A71 road
Encyclopedia
The A71 is a major road
in Scotland
linking Edinburgh
with Lanarkshire
and Ayrshire
. It adjoins the Livingston Bypass A899
.
It runs south west from Edinburgh for approximately 70 miles, through Saughton
, Wilkieston
and south of Livingston
, Whitburn
and Wishaw
, then by way of the Garrion Bridge
, Stonehouse
, Strathaven
, Darvel
, Newmilns
, Galston
, Hurlford
and Kilmarnock
to Irvine
on the North Ayrshire
coast.
Formerly a trunk route from the east to the west coast of Scotland
it has since been downgraded to a mix of primary and secondary routes. From Edinburgh to Darvel, it is now a secondary route,in a poor state of repair in some places. But, from Darvel to Irvine, it has retained its primary route status.
at Newmains
. It passes through the village of Wilkieston and onto the Mid Calder
bypass, which leads the route to the south of Livingston
. The A71 follows a very straight course through Livingston
with several grade separated junctions.
, Newmains
and Wishaw
then descends steeply into the Clyde Valley, over Garrion Bridge
at the junction with the A72
. The A71 climbs steeply up the western side of the Clyde Valley on a road which it shares for a very short section with the A72.
When the A71 peaks at the top of the valley, it goes under the M74
at Jct 8 (a junction known locally as Canderside Toll), before turning towards the village of Stonehouse, where a bypass takes traffic to the north of the narrow village roads, before descending into the Avon
valley and into Strathaven
. This village, at a meeting of the A71, A723 and A726, provides a link to East Kilbride
and Paisley
, as well as to Lanark
, Hamilton
and Motherwell.
, an ancient site of human occupation, and the road here follows the route of a minor Roman road
which once linked the Clyde Valley
and the coast. The road descends into the Irvine Valley
, going through the towns of Darvel
and Newmilns
, and bypassing Galston
and then through Hurlford
. At Darvel, the A71 becomes a primary route for the rest of its length to Irvine, and widens slightly, with a straighter alignment until its junction with the A77
, south of Kilmarnock. The A71 remains as a dual-carriageway until its terminus in Irvine town centre. A crash barrier runs along the central reservation of the dual-carriageway from the A77 to the boundary with North Ayrshire at Dreghorn.
Road
A road is a thoroughfare, route, or way on land between two places, which typically has been paved or otherwise improved to allow travel by some conveyance, including a horse, cart, or motor vehicle. Roads consist of one, or sometimes two, roadways each with one or more lanes and also any...
in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
linking Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
with Lanarkshire
Lanarkshire
Lanarkshire or the County of Lanark ) is a Lieutenancy area, registration county and former local government county in the central Lowlands of Scotland...
and Ayrshire
Ayrshire
Ayrshire is a registration county, and former administrative county in south-west Scotland, United Kingdom, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. Its principal towns include Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine. The town of Troon on the coast has hosted the British Open Golf Championship twice in the...
. It adjoins the Livingston Bypass A899
A899 road
The A899 is a road in West Lothian, Scotland, connecting Broxburn to Livingston.It runs from the East Mains Industrial Estate, through Broxburn town centre and along to Uphall, where it turns up to the Deer Park Roundabout, where it becomes a dual carriageway running through the town of Livingston...
.
It runs south west from Edinburgh for approximately 70 miles, through Saughton
Saughton
Saughton is a suburb of the west of Edinburgh, Scotland, bordering on Sighthill, Longstone, and Stenhouse. In Scots, a "sauch" is a willow...
, Wilkieston
Wilkieston
Wilkieston is a small village in West Lothian, Scotland. It is located on the A71 road, north of Kirknewton, south-west of Ratho and east of Livingston.To the north-west of the village is Bonnington House, a 19th-century country house...
and south of Livingston
Livingston, Scotland
Livingston is a town in West Lothian, Scotland. It is the fourth post-WWII new town to be built in Scotland, designated in 1962. It is about 15 miles west of Edinburgh and 30 miles east of Glasgow, and is bordered by the towns of Broxburn to the northeast and Bathgate to the northwest.Livingston...
, Whitburn
Whitburn, West Lothian
Whitburn is a small town in West Lothian, Scotland located halfway between Scotlands's two largest cities being about east of Glasgow and west of Edinburgh...
and Wishaw
Wishaw
Wishaw is a large town and former burgh in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is on the edge of the Clyde Valley, 15 miles south-east of Glasgow....
, then by way of the Garrion Bridge
Garrion Bridge
Garrion Bridge is a small hamlet in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is located on the banks of the Clyde Valley, south-east of Glasgow. The hamlet is most commonly associated with the nearby town of Wishaw, with which it shares a councillor.-Development:...
, Stonehouse
Stonehouse, South Lanarkshire
Stonehouse is a rural village in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is located on Avon Water in an area of natural beauty and historical interest, near to the Clyde Valley. It is also situated on the A71 trunk road between Edinburgh and Kilmarnock, close to the towns of Hamilton, Larkhall and...
