The A749 road in Scotland connects
East Kilbride
East Kilbride (; gd, Cille Bhrìghde an Ear ) is the largest town in South Lanarkshire in Scotland and the country's sixth-largest locality by population. It was also designated Scotland's first new town on 6 May 1947. The area lies on a rais ...
with
Glasgow
Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
city centre via
Rutherglen
Rutherglen (, sco, Ruglen, gd, An Ruadh-Ghleann) is a town in South Lanarkshire, Scotland, immediately south-east of the city of Glasgow, from its centre and directly south of the River Clyde. Having existed as a Lanarkshire burgh in its own ...
and
Bridgeton.
Route
East Kilbride
The road starts off as a
dual carriageway
A dual carriageway ( BE) or divided highway ( AE) is a class of highway with carriageways for traffic travelling in opposite directions separated by a central reservation (BrE) or median (AmE). Roads with two or more carriageways which are ...
at a roundabout called "The Whirlies", with a junction for the
A725 road
The A725 road in Scotland is a major route which is a trunk road dual carriageway for almost its whole length, connecting several of the large towns of North Lanarkshire and South Lanarkshire, linking the M8 and M74 motorways; it has been upgr ...
. Running north it quickly meets another roundabout for the ''A749 spur'' which connects onto the A725 (added in the 1990s to bypass the Whirlies where possible to ease congestion); another exit provides access to the former Rolls-Royce engineering works, which closed in 2010s and was converted mostly to housing to complement existing commercial and retail property. The road continues past a third roundabout with exits for the
Stewartfield district (as of 2020, a proposal was in place to upgrade this to a dual carriageway for better links to the
A726
The A726 road in Scotland is a major route with several distinct sections with different characteristics and names; owing to its stages of construction, since 2005 it has two separate parts, the first running between Strathaven in South Lanark ...
on the western side of the town), and for the Kingsgate Retail Park (
Nerston
Nerston is a village situated on the northern green-belt boundary of the new town of East Kilbride in South Lanarkshire, Scotland.
Etymology
The name Nerston is originally a Scots corruption of Near-town.'Nair', 'Ner', 'Ners', and 'Naris' ...
). After a traffic light junction the road becomes National Speed Limit, descending down a long hill flanked by fields towards
Rutherglen
Rutherglen (, sco, Ruglen, gd, An Ruadh-Ghleann) is a town in South Lanarkshire, Scotland, immediately south-east of the city of Glasgow, from its centre and directly south of the River Clyde. Having existed as a Lanarkshire burgh in its own ...
, offering panoramic views over much of
Greater Glasgow
Greater Glasgow is an urban settlement in Scotland consisting of all localities which are physically attached to the city of Glasgow, forming with it a single contiguous urban area (or conurbation). It does not relate to municipal government ...
. In this rural section it is known as Glasgow Road.
Rutherglen
Around two miles north-west there is a grade separated staggered junction for the
B759 road
B roads are numbered routes in Great Britain of lesser importance than A roads. See the article Great Britain road numbering scheme for the rationale behind the numbers allocated. (some data from openstreetmap.org)
Zone 7 (2 & 3 digits)
Zon ...
to Greenlees Road (for
Cambuslang
Cambuslang ( sco, Cammuslang, from gd, Camas Lang) is a town on the south-eastern outskirts of Greater Glasgow, Scotland. With approximately 30,000 residents, it is the 27th largest town in Scotland by population, although, never having had a ...
/
Kirkhill Kirkhill or Kirkhills may refer to a number of places.
In Canada:
* Kirkhill, Nova Scotia
* Kirkhill, Ontario, an area of North Glengarry
In Northern Ireland:
* Kirkhills, a townland in County Antrim
In Scotland:
*Kirkhill industrial estate, near ...
) to the east followed by Cathkin Braes Road (for
Carmunnock
Carmunnock ( gd, Cathair Mhanach) is a conservation
Conservation is the preservation or efficient use of resources, or the conservation of various quantities under physical laws.
Conservation may also refer to:
Environment and natural reso ...
) to the west, and the permitted speed reduces to a 40-mile-per-hour limit. The junction can be dangerous due to the speeds involved, and the fact that the traffic for Cambuslang queued in the fast lane at busy times and crosses the southbound lanes, as does traffic from the B road onto the northbound carriageway. Fatalities have occurred and the construction of a new residential development in the adjacent fields led to safety measures being proposed in 2017 and introduced two years later.
The road continues on to another roundabout where it meets the end of the
A730 road
The A730 road in Scotland runs between the centre of Glasgow and the south-eastern edge of the city's urban area at Cathkin.
