Lanark
Lanark Lannraig | |||
Location Map ( geo) | |||
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County | |||
Lanarkshire | |||
Highway Authority | |||
South Lanarkshire | |||
Places related to the A72 | |||
Places related to the A73 | |||
Places related to the A706 | |||
Lanark is the historic county town of Lanarkshire, and lies above the Clyde to the south east of Glasgow. Despite early industrialisation, with the famous mills of New Lanark on the Clyde, the town lacked the access to shipping, canals and later railways that benefited so many of the towns around Glasgow itself. However, perhaps because of that, it retains some of its charm and character, where its neighbours have become part of the urban sprawl of Glasgow. New Lanark draws many tourists each year, with the Clyde Walkway also passing Lanark, and climbing to the spectacular Falls of Clyde. Other attractions exist nearby, making Lanark a good centre for exploring this part of Scotland.
There are two main roads which meet in Lanark, the A72 and A73. Both approaching from the north west, the A72 has come from Hamilton on the edge of Glasgow, whilst the A73 passes through the towns to the east of the city. They meet on the west side of the town, and then multiplex for several miles to the east, before splitting once more. Despite all this, however, there is no bypass for Lanark, and so the routes still pass through the town centre. Along the way, they meet first the A706, which has journeyed south from Bo'ness on the Forth coast, and then the A743 which heads north east, connecting to the A70 for Edinburgh. The A743 and A73 are also connected by the B7017.
To the east of Lanark, the A70 runs north-south, as it always has, a couple of miles out of town. It has a short multiplex with the A73 (and so the A72 as well) across Hyndford Bridge, and then meets the A743 to the north. On the west side of town, the B7018 crosses the low hills from the A72 to Lesmahagow and so the M74 motorway. However, it is not a direct route, nor a fast one. The B7086 is a slightly more useful, loosely parallel, link further out again.
Routes
Route | To | Notes |
Hamilton | ||
Carluke, Airdrie, Glasgow (A8) | ||
Carlisle (A702) (M74) | ||
Whitburn, Linlithgow | ||
Carstairs, Edinburgh (A70) | ||
St Vincent Place | ||
Lesmahagow | ||
Kirkmuirhill | ||
Biggar | now A73 | |
Glasgow (A74), Kirkmuirhill | now B7086 | |
Carstairs | now A743 | |
Kirkmuirhill | became A744 |
Links