A72/Route

Hamilton to Larkhall

The western end of the A72 is particularly inauspicious, beginning as it does somewhere in the vicinity of Hamilton West train station, where it turns off the A724. Exactly where is unclear; the signs suggest that it starts with two spurs along Clydesdale Street (eastbound) and Almada Street (two-way, but previously one-way westbound), which lead off Burnbank Road. Clydesdale Street then turns right onto Douglas Street to reach Almada Street, which is S4 throughout. The B7071 is met at a roundabout where the A72 turns right onto Muir Street, a mix of dual carriageway and S4 as it curves around the northern side of the town centre. The B7071 is actually briefly in a Multiplex with the A72, as it also runs through the town centre, but its exit along Cadzow Street is a one way street which feeds into the westbound carriageway only.

The first mile of the A72 continues as a promising mix of dual-carriageway and S4, forming the northern and eastern sides of an inner-ring road for Hamilton. After the next roundabout, the dualled Palace Grounds Road curves through the central shopping park, which is tree-lined and accessed from an intermediate roundabout. It then reaches the Keith Street Roundabout, where it becomes the junior partner in a brief multiplex with the A723. This doubles back to the southwest on the dualled Blackswell Lane as far as the traffic lights at Townhead Road. Here the A72 turns left onto a wide single carriageway suburban radial which changes name at a mini roundabout. The new name is Carlisle Road - a giveaway that this is the historic A74 route south, albeit one that has been bypassed by motorway for over half a century. Despite a couple of pinch points, this road is generally 3 lanes wide, the middle one hatched out between junctions.

Spacious Larkhall Interchange is the only motorway junction of the A72.

The River Avon is crossed on Avon Bridge, with the A72 then winding over a the railway line and into the suburbs of Ferniegair, Chatelherault and Allanton. Finally out of Hamilton the A72 becomes a leafy route, running through trees on the fringes of the Chatelherault country park; the wonderfully Francophone name seeming quite out-of-place in South Lanarkshire. The road shadows the railway line down towards Larkhall, but before it reaches the town it suffers its first real indignity. The old A74 route, Carlisle Road, continues ahead into Larkhall, but the A72 turns off eastwards at Merryton with the road ahead becoming the B7078. Sadly this is the first of many TOTSOs to be found on the route. After re-crossing the railway, the M74 is met at Larkhall Interchange, without the option to continue south onto the Motorway. The junction has a little bit of dual carriageway to ease the right turners onto the northbound motorway. The junction at Merryton is the original start of the A72; the previous few miles were a gift from the old A74 and other roads that were renumbered with the coming of the motorway. If only it could have been extended over the A724 too and made it to Glasgow proper.

Through the Clyde Valley

Beyond Junction 7 the A72 Lanark Road is a very different route, edging right up to the River Clyde in places and following its contours more closely. The fields that lie between the road and river are largely given over to nurseries, market gardens and garden centres, which between them generate a lot of turning traffic particularly at weekends! After dropping to the riverside, the A72 enjoys less than a mile next to the river before curving away again across fields. The road was diverted away from the houses on the river bank in the late 2000s and now climbs gently up the hill to meet the A71 at the new Cornsilloch Roundabout. The A71 is then the dominant partner in another multiplex section, dropping back down to the river at Garrion Bridge. The A71 was once carried eastwards from here on the handsome and ancient Garrion Bridge, which is only wide enough for a single track. The solution to this bottleneck was a second bridge, built in 2002, to create a roundabout spanning the river twice; eastbound A72 traffic is left going the long way round, crossing the river twice before it can continue. In crossing the bridges it technically enters North Lanarkshire - but under a multiplex, so it doesn't really count.

