A72 road (Great Britain)

A72
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Route information
Length:	63 mi (101 km)
Major junctions
West end:	Hamilton 55°46′40″N 4°03′12″W / 55.7778°N 4.0532°W / 55.7778; -4.0532 (A72 road (western end))
	A724 road A723 road M74 motorway A71 road A73 road A706 road A743 road A70 road A702 road A701 road A721 road A703 road A707 road A7 road
East end:	Galashiels 55°37′08″N 2°48′44″W / 55.6189°N 2.8121°W / 55.6189; -2.8121 (A72 road (eastern end))
Location
Primary destinations:	Hamilton, Lanark, Peebles, Galashiels
Road network
Roads in the United Kingdom Motorways A and B road zones

The A72 is a major route in Scotland connecting Hamilton in South Lanarkshire, with Galashiels in the Scottish Borders.

It travels for over 60 miles in a South-Easterly direction, along the Clyde and Tweed valleys, passing the towns of Larkhall, Lanark, Biggar and Peebles.

Starting at the junction with the A724, the road parallels the M74, following the original A74 (now B7078) before descending into the forested Clyde Valley as it skirts around the town of Larkhall. The road follows the meanders of the River Clyde, with some tight bends, sheer drops and adverse cambers. This section of the road passes through some villages before climbing the edge of the Clyde Valley to meet the A73 at a busy forked junction just north of Lanark.

This section of the road follows the course of the A73, through the town of Lanark, over Hyndford Bridge and forks left from the A73 just before Symington, again becoming the A72.

Leaving the A73 just north-west of Symington, the road follows its own course for a short distance, before meeting the main A702, Edinburgh to Abington, South Lanarkshire road. This short section of road is narrow and often congested as it passes through the small village of Symington.