Route Glasgow
The A730 starts at Gorbals Cross in the Laurieston neighbourhood just south of the River Clyde; it is ...
– the
Cathkin bypass. Now known as East Kilbride Road, the A749 continues north for another brief spell as a 40-mile-per-hour dual carriageway passing the
Springhall and
Whitlawburn
Whitlawburn is a residential area in the town of Cambuslang in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is located south of the town centre on high ground overlooking the Greater Glasgow urban area.
Location and housing
The majority of the housing is a ...
housing schemes, but soon afterwards drops to a 30-mile-per-hour zone and the dual carriageway section ends at a junction with Blairbeth Road (formerly the A730 until a re-designation upon the completion of the bypass in 2017). it travels into
Burnside as East Kilbride Road until reaching
Burnside railway station
, symbol_location = gb
, symbol = rail
, image = Bui facingkirkhill 320.jpg
, caption = A Class 320 EMU at Platform 1, heading to Glasgow Central
, borough = Burnside, South Lanarkshire
, country = Scotland
, coordinates =
, grid_nam ...
.
Turning north onto Stonelaw Road, it meets the start of the B762 (Dukes Road), forms the traditional 'high street' retail zone for the area, then and continues north and downhill to Rutherglen town centre, directly overlooked by houses at a few points but generally open space – two small parks, a care home complex set back from the road, and a bowling green – or civic buildings including the local health centre, a church and the converted building of
Rutherglen Academy
Rutherglen (, sco, Ruglen, gd, An Ruadh-Ghleann) is a town in South Lanarkshire, Scotland, immediately south-east of the city of Glasgow, from its centre and directly south of the River Clyde. Having existed as a Lanarkshire burgh in its own ...
. It goes through a long-established cutting – concrete walls approximately high on either side, topped by vegetation – through higher ground known as Clincarthill on the west side and Wardlawhill on the east side, soon meeting the historic Main Street (B768) at Rutherglen Cross. Becoming the narrow Farmeloan Road, it crosses over the
West Coast Main Line
The West Coast Main Line (WCML) is one of the most important railway corridors in the United Kingdom, connecting the major cities of London and Glasgow with branches to Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester and Edinburgh. It is one of the busiest ...
railway beside
Rutherglen railway station
, symbol_location = gb
, symbol = rail
, image = Rutherglen Railway Station - Platform from walkway 3 - 2016-02-28.jpg
, caption = Platform viewed from east walkway
, borough = Rutherglen, South Lanarkshire
, country = Scotland
, coordin ...
, and under the elevated
M74 motorway
The A74(M) and M74 form a major motorway in Scotland, connecting it to England. The routes connect the M8 motorway in central Glasgow to the Scottish-English border at Gretna. In conjunction with their southward continuation, the M6 motorwa ...
(however offers no access). A junction with the end of the
A724 (Cambuslang Road) at Farme Cross results in another name change, to Dalmarnock Road; this is followed by crossing the
River Clyde
The River Clyde ( gd, Abhainn Chluaidh, , sco, Clyde Watter, or ) is a river that flows into the Firth of Clyde in Scotland. It is the ninth-longest river in the United Kingdom, and the third-longest in Scotland. It runs through the major cit ...
. Passing the
Clyde Walkway
The Clyde Walkway is a foot and mountain bike path which runs from Glasgow, Scotland, to just above the UNESCO World Heritage Site of New Lanark. The path runs close to the River Clyde for most of its length. It was completed in 2005, and is no ...
, the road enters the City of Glasgow proper still heading in a northwesterly direction.
Glasgow
The road enters Glasgow at
Dalmarnock
Dalmarnock (, gd, Dail Mheàrnaig) is a district in the Scottish city of Glasgow. It is situated east of the city centre, directly north of the River Clyde opposite the town of Rutherglen. It is also bounded by the Glasgow neighbourhoods of Pa ...
and where it meets the
Glasgow East End Regeneration Route
The A728 is a route number in Glasgow, Scotland applied to two connected roads.
The eastern branch, known as the Glasgow East End Regeneration Route runs from Polmadie to the Forge Shopping Centre in Camlachie in the east of the city. The ...
(A728) at
Dalmarnock railway station
, symbol_location = gb
, symbol = rail
, image = Dalmarnock777.JPG
, caption = Dalmarnock station (pre-2014 refurbishment), looking towards the tunnel
, borough = Dalmarnock, Glasgow
, ...
and continues past the
B763 road
B roads are numbered routes in Great Britain of lesser importance than A roads. See the article Great Britain road numbering scheme for the rationale behind the numbers allocated. (some data from openstreetmap.org)
Zone 7 (2 & 3 digits)
Zon ...
