Traffic chaos in Perthshire villages after Google Maps glitch

A Google Maps glitch has caused chaos after traffic was mistakenly diverted from the A9 to a single-track road between Dunkeld and Pitlochry.

The issue – which was first noticed on Friday – saw vehicles, including campervans, leave the trunk road and travel through the Perthshire villages of Ballinluig, Tulliemet and Guay.

On Saturday Transport Scotland posted on X on that Google Maps was falsely reporting the A9 as closed and was recommending an “inconvenient alternate route” when it remained open.

The problem now appears to be resolved but local residents said the inaccurate information left them worried and, in some cases, unable to leave their homes.

“People were just doing as Google said but the excessive speed was unbelievable,” Joanne Boyne, who lives in Guay, told BBC Scotland News.

“Traffic was going in both directions so when cars came to a section where nobody could pass, everyone had to reverse.”

She said the U163 road is a single-track road with no designated passing places.

The winding and narrow nature of the road and the overgrown trees and bushes make it unsafe to drive fast.

But over the weekend, she saw campervans, a large coach and cars with trailers – one towing a boat – all drive down it, some at speeds as fast as 40mph.