The route from here on down is often narrow, slow and meandering, and while a 40 limit may sound extreme, it’s not easy to exceed in any case owing to the tight and blind curves that obscure the view ahead. However this is a route worth slowing down for; there are some majestic locations to discover along the way. The first is invisible from the roadside, hidden down a lane into the fields within the Clyde's meander at Dalserf. Here a fine 17th century church lies beyond a short row of old stone cottages. Half a mile later, around some tight twisty bends, the road comes back to the riverside and is greeted by the Maudslie Bridge, with its ornate gothic gatehouse. The bridge itself is private, but easily accessible from the Clyde Walkway on the opposite bank. A short distance further along the riverbank lies the tiny village of Rosebank, with some beautiful Tudor-esque buildings, including a hotel in Rosebank. Just beyond the village, the road has to wind between no less than three large garden centres and associated businesses.

The striking Clydesholm Bridge, now bypassed.

A series of narrow bends then climb into the trees, and the road has a very hemmed-in feel, as it tries to find the easiest route across the steep slope cut by the Clyde below. The river itself pops in and out of view as it meanders away across the narrow valley floor to the east. The road stays on the lower slopes to the west side of the valley, the hills rising quite quickly above, as it passes a farm shop and yet another large garden centre. The road briefly finds the river again as it enters Nethanfoot, a small settlement on either side of the River Nethan, which the A72 crosses on Nethanfoot Bridge. The larger village of Crossford follows, and here the B7056 turns off to cross the Clyde on Crossford Bridge, the only other road bridge over the river between Garrion Bridge and Lanark.

The route then winds along the riverbank for almost a mile to Hazelbank, passing another garden centre, and a scattering of houses along the way. Hazelbank is a small place, the houses stepping up the hillside from the river, and at the far end the B7086 drops steeply down the hill to meet the A72 at an acute angle. Another set of twisty bends through the small fields and woodlands of the Clyde Valley follows, meeting the B7018 at Linnville, which drops less steeply down the hill, before reaching Kirkfieldbank. All the time the road is gently curving from south to east, with the going getting tougher, as it climbs quite steeply at times. At Kirkfieldbank, really the outskirts of Lanark these days, the road finds the riverbank again and finally widens out on a couple of short, level straights. Riverside Road is lined with some fine old stone houses before it curves to the right, bridging the Clyde again on the brick single-arch Kirkfieldbank Brae bridge, which would look majestic in its own right if it wasn’t flanked by the beautiful Clydesholm Bridge, its 17th century stone predecessor.

On the far side of the river there is a short steep climb up the wooded slopes above the Clyde to reach Lanark itself. Here the A73 comes in from the left at a very sharp signalised fork, and takes over, the A72 relegated to the junior partner in the nearly 9 mile multiplex which follows.

Lanark, Biggar and the lost sections

Lanark is the old market and county town at the heart of the southern lowlands, with a historic town centre collection of old buildings, not to mention the pioneering mills of New Lanark set on the banks of the Clyde below the hilltop town. However, none of this is found by the A72 itself, as it is the A73 which follows Park Place, West Port and Bloomgate into the town centre. Here, even the A73 seems to briefly disappear, as Wellgate is one-way eastbound only and so A72 traffic has to continue along the bustling High Street with its unusual central reservation, before turning right at lights onto the B7017. Yes, the traffic of two of the First 99 A roads has to use a B road to continue east! The A73 is picked up again at the roundabout for the retail park on Hyndford Road, and then heads east out of town, past Lanark Loch and Lanark Racecourse, and through a couple of roundabouts. At Length, the A70 comes in from the left, and it to is subsumed into this multiplex as Hyndford Road turns south, heading back to the Clyde. The river is crossed by the historic Hyndford Bridge, another single track Clyde crossing, controlled by traffic lights as it carries the traffic of three First 99 A roads!

The last Clyde crossing is at Wolfclyde Bridge.

