A719
| A719 | ||||||||||
| Location Map ( geo) | ||||||||||
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| From: | Laighmuir (NS477456) | |||||||||
| To: | Turnberry (NS202053) | |||||||||
| Distance: | 38.2 miles (61.5 km) | |||||||||
| Meets: | A77, A71, A76, A77, A79, A70, A77 | |||||||||
| Former Number(s): | A733, B746, A758 | |||||||||
| Primary Destinations | ||||||||||
| Highway Authorities | ||||||||||
| Traditional Counties | ||||||||||
| Route outline (key) | ||||||||||
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The A719 is one of the longer of the A71x roads. It goes though two towns, passes Culzean Castle and goes down the famed Electric Brae. If you are a local, Electric Brae is a danger due to slow cars. By a serendipitous accident of history, it now has the amusing co-incidence of connecting the Trump Turnberry golf course with the village of Moscow.
Contents
Route
Section 1: Laighmuir – Sandyford
The A719 starts on the "old" A77 (although it still has that number), almost immediately crossing the new M77 on an overpass. The A719 then travels through the North-East Ayrshire countryside entering the villages of Waterside and Moscow (not to be confused with the Russian capital; this Moscow is on the Volga Burn). Shortly after the latter, we pass Loudoun Castle (the "Windsor of Scotland") former home to the Earls of Loudoun (fun fact: provided you follow the theory that Edward IV was illegitimate, the current earl, an Australian citizen, should in fact be English monarch) and a former theme park.
We now enter a rural 30 mph limit complete with speed humps as we pass a high school. After a roundabout with the A71, we cross the River Irvine and enter the small town of Galston, where the road TOTSOs right at traffic lights; ahead is the B7037. Having left Galston and crossed some countryside we come to a roundabout junction with the A76. We then cross the border into South Ayrshire and pass to the north of the village of Tarbolton, most famous for its bachelor club with Burns connections.
A couple of miles further on we reach a T-junction where we meet the B742 and TOTSO right to reach, almost immediately, a roundabout on the dualled A77 near Prestwick. We now multiplex with the A77 for a few miles.
Section 2: Ayr – Turnberry
The southern section of the A719 starts, after its multiplex with the A77, at the Whitletts Roundabout junction with the B743. This bit is D2, but it's quite slow as it's very busy: local residents park on it and it has a bus lane on it (only operational in the morning on the way into Ayr). We pass Ayr racecourse where the Scottish Grand National takes place. We soon arrive at a roundabout on the A79 and go straight on. The D2 ends and we take a sharp left, effectively a TOTSO. We then go over the River Ayr and into the town; a one-way system takes us to a roundabout at Ayr Bus Station. We now go straight as we pass the end of the A70. After the A70, we leave Ayr town heading through Seafield past the old racecourse, cross the River Doon into Doonfoot and arrive at a roundabout on the outskirts of Ayr.
After a few miles we pass Craig Tara holiday camp (formerly Butlins, then Ayr Haven). A few more miles further on we pass through the village of Fisherton, then pass by Dunure about 200 feet below. Great views of Arran, Kintyre and sometimes Northern Ireland can be had on this stretch. As we continue following the coast at height you catch a glimpse of Culzean Castle in the distance. We now pass a brown tourist sign for the Electric Brae also known as Croy Brae. It warns of slow vehicles. This is true. The slow vehicles are usually tourists. It would be a blue sign otherwise. We now pass the lay-by of Electric Brae and then we go 'downhill' – or is it uphill? This is an optical illusion: you are actually driving uphill into a valley but the surrounding features, hedges, etc. suggest you're going downhill. Leaving the brae we pass a signpost which claims that the road is the A716, and has done so for quite a while. We leave the coastline and reach the TOTSO with the B7023. We have to turn right and we then pass the turn off for Culzean Castle. This is run by the National Trust for Scotland. It is a very nice place.
We now head off through some woods to the harbour village of Maidens. We're now on the last leg of the journey. We pass the private airstrip for the Trump Turnberry Golf Course and Hotel. The road straightens out and passes the golf course on the right and the hotel up the hill on the left. At the end of the straight we turn a couple of corners and meet the A77 once again; this is the end of the A719. We now have the option to head back to Ayr and Glasgow or head to Girvan and Stranraer for Ireland.
History
In 1922 the A719 ran only from Ayr to Turnberry. It was extended north to Laighmuir in 1935 along the A758 and A733. When the Ayr bypass was built in the 1970s, taking over a short section of A719, although its alignment was slightly different so short sections of now-abandoned A719 can still be seen if you know where to look.
External linksinks
Electric Brae
