A72 road

Last updated • 2 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

UK road A72.svg
A72
A72 road map.jpg
Click map to enlarge
Route information
Length63 mi (101 km)
Major junctions
West end Hamilton
55°46′40″N4°03′12″W / 55.7778°N 4.0532°W / 55.7778; -4.0532 (A72 road (western end))
Major intersectionsUK road A724.svg A724
UK road A723.svg A723
UK-Motorway-M74.svg M74
UK road A71.svg A71
UK road A73.svg A73
UK road A706.svg A706
UK road A743.svg A743
UK road A70.svg A70
UK road A702.svg A702
UK road A701.svg A701
UK road A721.svg A721
UK road A703.svg A703
UK road A707.svg A707
UK road A7.svg A7
East end Galashiels
55°37′08″N2°48′44″W / 55.6189°N 2.8121°W / 55.6189; -2.8121 (A72 road (eastern end))
Location
Country United Kingdom
Primary
destinations
Hamilton, Lanark, Peebles, Galashiels
Road network
UK road A71.svg A71 UK road A73.svg A73

The A72 road is a major route in Scotland connecting Hamilton in South Lanarkshire, with Galashiels in the Scottish Borders. It travels for over 97 kilometres (60 mi) in a south-easterly direction, along the Clyde and Tweed valleys, passing the towns of Larkhall, Lanark, Biggar and Peebles. [1]

Contents

Route

Hamilton to Lanark

Starting at the junction with the A724, the road parallels the M74, following the original A74 (now B7078) before descending into the forested Clyde Valley as it skirts around the town of Larkhall. The road follows the River Clyde, with some tight bends, sheer drops and adverse cambers, and meets the A73 just north of Lanark.

Lanark to Causewayend

This section of the road follows the course of the A73 through the town of Lanark and, just before Symington, again becomes the A72. It meets the main A702, Edinburgh to Abington, South Lanarkshire road; this short section of road is narrow as it passes through Symington.

Causewayend to Kaimrig End

The A72 near Wolfclyde between Symington and Biggar The A72 At Wolfclyde - geograph.org.uk - 1077935.jpg
The A72 near Wolfclyde between Symington and Biggar

This section of the road follows the course of the A702 for approximately 3 miles through the town of Biggar. The A72 enters the village of Skirling before ascending onto higher moorland. This section of road is notorious for accidents due to its high elevation, poor weather and winding route.[ citation needed ]

Kaimrig End to Galashiels

On this last 9.7 kilometres (6 mi) section of A72, it is the secondary route on the A701. Just south of Blyth Bridge, it meets the A721, and less than a mile further, it leaves the course of the A701. The A72 ascends a high plateau, then descends into the valley of the River Tweed at Stobo, and parallels the Tweed for the remainder of its length.

The road passes through Peebles and then Innerleithen and Walkerburn towards Galashiels. It comes to an end at a junction with the A7, which leads on to the Galashiels Ring Road.

References

  1. "A72 - Roader's Digest: The SABRE Wiki". www.sabre-roads.org.uk. Retrieved 10 April 2025.

55°36′17″N3°35′32″W / 55.6048°N 3.5922°W / 55.6048; -3.5922 (A72 road)