On the far bank of the river, the A70 splits by turning right, while the A72 and A73 turn left, briefly following the river upstream before climbing up the shallow valley of the Millhall Burn. This section of the route offers some long, if a little narrow, straight sections undulating over the easy contours and crossing a summit of 223m above sea level. As the straight road crosses Thankerton Moor, the dominating Tinto Hills rise up on the right, while Thankerton itself lies down on the riverbank to the left. Finally at St John's Kirk by Symington, the lengthy multiplex comes to an end as the A72 forks left. It is quickly bridged by the West Coast main line railway under a bridge far too low and narrow for its purpose. Biggar Road then runs through the northern edge of Symington village as it meanders eastwards across the wide Clyde flood plain. A couple of short straights lead to the fifth and final crossing of the river (although three have been within multiplexes) on Wolfclyde Bridge. Another short straight then leads down to the forked Symington Junction with the A702, a little to the south of Biggar. However, it’s the same old story for the A72 which again becomes the junior partner in a multiplex with the A702 trunk road from Edinburgh through the town. Biggar's busy town centre is a fascinating place to explore, with a good mixture of shops on the spacious High Street with its ample car parking spaces, and then meandering back lanes and hidden side streets stretch out behind. The B7016 briefly joins the multiplex, but leaves again as the A702 becomes Edinburgh Road.

Into the Borders

Approaching the junction at Kaimrig End

A very typical view on the A72 - green and bumpy.

The A72 resumes for the final time just north of Biggar at a fork junction where it turns right and heads east through trees onto a long straight. Midway along the straight, it passes from Lanarkshire into the Scottish Borders, finally rising out of the Clyde valley. At the far end it curves left into the pretty village of Skirling, with its spacious village green lined with old stone houses. The meandering bends continue as the road climbs steadily into the hills, reaching an overall summit of around 270m below Gallow Law. All too soon, however, it meets the A701 at the TOTSO junction at Kaimrig End. However this is where something amazing happens – the A72 takes precedence over another route! Despite not having priority at the junction it remains the signed route number as it turns left to follow the Lochurd Burn downstream. After picking its way through the boggy ground around the junction, the road straightens up and enjoys a couple of longer straights which drift easily downhill to meet the A721 at Kirkdean. For many years the A721 was the Primary Route west from here towards Glasgow, and it is still the quicker and busier route. Indeed, it perhaps should be the A72.

The A72 is now, therefore, a former Trunk Route, but despite its new found prominence, traffic using it is quickly shown that the A72 has always been an unloved route. The other end of the multiplex with the A701 is soon found on the outskirts of Blyth Bridge, and to continue on the A72 requires a sharp right turn at an absolute stinker of a junction, with astonishingly steep feeder roads and a totally unnecessary hairpin bend – if any traffic at all used this it would have been remodelled decades ago. The descent eastwards from here is thankfully much more pleasant, as the route winds down into the wide valley of the Tarth Water with good views down the hill and rolling farmland as far as the eye can see. The B7059 turns off to the left and immediately crosses the Tarth Bridge, just above the confluence with the next river companion for the A72, the Lyne Water.

There’s a real remoteness about this section of the road – save for the farmsteads, not a lot comes and goes. The biggest visual cue of progress is the gentle widening of the river, which the A72 crosses on a gentle curve near Hallyne. The glorious old stone Five Mile Bridge stands a little downstream of the modern span, while an even older Roman fort can be found above the road here. After curving below the fort, the road straightens up and a surpsingly good section runs past the junction with the B712 at Beggarpath Bridge, and on past the two left turns which lead to a historic and scenic route between the Meldon Hills to Eddleston on the A703. Soon after the Lyne flows into the Tweed, and the A72 rises above it precariously perched on the hillside to the north – there’s not as wide or consistent a flood plain to help navigation here.

Tweed Valley

Bustling Peebles High Street on a typical Scottish summer day.

After a series of twisty bends, the river meanders away and the A72 can enjoy a couple of long, undulating straights, although the second is somewhat narrower in places. As the route plunges into the trees, however, traffic is brought to a standstill at lights. For quarter of a mile, the road is so narrow and twisty that it is reduced to a single lane perched precipitously on the steep slopes above the river. It widens out rapidly beyond, however, and signs for ancient Neidpath Castle are the first mark of the return of civilisation – and in style, with the civilisation in question consisting of the jewel in the A72’s crown, picture-postcard Peebles. The town is entered on the wide Neidpath Road, passing a school and large cemetery before the houses really start. Neidpath Road becomes Old Town, and as the name suggests, the A72 is soon squeezed down between old stone terraces, home to shops and businesses with parked cars outside.

