B7007

The B7007 is a link road in south Midlothian.

The old cutting near the summit

The route starts deep in the Moorfoot Hills at a TOTSO on the B709, from where it heads north, dipping down to cross the Blackhope Water. The valley is then followed north, with the route initially running along the base of the hills to the east of the meandering burn, before starting to climb the steep heather-clad slopes. A track forks right and winds through trees to reach Garvald on the far side of the valley, while the road road continues to climb, winding gently up onto a flatter section of moorland. There are some spectacular views across the rolling hills, although it can be pretty bleak in winter. Another slight climb lifts the road up to its summit of around 415m, before it dips slightly to cross 'The Mound', a substantial embankment that crosses the head of the Broadlaw Burn. Ahead, a cutting takes the straight road between two low hills at just below summit level, just east of Torfichen Hill and Broad Law. There is no suggestion of an older road line here, and the first edition OS Maps, surveyed in the 1850s, show the current road.

The route then curves northwards without losing much height, and after passing the entrance to a wind farm, it reaches the edge of the mountain range and suddenly an incredible view north, right across the Firth of Forth to the hills of Fife beyond is revealed. Patches of gravel on the verges at the bend show where people have pulled in to take in this view, although a field gate a little further down the hill provides a safer stopping point. The road therefore bears right to descend gently down the steep slope of Wull Muir onto the plain below. At the bottom of the hill, now in open fields, the road bears left again and continues north, following a long straight which steadily loses height. After about a mile of straight road the grounds of Middleton Hall lie off to the left and the route ends soon after at a T-junction on the A7. Perhaps uniquely, there isn't a single roadside building along the entire route.

History

The road was originally unclassified - with the southern end only marked as a track (albeit with milestones) on the 1923 MoT map - but it had gained its present number by 1927 when it is shown on the revised MOT map. The junction with the A7 was adjusted in the early 1960s when the loop past Currie Inn Farm was bypassed. The old line of the B7007 is now overgrown with trees, but curved to the west to meet the A7 near the bridge over the Middleton South Burn.

As noted above, the current road line near the summit, including The Mound over the Broadlaw Burn, and neighbouring cutting, are shown on the first edition OS maps from the 1850s. A number of small quarries are also marked in the surrounding hills, one of the larger ones being sited adjacent to the road at the southern end of The Mound. This is presumably the reason for the substantial earthworks, as it provided a downhill gradient from the quarry, without having to dip down and cross the burn, then climb round or over the hill beyond. Waste material from the quarry probably provided the bulk of the stone for the embankment, and the cutting may also have produced some quarry stone.