Midlothian
Midlothian | |||
Location Map ( geo) | |||
| |||
Primary Destinations | |||
Edinburgh | |||
Other Important Destinations | |||
Dalkeith • Edinburgh Airport • Leith • Livingston | |||
Current Highway Authorities | |||
East Lothian Council • Edinburgh Council • Midlothian Council • Scottish Borders Council • West Lothian Council | |||
Borders | |||
Berwickshire • East Lothian • Lanarkshire • Peeblesshire • West Lothian | |||
Transport Scotland Roads | |||
M8 • M9 • A1 • A68 • A702 • A720 | |||
For the Highway Authority, see Midlothian Council.
Midlothian is a traditional county in the central belt of Scotland, which has the alternate name of Edinburghshire. It was marginally the largest of the 3 Lothian counties, but the modern council are of Midlothian Council is about half the size, having lost a lot of ground to Edinburgh Council and West Lothian Council in the north west, as well as to Scottish Borders Council in the south; whilst the area around Musselburgh is now administered by East Lothian Council.
Geography & Economy
The county is dominated by the large urban sprawl of Edinburgh, Scotland's capital city, and the historic county town of Midlothian. The Pentland hills stretch away to the south west of the city, effectively splitting the more rural parts of the county into two, the urban and industrial strip to the west and the more varied towns and villages to the south east. The far south of the county is also hilly, following the Gala Water through the Moorfoot Hills.
Returning to Edinburgh, it is a modern bustling city which, apart form an interlude of a couple of centuries or so, has been the seat of Government for Scotland since the middle ages. Even in that interlude, many aspects of Scotland's governance were decided and managed from the capital, and this has helped shape the city with some fine homes and multinational company headquarters. On the coast to the north, the docks at Leith helped power the citys growth, whilst Queensferry and Mussleburgh along the Forth to west and east are more like resort towns for day trips away.
Roads
The county is well served by a network of roads radiating out from Edinburgh. These link all of the towns and villages together, although there is a break with no roads crossing the Pentland Hills. This may be one of the reasons behind the western side of the county being transferred to West Lothian Council. It is to the west where Midlothians best connections are, with the M8 and M9 approaching, and feeding the A720 City Bypass, which is a mixed blessing for the capital, bringing as many traffic problems as it has relieved. To the east, the A1 is dualled to the county boundary, but drops to single carriageway through East Lothian on its way to England.
Most non-trunk roads within the traditional county are maintained by Midlothian Council, West Lothian Council and Edinburgh City Council, with a small rural area to the south covered by Scottish Borders Council. The trunk roads include the A1, A68, A702, A720 and Motorways and are managed by Transport Scotland.
Route | From | To | Length | |
---|---|---|---|---|
M8 | Edinburgh, Midlothian | Bishopton, Renfrewshire | 61 miles | View |
M9 | Edinburgh | Dunblane | 32 miles | View |
A1 | London | Edinburgh | 396 miles | View |
A7 | Edinburgh | Carlisle | 94.3 miles | View |
A8 | Edinburgh | Greenock | 68.8 miles | View |
A68 | Dalkeith | Darlington | 128 miles | View |
A70 | Edinburgh | Ayr | 75.5 miles | View |
A71 | Edinburgh | Irvine | 67.6 miles | View |
A89 | Glasgow | Newbridge | 35.5 miles | View |
A90 | Edinburgh | Fraserburgh | 146 miles | View |
A7a | Hawick | Edinburgh | View | |
A199 | Leith | Thistly Cross | 26.2 miles | View |