A sharp right turn takes the route over the Cuddy Bridge, over another Tweed tributary, the Eddleston Water, and so to a mini roundabout at the end of the bustling High Street, where the B7062 continues ahead across the river. This wide street is lined with shops, and busy with locals and tourists alike. Parked cars, delivery lorries and buses all cause obstructions of one sort or another, reducing through traffic to an absolute crawl at times. The old Mercat Cross stands at the far end, staring back at the Parish church by the roundabout, and then the A72 kinks right onto Eastgate, soon meeting the A703 at a roundabout, from where it heads north to Edinburgh. This is almost the end of the town, as the road again gets squeezed between the Tweed and the steep wooded hills to the north. A final row of detached stone houses, some not as old as they look, stand up a bank on the right, before the long straight Innerleithen Road leaves town.

The road is briefly on the riverbank at the apex of a meander, but manages to maintain a relatively straight course eastwards through the scattered settlement of Eshiels. To the north, Glentress forest, a haven for campers and mountain bikers alike climbs up the hills and unusually cloaks some of the summits. The A72 suddenly becomes a good, quick road again as it sweeps round a left hander and widens out near Cardrona, which was once a single plush hotel. There is now a whole village developed on the opposite bank of the river, accessed via the B7088. At the end of the long straight a series of twisty bends had to be reinforced in 2018 due to the river undercutting the road, but while the road is now wider, it is still a tricky section, followed by a long narrow run along the river bank. There’s then a pleasant run down to pretty Innerleithen in the heart of the Vale of Leithen. Peebles Road and High Street lead through the shops, with an unexpected number of bike and clothing shops amongst the cafes, antiques and gift shops. This whole area is, however, very popular with mountain bikers, with the surrounding forests offering a good mixture of easy and challenging routes.

Another visually graceful river crossing, Innerleithen Bridge, is almost un-noticed from the road but makes a nice reprieve from all the weaving in and out of parked traffic. Pirn Road quickly leads out of the town, with the A72 winding gently through the trees to the next village, Walkerburn. This former mill village seems to be perched improbably on the valley’s sidewalls with alarmingly steep roads dropping away to the south. Peebles Road quickly becomes Galashiels Road, and after some sinuous bends a long straight runs out of town. The houses on the right sit down below the road, with the tops of their windows and doors barely peering over the pavements.

Up to Galashiels

The next four or so miles form a pleasant meandering run downstream with the Tweed. The roadside is often thickly wooded, although fields do penetrate the trees here and there. The few properties along this stretch mostly sit someway above the road, accessed via long drives or side roads. In several places, the road is right on the river bank, often protected by modern retaining walls to prevent undermining. What was once a tricky junction with the A707 has been replaced by The Nest Roundabout, where the A72 turns off north and a climbing lane eases the way up out of the Tweed Valley. The long straight Cliff Road lifts up through a steep, narrow valley, to reach Clovenfords. Here the B710 is crossed at the Clovenfords Roundabout, from where Vine Street curves north east, most of the houses accessed from short cul de sacs rather than off the main road.

The A72 between Clovenfords and Galashiels

Another long straight then descends into the valley of the final river met by the A72. The river in question is the Gala Water, and thus the final destination of Galashiels is just about in view. A long right hander through the trees leads into the town on Wood Street, where the houses start to line the road on one side, with the view of the river curtailed by heavy forestation to the north. There are soon houses on both sides as the A72 makes its way along the long straight road downhill through the Torwoodlie district, which seems to continue for an age before the stone houses give way to newer commercial premises on King Street. Here many of the old industrial sites have been redeveloped into modern retail units, but a scattering of older houses can be found dotted along the roadside.

As King Street makes its way into central Galashiels it becomes Wilderhaugh and then Island Street. This leads to traffic lights at the top end of the High Street, where the A72 is turned right onto Bridge Place. Fittingly, for a route that has spent so much of its journey following and crossing major rivers, there is one final bridge for the Gala Water, before it climbs up and stops at a mini-roundabout to tie in with the works for the new Galashiels railway station. From here, it’s A7 both ways.