Heading down to Harrogate on Friday - leaving Glasgow at 3pm, picking up in Edinburgh around 4pm and then down the A1 to Harrogate.
Anyone experience of this road at this time on a Friday - specific bottlenecks to be prepared for?
Been a while since I have been on this road - are there still large scale roadworks and lots of 50mph sections?
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Just done a route on Google maps and it seems to be saying that my quickest route is to then leave Edinburgh, down the A721 to the A74. Then go down that till the A66 and then cut across.
Claiming it is 11 miles and 30 mins quicker - find that hard to believe?
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>> Just done a route on Google maps
Well I got A1/A19 (206mi, 3h50m), A1 (199, 3:51), A68 (183, 3:51) :)
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Google maps tend (IME) to be rather pessimistic on average speeds via UK A roads. Conversely it has no accounting for probable m/way delays - so optimistic speeds, particularly M25 and urban sections of M1, M6 etc .
As an example it tries to send me from Northampton to Stansted Airport, in peak, via the M1/M25/M11. Rationally however A14/M11, which is a handful of miles shorter, is likely to be a better bet.
If I enter Bobby's trip as central Edinburgh to Harrogate it shows A1, A1/A19 or A68, all between 4h 10 and 4h 16.
If I choose Falkirk or Broxburn as start point first route suggested is to M74 then M6/A66 with A1/A19 as alternative. Mileages are same but A road route slower, or at least Google thinks it will be. In this case, absent major conurbations or inter urban traffic on route, it's probably right.
AFAIK the A1 north of Newcastle and certainly north of the border is unimproved and largely single carriageway. I suspect Bobby's pick up is west or south west of Edinburgh and that pulls Google route towards M74.
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Mon 9 Mar 15 at 14:27
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I'd expect some sluggishness getting through Newcastle, past the Metro Centre but reckon the A1 would be slightly faster. Mile-for-mile the M74/M6 is a lot quicker than the A1, but the A66 can be a pain in the bum, although it is MUCH faster than going further south and then trying to cut across the A59.
The A702 from Edinburgh to Abington or A7 to Gretna can be pretty slow if you meet caravans or industrial vehicles.
Having done the Edinburgh -> Yorkshire route a few times on holiday I'd prefer not to go on a Friday teatime, but would go down the A1 and be ready to take 30-40mins to get past Newcastle if I had to.
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Edinburgh pick up is Edinburgh Park Train station which is at the junction of M8 / A720.
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>> Edinburgh pick up is Edinburgh Park Train station which is at the junction of M8
>> / A720.
>>
As in at Hermiston Gait. :)
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Falkirk to Harrogate - I have always gone M74/A66/A1......
Except once when A66 was closed due to an accident - A68 was hardwork
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I'll be in Harrogate on Friday and over the weekend...well Nidd to be specific !
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Remember Edinburgh is due North of Cardiff, you have to go East somewhere. M74 and A66 for me, it is the fast and boring route. The East coast route is for tourists.
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So ON which route would u take from Hermiston Gait to M74?
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>> So ON which route would u take from Hermiston Gait to M74?
>>
My normal route is FRB and M8 or Kincardine and M80 / M73 to M74 depending on time of day and traffic. The A702 is a bit shorter but no quicker. I know the M8 / M74 is two sides of a triangle but the A702 can be a pain with local traffic, tourists and heavies.
Last edited by: Old Navy on Tue 10 Mar 15 at 08:23
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ON I work in Glasgow but live in Motherwell - so go from Glasgow to Livingston to Hermiston Gait, back to Shawhead, down to Raith and onto M74?
At 4.30 - 5pm on a Friday rush hour?
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>>At 4.30 - 5pm on a Friday rush hour?>>
Being retired I don't do rush hours, or any other sort of rush. :)
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ON I work in Glasgow but live in Motherwell - so go from Glasgow to Livingston to Hermiston Gait, back to Shawhead, down to Raith and onto M74?
At 4.30 - 5pm on a Friday rush hour?
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Well Rob if you see a white ix35 over the weekend in Harrogate give it a wave.
It might be me!
You are not there to attend a 65th birthday party by chance?????
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If you are, its not one of my Aunts, is it? I mean, actually in Harrogate.
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well I am attending an Aunts 65th who lives in Harrogate.........
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Good tea in Harrogate as I recall.
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A crackin big Wetherspoons in the old Train Station......
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>> A crackin big Wetherspoons in the old Train Station......
Are you sure it wasn't the old Winter Gardens?
www.jdwetherspoon.co.uk/home/pubs/the-winter-gardens
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Someone said (either on here or HJ) that there are a lot of roadworks (or rather coned-off sections with not a lot being done) on the A1 round Newcastle. So I'd say A74/M74/A66 if you're in a hurry, A68 / A1 if you're not.
The A68 is one of my favourite roads for scenery, but of course you'd only have about 2 hours on it before it gets dark.
Last edited by: Avant on Mon 9 Mar 15 at 21:27
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>> The A68 is one of my favourite roads for scenery, ...
One of mine too!
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R.P
Nice long weekend at the Yorke Arms?
Last edited by: legacylad on Mon 9 Mar 15 at 23:05
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A701 is a whole lot more fun than the A702. Go down through Auchendinny and Howgate to avoid Penicuik and rejoin the 701 at Leadburn then you can enjoy about 40 miles of driving heaven until Moffat where you'll pick up the M74.
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>> A701 is a whole lot more fun than the A702.
