Google Maps incorrectly marked the A9 in Scotland as closed, leading drivers to take an alternative single-lane rural road, the U163, which connects Ballinluig to Guay via Tulliemet. This caused severe traffic congestion in three villages in Perthshire, where residents were unable to leave their homes. The U163 has no designated passing areas, making it particularly dangerous for vehicles traveling in both directions. Transport Scotland later clarified via X that the A9 was open and warned against using the "unsuitable alternative route" suggested by the map. Although Google has since removed the false closures, it has not explained how the error occurred. The mistake affected several villages from Friday to Monday, and no Scottish authority currently has a system to prevent such occurrences in the future. Residents on the U163, including Joanne Boyne from Guay, described seeing campers, a large bus, and vehicles towing trailers or carrying boats on the narrow, winding road. The route is bordered by trees and shrubs, and vehicles were traveling at speeds of up to 65 km/h. When two vehicles met head-on without enough space to pass, they had to back up. Joanne's parents, who live in Tulliemet, had not left their house since Friday due to the dangerous traffic conditions. Normally, Joanne would join them in about ten minutes by car, but this weekend it took her nearly 45 minutes. Residents were especially worried about the inability to access medical appointments or respond to emergencies, as no ambulance or fire truck could navigate the traffic jams. On Monday at 7:50 am, Joanne Boyne encountered three cars stopped on the A9, ready to turn onto the U163—a scene she had never seen before. Google has not provided an explanation for the origin of the road closures. In May 2025, during the Ascension weekend, thousands of German drivers also took secondary roads due to fictitious closures displayed by Google Maps. At that time, Google stated that it draws its traffic information from public authorities and third-party providers, in addition to user reports, but did not specify which sources were responsible. In Scotland, a Google spokesperson mentioned "a technical problem that temporarily displayed inaccurate road closures on the map" but provided no further details. Laura Hansler, a member of the A9 Dual Action group, which advocates for converting the A9 to two lanes in each direction, stated that Google fixed the bug after a group member contacted the Google Maps team in London. She noted that she regularly observes other anomalies on the app, including erroneous speed limits on certain sections of the A9, but does not know the cause. "It's not an old diversion that was never canceled, it's one of these absurd diversions that make no sense," she said. Several days after Google announced the correction, users continued to report disruptions in the area. The A9, the longest road in Scotland, usually has only one lane in each direction. Many drivers rely on GPS to avoid accidents and construction work, taking each diversion as a sign of a real incident, according to Laura Hansler. "If these maps are not updated, it will cause an accident," she warned. The activist has repeatedly alerted Transport Scotland and the Scottish government, which responded that it maintains no direct relationship with satellite navigation providers such as Google and does not transmit any data to them. A9 Dual Action now demands a more detailed response from the Scottish government and measures to prevent future incidents.