, Strathaven
Strathaven
Strathaven is a historic market town in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. The town was granted a Royal Charter in 1450, making the Town of Strathaven a burgh of barony. The town's principal industry was primarily weaving in the 19th and early 20th centuries, however this declined when faced by...
, Darvel
Darvel
Darvel is a small town in East Ayrshire, Scotland, located at the eastern end of the Irvine Valley and is sometimes referred to as "The Lang Toon" due to its quaint appearance on Ordnance Survey maps....
, Newmilns
Newmilns
Newmilns and Greenholm is a small burgh in East Ayrshire, Scotland. It has a population of 3,057 people and lies on the A71, around seven miles east of Kilmarnock and twenty-five miles southwest of Glasgow...
, Galston
Galston, East Ayrshire
Galston is a town in East Ayrshire, Scotland which has a population of 5000 . It is situated in wooded countryside 4 miles up-river from Kilmarnock and is one a group of the small towns located in the Irvine Valley between the towns of Hurlford and Newmilns. Galston is located in the Loudoun area...
, Hurlford
Hurlford
Hurlford is a village in East Ayrshire, Scotland. Including Crookedholm, it has a population of 4,968. Hurlford's former names include Whirlford and Hurdleford. The village was named Whirlford as a result of a ford crossing the River Irvine east of Hurlford Cross, near Shawhill...
and Kilmarnock
Kilmarnock
Kilmarnock is a large burgh in East Ayrshire, Scotland, with a population of 44,734. It is the second largest town in Ayrshire. The River Irvine runs through its eastern section, and the Kilmarnock Water passes through it, giving rise to the name 'Bank Street'...
to Irvine
Irvine, North Ayrshire
Irvine is a new town on the coast of the Firth of Clyde in North Ayrshire, Scotland. According to 2007 population estimates, the town is home to 39,527 inhabitants, making it the biggest settlement in North Ayrshire....
on the North Ayrshire
North Ayrshire
North Ayrshire is one of 32 council areas in Scotland with a population of roughly 136,000 people. It is located in the south-west region of Scotland, and borders the areas of Inverclyde to the north, Renfrewshire to the north-east and East Ayrshire and South Ayrshire to the East and South...
coast.
Formerly a trunk route from the east to the west coast of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
it has since been downgraded to a mix of primary and secondary routes. From Edinburgh to Darvel, it is now a secondary route,in a poor state of repair in some places. But, from Darvel to Irvine, it has retained its primary route status.
Edinburgh to Newmains
The A71 almost parallels the M8 between the A720 (Edinburgh City Bypass) and the junction with the A73A73 road
The A73 is a former trunk route in Scotland, that connects the M74 at Abington, Jct. 13 to the M80 motorway at Cumbernauld. Running for approximately , it passes through the towns of Lanark, Carluke, Newmains, Chapelhall and Airdrie...
at Newmains
Newmains
-External links:* *...
. It passes through the village of Wilkieston and onto the Mid Calder
Mid Calder
Mid Calder is a town in West Lothian, Scotland. It is located on a steep hill overlooking the River Almond and Calder Wood, around west of Edinburgh...
bypass, which leads the route to the south of Livingston
Livingston, Scotland
Livingston is a town in West Lothian, Scotland. It is the fourth post-WWII new town to be built in Scotland, designated in 1962. It is about 15 miles west of Edinburgh and 30 miles east of Glasgow, and is bordered by the towns of Broxburn to the northeast and Bathgate to the northwest.Livingston...
. The A71 follows a very straight course through Livingston
Livingston, Scotland
Livingston is a town in West Lothian, Scotland. It is the fourth post-WWII new town to be built in Scotland, designated in 1962. It is about 15 miles west of Edinburgh and 30 miles east of Glasgow, and is bordered by the towns of Broxburn to the northeast and Bathgate to the northwest.Livingston...
with several grade separated junctions.
Newmains to Darvel
West of Livingtson, the A71 turns sharply south west, bypassing ShottsShotts
Shotts is a small rural town in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is located almost halfway between Glasgow and Edinburgh . As of the 2001 census, the population was 8,235...
, Newmains
Newmains
-External links:* *...
and Wishaw
Wishaw
Wishaw is a large town and former burgh in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is on the edge of the Clyde Valley, 15 miles south-east of Glasgow....
then descends steeply into the Clyde Valley, over Garrion Bridge
Garrion Bridge
Garrion Bridge is a small hamlet in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is located on the banks of the Clyde Valley, south-east of Glasgow. The hamlet is most commonly associated with the nearby town of Wishaw, with which it shares a councillor.-Development:...
at the junction with the A72
A72 road
The A72 is a major route in Scotland connecting Hamilton in South Lanarkshire, with Galashiels in the Scottish Borders.It travels for over 60 miles in a South-Easterly direction, along the Clyde and Tweed valleys, passing the towns of Larkhall, Lanark, Biggar and Peebles.-Hamilton to...
