and plan lesson timings with that in mind rather than assuming a clear run.

Page reviewed and updated 17 July 2026.