>>
Fun is for tourists, motorways are for A to B travel.
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*rolls sleeves up* I regularly collect cars from the Rolls Royce showroom (on the estate behind Hermiston Gait Tesco) and then head south on the A1 as far as Newark, so for once I can speak with some knowledge. The journey is always a delight and is one of my favourite routes anywhere in the UK.
At 4pm on a Friday there will be a bit of traffic about but never anything like you get a few hundred miles further south. Rush hour in Edinburgh is literally that; a bit of traffic happens at 5pm but disappears again within 60 minutes.
Follow the A720 Edinburgh City Bypass around from Hermiston Gait to Old Craighall and turn right onto the A1. There will be queues at the roundabouts on the A720 but if you lose 10 minutes in total I'd be surprised.
Tips for A1 driving:
Bring sunglasses; you will be heading directly into the setting sun at some point.
There will be at least one speed camera van somewhere.
There are a dozen or more GATSOs, but all on fast stretches of road and all clearly marked.
Lorries can't go faster than 56mph; some are limited to 50mph. They should all be doing 40mph on the single carriageways but many won't be. Don't overtake them on single carriageways, you gain nothing.
Recommended stops:
Londis at the Lindisfarne turn
BP/Co-Op garage on A1068 at Alnwick turn (also a Sainsburys over the road)
Wetherby services
Stay away from the burger van at the English border, and keep Radio 2 on for the traffic up until 7pm. I can just make Ferrybridge services in 4h30m in a lorry at 56mph, so I should say a car would be comfortably into Harrogate in the same journey time.
I'll be thinking of you on Friday, I will be doing my 340-mile round trip to pick up my son for the weekend...
Last edited by: Dave_C220CDI on Tue 10 Mar 15 at 22:54
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I won't. I shall just have finished in the gym after work and be in the pub quaffing several pints of decent beer. Either Gooseye or Kirkby Lonsdale brews. I enjoy a long drive, but not after 9 hours work.
Hope your journey goes smoothly
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I'm doing a round trip tomorrow from Cheshire to Edinburgh and back. I'll go up the M6, M74 to Moffat, head up the A701 ( Devil's Beeftub ) to Leadburn, up through Auchendinny to Bilston and on through Cameron Toll and into the city.
Because it's a nice drive and by far the quickest route.
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Mission accomplished. 4 hours 10 minutes each way including a pee break at Tebay both ways. 486 miles wafted. ( well, mostly wafted, I did feel a temporary necessity to show a clean pair of heels to a somewhat temperamentally piloted 5 series Touring whose driver clearly thought making progress was only possible in straight lines on the Beeftub road ) Amazing how many folk cannae take a corner even when they have decent kit...
;-)
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Any suitable recomendations for some oub grub around the Scotch Corner area that isnt Scotch Corner services?
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>> Any suitable recomendations for some oub grub around the Scotch Corner area that isnt Scotch
>> Corner services?
Leeming Bar is about 10 minutes further down the A1. Jump off there to Bedale, about a mile west. Not a pub but Aunt Sally's cafe in Market Place is very good and you'd do well to find better food in a pub.
Alternatively, there's the fleshpots of Northallerton a couple of miles east of Leeming Bar - nice town and plenty to go at there.
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>> A701 is a whole lot more fun than the A702. Go down through Auchendinny and
>> Howgate to avoid Penicuik and rejoin the 701 at Leadburn then you can enjoy about
>> 40 miles of driving heaven until Moffat where you'll pick up the M74.
>>
Next time I am going that way I will try your route Runfer, I am usually in tourist mode but firmly believe that driving is for getting wherever asap. My usual driving experience does not involve traffic, our London contingent believe that if we see more than a dozen cars at once we think we have a traffic jam. :)
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Having consulted my satnav the A701 route avoiding Penicuik adds 30 minutes to my normal two hour journey to Carlisle.
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Probably too late but here goes.
Go west young man, go west.
A1 is knackered through Northumberland between Alnwick, Seaton Burn and Gateshead/Team Valley it's fuhbarred !!!>> Heading down to Harrogate on Friday - leaving Glasgow at 3pm, picking up in Edinburgh.
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Well, picked up at Hermiston Gait at 16.45 and arrived at the hotel in Harrogate at 20.30. That included an almost stationery Edinburgh bypass all the way to Sherifhall.
Came round and down the A1, plenty of roadwork sections but traffic flowed fine through them all.
Came home today via A1, A66 and M74 left at 10.30 and back in Motherwell for 13:45.
Must admit I didn't realise how close Harrogate was to Scotch Corner after asking for eating place suggestions just after Scotch Corner!
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Handbrake stuck on is it Bobby? Need to get that seen to...
;-)
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>>Came home today via A1, A66 and M74 left at 10.30 and back in Motherwell for 13:45.
Seem to recollect this was my recommended / quickest route at the beginning of last week!
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Yeah but coming back I wasn't needing to go to Livingston and Hermiston Gait ont he way!!
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Bobby missed your posting - we were there over the weekend staying outside Harrogate. Had a rather drunken adventure in the town centre on Saturday - ending up on a bus to Leeds. My carer has been spoken too ! Escaped via the A59 this morning, struck me that roads maintenance budgets must be tight in North Yorks !
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>> Yeah but coming back I wasn't needing to go to Livingston and Hermiston Gait ont
>> he way!!
>>
I always start in the East when going south. :)
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A1 / M1 Edinburgh to Harrogate - BobbyG
