A70 | |
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Route information | |
Length: | 74.3 mi (119.6 km) |
Major junctions | |
East end: |
Edinburgh 55°56′21″N 3°13′35″W / 55.9391°N 3.2263°W |
M74 motorway A71 road A72 road A73 road A76 road A77 road A79 road A720 road A721 road |
|
West end: |
Ayr 55°27′30″N 4°38′07″W / 55.4582°N 4.6352°W |
Location | |
Primary destinations: |
Ayr, Lanark, Edinburgh |
Road network | |
The A70 road is a major road in Scotland, United Kingdom . It runs a total of 74.3 miles (119.6 km) from Edinburgh to Ayr. It begins as Ardmillan Terrace on the edge of Gorgie and Dalry, Edinburgh from a junction with the A71, passing near but not through Lanark and ending as Miller Road in Ayr. Between Edinburgh city centre and Lanark it passes through Slateford, Juniper Green, Currie, Balerno, Carnwath (where the A70 joins the A721 for three miles), Carstairs (where the two roads separate again), and Ravenstruther, while between Lanark and Ayr it passes through Hyndford Bridge, Rigside, Douglas, Muirkirk, Smallburn, Cumnock, Ochiltree, and Coylton.
The road is known colloquially as the "Lang Whang", a whang in the Scots tongue being a narrow strip of leather, usually a long leather bootlace. Much of the road is over elevated, desolate moorland; it ascends several times on its course to heights over 1000 feet above sea level. Because the wind enjoys an easy and uninterrupted passage over its length, in winter the road is frequently closed by snow, even by modest snowfalls. The road passes elevated farmland and grouse moor and presents extensive views over central Scotland to the north.