A75 road
Encyclopedia
The A75 is a major road in Scotland
, heading west along the south coast of Scotland from its junction with the A74(M) motorway at Gretna. It continues past Eastriggs
, Annan
, Dumfries
, Castle Douglas
, Gatehouse of Fleet
, Newton Stewart
and Glenluce
before ending at Stranraer
.
The majority of the road is of single-carriageway standard, although a few short dual carriageway
sections exist, including a one mile section past Gretna, a section past Collin (just east of Dumfries) and also a two mile section just west of Dumfries, which opened in 1999 to replace the old wooded route. However, the road has been upgraded to a very high standard in recognition of the heavy freight traffic it carries between the M74/M6 and the ferry ports for Ireland at Stranraer and Cairnryan, and only two settlements are now not bypassed by it (at Springholm and Crocketford, both lying within hailing distance west of Dumfries).
In 2008, again prompted by the volume of freight traffic, the Scottish Government undertook a series of schemes along the A75 to introduce additional overtaking opportunities, usually by widening the road to offer two uphill lanes for a stretch: these are at Aird east of Stranraer, west from the Newton Stewart roundabout, and in the Castle Douglas area.
There are only two service stations lying on the A75 itself: one at Collin on the eastern edge of Dumfries, and one at Castle Kennedy
to the east of Stranraer.
The road forms part of the international E-road
, European route E18
.
A fifteen-mile stretch of the A75, between Annan and Dumfries, is reported to be haunted.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, heading west along the south coast of Scotland from its junction with the A74(M) motorway at Gretna. It continues past Eastriggs
Eastriggs
Eastriggs is a village in the south of Dumfries and Galloway. It has a small number of shops, a restaurant, post office, public house, working men's club and a church...
, Annan
Annan, Dumfries and Galloway
The royal burgh of Annan is a well-built town, red sandstone being the material mainly used. Each year in July, Annan celebrates the Royal Charter and the boundaries of the Royal Burgh are confirmed when a mounted cavalcade undertakes the Riding of the Marches. Entertainment includes a...
, Dumfries
Dumfries
Dumfries is a market town and former royal burgh within the Dumfries and Galloway council area of Scotland. It is near the mouth of the River Nith into the Solway Firth. Dumfries was the county town of the former county of Dumfriesshire. Dumfries is nicknamed Queen of the South...
, Castle Douglas
Castle Douglas
Castle Douglas , a town in the south of Scotland in Dumfries and Galloway, lies in the eastern part of Galloway known as the Stewartry, between the towns of Dalbeattie and Gatehouse of Fleet.-History:...
, Gatehouse of Fleet
Gatehouse of Fleet
Gatehouse of Fleet is a town in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, which has existed since the mid-18th century, although the area has been inhabited since much earlier...
, Newton Stewart
Newton Stewart
Newton Stewart is a burgh town in the south of Scotland in the west of the region of Dumfries and Galloway and in the county of Wigtownshire....
and Glenluce
Glenluce
Glenluce is a village in the Scottish area of Dumfries and Galloway.Located on the A75 road between Stranraer and Newton Stewart it is in the traditional county of Wigtownshire. Glenluce Abbey is nearby at ....
before ending at Stranraer
Stranraer
Stranraer is a town in the southwest of Scotland. It lies in the west of Dumfries and Galloway and in the county of Wigtownshire.Stranraer lies on the shores of Loch Ryan on the northern side of the isthmus joining the Rhins of Galloway to the mainland...
.
The majority of the road is of single-carriageway standard, although a few short dual carriageway
Dual carriageway
A dual carriageway is a class of highway with two carriageways for traffic travelling in opposite directions separated by a central reservation...
sections exist, including a one mile section past Gretna, a section past Collin (just east of Dumfries) and also a two mile section just west of Dumfries, which opened in 1999 to replace the old wooded route. However, the road has been upgraded to a very high standard in recognition of the heavy freight traffic it carries between the M74/M6 and the ferry ports for Ireland at Stranraer and Cairnryan, and only two settlements are now not bypassed by it (at Springholm and Crocketford, both lying within hailing distance west of Dumfries).
In 2008, again prompted by the volume of freight traffic, the Scottish Government undertook a series of schemes along the A75 to introduce additional overtaking opportunities, usually by widening the road to offer two uphill lanes for a stretch: these are at Aird east of Stranraer, west from the Newton Stewart roundabout, and in the Castle Douglas area.
There are only two service stations lying on the A75 itself: one at Collin on the eastern edge of Dumfries, and one at Castle Kennedy
Castle Kennedy
Castle Kennedy is a village three miles east of Stranraer in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland.There is a castle there - indeed there are two. Castle Kennedy itself was burned down in the eighteenth century and remains a ruin to this day, the owner deciding to build Lochinch Castle as a replacement...
to the east of Stranraer.
The road forms part of the international E-road
International E-road network
The international E-road network is a numbering system for roads in Europe developed by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe . The network is numbered from E 1 up and its roads cross national borders...
, European route E18
European route E18
European route E18 runs from Craigavon in the United Kingdom to Saint Petersburg in Russia, passing through Norway, Sweden, and Finland. It is about 1,890 km in length.-United Kingdom:...
.
A fifteen-mile stretch of the A75, between Annan and Dumfries, is reported to be haunted.