(Dunn Street), then enters the
Bridgeton District as Dalmarnock Road.
At
Bridgeton Cross
Bridgeton ( sco, Brigtoun, gd, Baile na Drochaid) is a district to the east of Glasgow city centre. Historically part of Lanarkshire, it is bounded by Glasgow Green to the west, Dalmarnock to the east and south, Calton to the north-west at Ab ...
and
Bridgeton railway station
, symbol_location = gb
, symbol = rail
, image = Bridgeton404.JPG
, caption = Bridgeton station, looking south east towards Dalmarnock
, borough = Bridgeton, Glasgow
, country ...
, the A749 label switches onto London Road (with small sections swapping designation with the
A74 near to
Glasgow Green
Glasgow Green is a park in the east end of Glasgow, Scotland, on the north bank of the River Clyde. Established in the 15th century, it is the oldest park in the city. It connects to the south via the St Andrew's Suspension Bridge.
History
In ...
) and carries on west to Glasgow city centre, passing
Calton and ''
The Barras
The Barras is a major street and indoor weekend market in the East End of Glasgow, Scotland. The term "Barra" is Glaswegian dialect for "barrow" relating to the market's early years where traders sold their wares from handcarts. Barrowland is s ...
''
flea market
A flea market (or swap meet) is a type of street market that provides space for vendors to sell previously-owned (second-hand) goods. This type of market is often seasonal. However, in recent years there has been the development of 'formal' ...
. It forms a brief part of the one-way system along with the
A89 road A89 or A-89 may refer to:
* A89 motorway (France)
* A89 road (Scotland)
* Dutch Defence, in the Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings
* Beauvechain Air Base
Beauvechain Air Base is a Belgian Air Component military airfield in Belgium, located south ...
(Gallowgate) on the eastern edge of the ''
Merchant City
The Merchant City, a new name introduced through urban renewal by the Scottish Development Agency and the city council in the 1980s is one part of the metropolitan central area of Glasgow. It commences at George Square and goes eastwards reachin ...
''.
It ends at
Glasgow Cross
Glasgow Cross is at the hub of the ancient royal burgh and now city of Glasgow, Scotland, close to its first crossing over the River Clyde. As a major junction in the city centre, its five streets run: north up the High Street to Glasgow Cathed ...
, a grade junction with the
A8 (
High Street
High Street is a common street name for the primary business street of a city, town, or village, especially in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth. It implies that it is the focal point for business, especially shopping. It is also a metonym fo ...
/
Saltmarket
The Saltmarket is a thoroughfare in the City of Glasgow, Scotland. It is a southward continuation of the High Street, running south from Glasgow Cross to the junction with Clyde Street and Crown Street by the River Clyde. It runs past the High Co ...
); thereafter the road continues as the
Trongate
Trongate is one of the oldest streets in the city of Glasgow, Scotland. Trongate begins at Glasgow Cross, where the steeple of the old Glasgow Tolbooth is situated, being the original centre of medieval Glasgow, and goes westward changing its na ...
(historically part of the
A82 road
The A82 is a major road in Scotland that runs from Glasgow to Inverness via Fort William, Highland, Fort William. It is one of the principal north-south routes in Scotland and is mostly a trunk road managed by Transport Scotland, who view it a ...
) into the heart of the city centre unclassified.
Public transport
The '18' bus service, one of the primary routes by the major operator in the region,
First Glasgow
First Glasgow is the largest bus company serving the Greater Glasgow area in Scotland. It is a subsidiary of FirstGroup. The company operates within the area covered by the Strathclyde Partnership for Transport, a public body responsible for h ...
, runs along the entire length of the A749 in both directions. In the first half of the 20th century,
Glasgow Corporation Tramways
Glasgow Corporation Tramways were formerly one of the largest urban tram, tramway systems in Europe. Over 1000 municipally-owned trams served the city of Glasgow, Scotland, with over 100 route miles (160 route kilometres) by 1922. The system clo ...
also operated on the route, specifically the 9A which had its terminus at Burnside.
Tram routes, 1938 (Museum of Transport)
The Glasgow Story
References
External links
*
SABRE page on A749 road
{{DEFAULTSORT:7-0749
Roads in Scotland
Transport in South Lanarkshire
Transport in Glasgow
Rutherglen
East Kilbride
Bridgeton–Calton–Dalmarnock