A700 | East Preston Street, Edinburgh | Princes Street, Edinburgh | 1.1 miles | View |
A701 | Dumfries | Edinburgh | 71.6 miles | View |
A702 | Edinburgh | St John's Town of Dalry | 83 miles | View |
A703 | Hillend, south of Edinburgh | Peebles | 17.9 miles | View |
A704 | West Calder | Miller's Moss | 4.1 miles | View |
A705 | Livingston | Whitburn | 7.4 miles | View |
A706 | Borrowstounness | Lanark | 28.5 miles | View |
A720 | Gogar | Whitecraig | 12.8 miles | View |
A766 | Penicuik | Nine Mile Burn | 3.5 miles | View |
A767 | Uphall | Mid Calder | 2.8 miles | View |
A768 | Eskbank | Bilston | 3.9 miles | View |
A772 | Nether Liberton | Eskbank | 3.6 miles | View |
A900 | Edinburgh | Leith | 1.8 miles | View |
A901 | Leith | Granton | 2.4 miles | View |
A902 | Leith | North Gyle | 6.9 miles | View |
A903 | Granton | Trinity | 0.9 miles | View |
A982 | Blackhall | Pilton | 1.2 miles | View |
A1140 | Jock's Lodge | Seafield | 1.0 mile | View |
A6093 | Fordel | Haddington | 10.6 miles | View |
A6094 | Leadburn | Wallyford | 15.0 miles | View |
A6095 | Cameron Toll, Edinburgh | Musselburgh | 4.6 miles | View |
A6096 | Meadowbank | Joppa | 3.1 miles | View |
A6106 | Fordel | Portobello | 8.5 miles | View |
A6124 | Musselburgh | Fordel | 4.5 miles | View |
B700 | Haymarket | Lothian Road | 0.4 miles | View |
B701 | Drumbrae | Danderhall (W) | 10.4 miles | View |
B702 | Straiton | Loanhead | 0.9 miles | View |
B703 | Newtongrange | Eskbank | 2.0 miles | View |
B704 | Lasswade | Gorebridge | 4.2 miles | View |
B705 | Leadburn | Blyth Bridge | 9.2 miles | View |
B706 | Penicuik | Walstone | 3.5 miles | View |
B707 | Mid Calder | Philpstoun | 7.2 miles | View |
B709 | Heriot | Langholm | 57.6 miles | View |
B710 | Bowland | Caddonfoot | 3.6 miles | View |
B715 | Headless Cross | Forth | 4.1 miles | View |
B792 | West Calder | Wester Woodside | 7.7 miles | View |
B900 | Queensferry Road | Great Junction Street | 3.3 miles | View |
B901 | Picardy Place, Edinburgh | Ferry Road, Leith | 1.4 miles | View |
B1348 | Musselburgh | Longniddry | 5.9 miles | View |
B1350 | Leith Walk | Montrose Terrace | 0.6 miles | View |
B6362 | Stow | High Cross | 7.2 miles | View |
B6367 | Middleton Mains | Oxenfoord Mains | 7.0 miles | View |
B6368 | Haddington | Crookston | 17.3 miles | View |
B6372 | Penicuik | Oxenford Castle | 14.4 miles | View |
B6372 | Musselburgh | Fordel Mains | 4.6 miles | View |
B6373 | Edinburgh Road | Newmills Road | 0.4 miles | View |
B6374 | Elginhaugh | Portobello | 5.1 miles | View |
B6392 | Gilmerton Road Roundabout, Dalkeith | Bonnyrigg (SW) | 3.9 miles | View |
B6414 | Dalkeith | Tranent | 5.8 miles | View |
B6415 | Portobello | Millerhill | 5.8 miles | View |
B6454 | Musselburgh | Windsor Park | 0.9 miles | View |
B6455 | Newtongrange | Easthouses | 2.2 miles | View |
B6457 | Fala | Humbie | 1.3 miles | View |
B6458 | Tynehead | Fala(N) | 2.3 miles | View |
B6482 | Newtongrange | Dalkeith | 2.7 miles | View |
B7003 | Auchendinny (N) | Rosewell | 2.3 miles | View |
B7006 | Bilston | Roslin | 1.3 miles | View |
B7007 | Garvald Lodge | Middleton | 5.8 miles | View |
B7008 | West Calder | Crosswoodburn | 4.3 miles | View |
B7015 | Wilkieston | Fauldhouse | 14.9 miles | View |
B7026 | Auchendinny | Howgate | 3.0 miles | View |
B7030 | Wilkieston | Newbridge | 3.0 miles | View |
B7031 | East Calder | Kirknewton | 3.0 miles | View |
B8046 | Mid Calder | Old Philpstoun | 8.8 miles | View |
B9085 | Davidson's Mains | Crewe Toll | 1.7 miles | View |
T1 | London | Scrabster | View | |
T26 | Carlisle | Edinburgh | View | |
T27 | Edinburgh | Glasgow | View | |
T86 | Newcastle | Edinburgh | View | |
T89 | West of Biggar | Edinburgh | View |
Key
Junctions
Bridges, Tunnels, and other Crossings