Connecting Contours

Connecting Contours is an outdoor sculpture and small viewpoint at the Devil’s Elbow layby on the A93 in Glenshee. A paved path curls across the hillside beside a long, curved timber seat. Its concrete panels carry etched contour lines, making this both a place to sit and a short, hands-on interpretation of the surrounding hills. It works best as a brief scenic-road stop: the artwork, information point and southward outlook are all close to the layby.

Walk the curving path down the slope and look at how the engraved lines change as the paving bends beside the seat. The information point links the design to the shape of the hills around Glenshee. The installation makes most sense on foot, where the contours and the view come together, rather than as something to glance at from the car.

The viewpoint looks south across Glenshee. When the hills are clear, the valley and surrounding slopes give the stop its wider outlook; cloud can obscure that view, so the artwork itself is still the reason to pause on a grey day. For a photo, let the etched path lead toward the curved seat, with the hillside beyond. That foreground shows both the design and where it sits.

The Devil’s Elbow name comes from a steep double hairpin on the old road through Gleann Beag. The modern layby occupies the same historic road area. Connecting Contours was designed by Daniel Smith and Philip Zoechbauer after their proposal won a 2015 competition for a SnowRoads artwork here.