ONE of Scotland’s most ancient passes is the star of a new video to showcase the performance and handling of the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid.

The Cairnwell Pass at Glenshee used to be the only way of getting through the glen until the new A93 was constructed in the sixties.

High, steep and twisty and including the notorious Devil’s Elbow double hairpin, it tested the best of vehicles and bested the worst of them labouring up the ridiculous gradients.

The RAV4 Hybrid took on the challenge though under the expert eye of local man, John Duff.

He explained how the pass was once a vital link from Deeside, allowing traffic through Glenshee from Braemar and routes to the south, before the age of the motor car. Although today traffic uses the modern A93, there are plans to re-open the pass.

He said: “Restoration of the Devil’s Elbow on its own would not amount to very much possibly, but linked with its history and going right back to the Jacobite Rebellions, to re-open the Elbow makes the area even more attractive to visitors.”

The RAV4, Toyota’s first hybrid SUV uses a petrol engine and powerful electric motor to provide efficient performance. When conditions permit, the vehicle will operate on electric power alone, giving zero exhaust emissions and zero fuel consumption.

It also benefits from Toyota’s E-Four system, which automatically provides all-wheel drive when extra traction is needed on slippery surfaces.