Pretty interesting podcast, thanks for sharing it. I drive along the A96 almost every day at the Inverness end. I think that Tesco financed part of the dualling from Stoneyfield roundabout to the retail park (I worked at the Tesco at Inverness retail park in 1997 when it opened)? I also have a vague memory of the level crossing at Gollanfield (although suprised that bridge is as early as 1974). You can still clearly see the site of the level crossing from the train. The roundabout at Stratton (for Culloden/Smithton/Balloch) was a huge improvement over the previous junction - the traffic flowed much better after it opened. Nairn badly needs a bypass- if I'm heading that way during the day, I normally take the B9006 to Croy, then the back roads through Cawdor to Auldearn to access the A96 there. Further East, I well remember how bad the stretch from Blackburn to Dyce was - I used to give my dad a lift to Aberdeen Airport in the early/mid 1990s & the traffic used to be queuing through Blackburn itself (this was peak time in the morning, to be fair). What a huge difference the newer seciof dual carriageway made here! As someone who occasionally does drive the complete route from Inverness (to access the A90 South), the AWPR has made an absolutely massive difference here - having to go through Haudigain Roundabout & North Anderson Drive (former A90, now A92) was torture - it was often quicker to take the A9 south & head across from Dunkeld through Blairgowrie & Kirriemuir (dreadful road in places). The AWPR (especially in the evening) is a better way to Inverness from town such as Brechin & Montrose. Incidentally, my Wife detests the A96! She would drive to Perth on the A9 & take the A90 through Dundee, rather than the A96 (even though it's a lot longer)!
I used to drive end to end on a regular basis being a bus driver for stagecoach and there was a few time on there when it was a close shave even being in a coach and to be fair i did loathe it some days but it does need duelling from Inverness to Aberdeen and its long over due