. The A71 climbs steeply up the western side of the Clyde Valley on a road which it shares for a very short section with the A72.
When the A71 peaks at the top of the valley, it goes under the M74
M74 motorway
The A74 and M74 motorways form a major motorway in Scotland. Following an extension opened on 28 June 2011, it connects the M8 motorway west of Glasgow to the English border at Gretna, creating an alternative route for traffic moving from the south to the west of the city...
at Jct 8 (a junction known locally as Canderside Toll), before turning towards the village of Stonehouse, where a bypass takes traffic to the north of the narrow village roads, before descending into the Avon
Avon Water
Avon Water, also known locally as the River Avon, is a 24-mile-long river in Scotland, and a tributary of the River Clyde.The Avon Water rises in the hills on the boundary between East Ayrshire and South Lanarkshire, close to the head of the Irvine Water...
valley and into Strathaven
Strathaven
Strathaven is a historic market town in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. The town was granted a Royal Charter in 1450, making the Town of Strathaven a burgh of barony. The town's principal industry was primarily weaving in the 19th and early 20th centuries, however this declined when faced by...
. This village, at a meeting of the A71, A723 and A726, provides a link to East Kilbride
East Kilbride
East Kilbride is a large suburban town in the South Lanarkshire council area, in the West Central Lowlands of Scotland. Designated as Scotland's first new town in 1947, it forms part of the Greater Glasgow conurbation...
and Paisley
Paisley
Paisley is the largest town in the historic county of Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland and serves as the administrative centre for the Renfrewshire council area...
, as well as to Lanark
Lanark
Lanark is a small town in the central belt of Scotland. Its population of 8,253 makes it the 100th largest settlement in Scotland. The name is believed to come from the Cumbric Lanerc meaning "clear space, glade"....
, Hamilton
Hamilton, South Lanarkshire
Hamilton is a town in South Lanarkshire, in the west-central Lowlands of Scotland. It serves as the main administrative centre of the South Lanarkshire council area. It is the fifth-biggest town in Scotland after Paisley, East Kilbride, Livingston and Cumbernauld...
and Motherwell.
Darvel to Irvine
The A71 then becomes a narrow and winding road across moorland, as the road ascends to the head of the Avon valley. At the highest point is Loudoun HillLoudoun Hill
Loudoun Hill, also commonly Loudounhill is a volcanic plug in East Ayrshire, Scotland. It is located near the head of the River Irvine, east of Darvel. One real and one fictional battle have been fought around Loudoun Hill.-Location:...
, an ancient site of human occupation, and the road here follows the route of a minor Roman road
Roman road
The Roman roads were a vital part of the development of the Roman state, from about 500 BC through the expansion during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Roman roads enabled the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate. The Roman road system spanned more than 400,000 km...
which once linked the Clyde Valley
River Clyde
The River Clyde is a major river in Scotland. It is the ninth longest river in the United Kingdom, and the third longest in Scotland. Flowing through the major city of Glasgow, it was an important river for shipbuilding and trade in the British Empire....
and the coast. The road descends into the Irvine Valley
Irvine Valley
Irvine Valley may refer to:*Irvine Valley College, California, USA*Loudoun, Scotland...
, going through the towns of Darvel
Darvel
Darvel is a small town in East Ayrshire, Scotland, located at the eastern end of the Irvine Valley and is sometimes referred to as "The Lang Toon" due to its quaint appearance on Ordnance Survey maps....
and Newmilns
Newmilns
Newmilns and Greenholm is a small burgh in East Ayrshire, Scotland. It has a population of 3,057 people and lies on the A71, around seven miles east of Kilmarnock and twenty-five miles southwest of Glasgow...
, and bypassing Galston
Galston, East Ayrshire
Galston is a town in East Ayrshire, Scotland which has a population of 5000 . It is situated in wooded countryside 4 miles up-river from Kilmarnock and is one a group of the small towns located in the Irvine Valley between the towns of Hurlford and Newmilns. Galston is located in the Loudoun area...
and then through Hurlford
Hurlford
Hurlford is a village in East Ayrshire, Scotland. Including Crookedholm, it has a population of 4,968. Hurlford's former names include Whirlford and Hurdleford. The village was named Whirlford as a result of a ford crossing the River Irvine east of Hurlford Cross, near Shawhill...
. At Darvel, the A71 becomes a primary route for the rest of its length to Irvine, and widens slightly, with a straighter alignment until its junction with the A77
A77 road
The A77 road is a major road in Scotland. It runs in a southwesternly direction from the city of Glasgow, past the towns of Giffnock, Newton Mearns, Kilmarnock, Prestwick, Ayr, Maybole, Girvan and Stranraer to the town of Portpatrick on the Irish Sea...
, south of Kilmarnock. The A71 remains as a dual-carriageway until its terminus in Irvine town centre. A crash barrier runs along the central reservation of the dual-carriageway from the A77 to the boundary with North Ayrshire at Dreghorn.