explorr in Banchory: weekend road closures by time
Banchory’s explorr outdoor endurance festival runs from Friday, 28 August to Sunday, 30 August, centred on King George V Park and surrounding roads. The first confirmed traffic restriction begins at 22:00 on Friday and remains in place until 06:00 on Monday, 31 August.
The festival is aimed at gravel cycling and running enthusiasts as well as members of the public interested in its music, films, talks and street food. Around 1,000 participants had already signed up when Aberdeenshire Council published its notice. No ticket price is stated in the supplied event information, so prospective visitors will need to consult the official explorr festival information for entry details.
Gravel racing meets music, films and street food
Gravel cycling and gravel running form the sporting core of the weekend. Away from the courses, the programme includes live music, talks, films and street food, giving spectators and participants reasons to spend time around the festival base between events.
Live Life Aberdeenshire is supporting the festival, which organisers expect to create a strong community atmosphere in the Deeside town. The number of registered participants also explains why traffic controls extend beyond King George V Park to Dee Street, Falls of Feugh, Blackhall Road and Auchattie Road.
Banchory road restrictions across the weekend
The closures do not all operate continuously. Several are tied to the passage of cyclists or runners, while the King George V Park access restriction covers the full festival period.
| Road or area | Confirmed restriction |
|---|---|
| King George V Park Access Road | Closed from Dee Street to the Coach End entrance, 22:00 Friday until 06:00 Monday. The diversion uses Dee Street, Station Road and the park access road. |
| C36k at Falls of Feugh | Closed between the B974 junction and Bridge of Feugh Car Park from 09:30 to 10:30 on Saturday and 09:30 to 11:30 on Sunday. |
| U53k near Falls of Feugh | Closed from the C36k junction towards houses near Waters of Feugh from 09:30 to 10:45 on Saturday. Delays of about 15 minutes are expected at closure points, with the road reopening after event traffic passes. |
| Blackhall Road | Closed between Auchattie Road and Riverside, Blackhall, from 09:00 to 18:00 on Sunday. Local access only; no diversion is available. It may reopen earlier once runners have cleared the route. |
| Auchattie Road | Westbound one-way operation along its full length from 18:00 to midnight on Saturday and 09:00 to 19:00 on Sunday. |
Dee Street carries the longest race-day disruption
Dee Street will have separate closure sections for the cycling and running events. On Saturday, Section A closes from 07:00 to 11:00 for the cycle start and again from 13:00 to 20:00 for returning riders. Section B closes from 09:30 to 11:00, remaining shut until all bicycles have passed the Feugh.
On Sunday, Section A closes from 07:00 to 19:00 for the start and finish of the running race. Section B closes from 09:30 to 11:30 for the running start.
The stated Dee Street diversion runs via the B974, C36k, A957, Crathes, A93, North Deeside Road, Station Road and Dee Street in the opposite direction. This is the principal alternative route supplied for both days.
Check the timed closures before entering town
Festival visitors, local residents and drivers passing through Banchory will encounter different restrictions depending on the day and time. The council has asked people to familiarise themselves with the arrangements before travelling into town, particularly where Blackhall Road has no diversion and Dee Street closes in separate race-day phases.
Source: Aberdeenshire Council News
Context & actions About this article
Source check Source trail
Event dates, programme details and traffic restrictions were drawn from the published Aberdeenshire Council notice.
- Confirmed the festival dates as 28–30 August 2026.
- Matched each road restriction with its published operating times.
- Kept the Dee Street diversion and Blackhall Road access conditions distinct.
- Marked the ticket price as unavailable because the source does not state one.
- Source
- Aberdeenshire Council News
- Scope
- Banchory, Aberdeenshire
- Updated
- 2026-08-27 11:43
Source check
Report a trust issue
Send a clear signal to community moderation if the source, facts or context need review.
Comments