A8 road (Scotland)
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The A8 is a major road in
Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
, connecting
Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
to
Greenock Greenock (; sco, Greenock; gd, Grianaig, ) is a town and administrative centre in the Inverclyde council areas of Scotland, council area in Scotland, United Kingdom and a former burgh of barony, burgh within the Counties of Scotland, historic ...
via
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 ...
. Its importance diminished following the construction of the M8 motorway which also covers the route between Edinburgh and Glasgow.


Route and relationship to M8


Edinburgh

The A8 begins at the West End of Edinburgh, in the
New Town New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...
. The road originally also included Princes Street, but this stretch was declassified, as Princes Street is no longer open to all traffic. The road continues westwards into the suburbs of the city passing
Murrayfield Murrayfield is an affluent area to the west of Edinburgh city centre in Scotland. It is to the east of Corstorphine and north of Balgreen and Roseburn. The A8 road runs east–west through the south of the area. Murrayfield is often con ...
and
Corstorphine Corstorphine (Scottish Gaelic: ''Crois Thoirfinn'') ( ) is an area of the Scottish capital city of Edinburgh. Formerly a separate village and parish to the west of Edinburgh, it is now a suburb of the city, having been formally incorporate ...
, often with an accompanying bus lane. Only once the road reaches the A720 City Bypass does it become a
primary route The United Kingdom has a network of roads, of varied quality and capacity, totalling about . Road distances are shown in miles or yards and UK speed limits are indicated in miles per hour (mph) or by the use of the national speed limit (NSL) sy ...
, leading out past the
Royal Highland Showground The Royal Highland Centre, originally the Royal Highland Showground, is an exhibition centre and showground located at Ingliston in the western outskirts of Edinburgh, Scotland, adjacent to Edinburgh Airport and the A8. History The Royal Highla ...
at
Ingliston Ingliston (; sco, Inglistoun) is an area in the west of Edinburgh, near Maybury, South Gyle and Newbridge, and is home to Edinburgh Airport and The Royal Highland Showground. History The name Ingliston either means the "settlement of the In ...
, and
Edinburgh Airport Edinburgh Airport is an airport located in the Ingliston area of Edinburgh, Scotland. It was the busiest airport in Scotland in 2019, handling over 14.7 million passengers. It was also the sixth-busiest airport in the United Kingdom by t ...
. At Newbridge, the A8 meets the start of the M8 and M9 motorways. From here the A8 is interrupted; it has been renumbered A89 until
Bathgate Bathgate ( sco, Bathket or , gd, Both Chèit) is a town in West Lothian, Scotland, west of Livingston, Scotland, Livingston and adjacent to the M8 motorway (Scotland), M8 motorway. Nearby towns are Armadale, West Lothian, Armadale, Blackburn, ...
, A7066 to Whitburn and then B7066 Harthill, until it resumes at Newhouse.


Glasgow

From Newhouse it runs parallel to the M8. Until recently there was no road of motorway standard between Newhouse and
Baillieston Baillieston ( sco, Bailiestoun) is a suburb of Glasgow, Scotland. It is about east of the city centre. It also gives its name to Ward 20 of Glasgow City Council and forms part of the Glasgow East constituency of the UK Parliament. Geograph ...
in the eastern suburbs of Glasgow, and the A8 still carried all through traffic here, having been progressively upgraded to meet demand. However it was finally replaced in 2017 by the last section of the M8.M8, M73, M74 motorway improvements in Scotland
Go Construct, 21 December 2020 It is now the principal non-motorway access between the
Eurocentral Eurocentral is one of the largest industrial estates in Scotland, situated on the edge of Holytown and Mossend, North Lanarkshire, just off the M8 motorway, about east of Glasgow city centre and west of Edinburgh. The nearest communities to th ...
business park and the settlements of
Chapelhall Chapelhall (from the Gaelic Seipeal Allt - Chapel by a burn) is a village outside the town of Airdrie in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. With house building, the distinction between Airdrie and Chapelhall is being eroded. Established as a small min ...
and
Calderbank Calderbank is a village outside the town of Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It lies west of the M73 motorway, M73, on the west bank of the North Calder Water. The village lies east of Glasgow city centre and ar ...
, south of Airdrie. Just prior to Junction 8 of the M8 it diverges from the motorway, and meets the A89 at
Bargeddie Bargeddie (; gd, Bàrr Geadaidh) is a village in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, just inside the suburban fringe of Glasgow, east of the city centre, and close to the junction of the M73 and M8 motorways. The nearest major town is Coatbridge, to ...
while co-existing as the interchange for the M8 and M73. At a roundabout near Swinton it briefly merges with the A89 and heads towards central Glasgow. The A8 now passes through suburban
Garrowhill Garrowhill ( sco, Garraehill or , gd, An Cnoc Garbh)
i ...
,
Barlanark Barlanark ( ) is a district in the Scottish city of Glasgow. It is situated east of Budhill, Shettleston and Springboig, north west of Baillieston, west of Springhill and Swinton and south of Easthall, Easterhouse and Wellhouse. Name Th ...
,
Wellhouse Wellhouse is a residential neighbourhood in the East End of the Scottish city of Glasgow. Since 2007 it has been part of the Baillieston administrative ward within the Glasgow City Council area. Location and history Wellhouse consists primarily ...
, Springboig,
Cranhill Cranhill is an inner city district and housing scheme in the north east of Glasgow, Scotland. Cranhill was developed from public funding in the early 1950s and was originally, chiefly composed of four-storey tenement blocks surrounding a patch ...
and
Carntyne Carntyne ( gd, Càrn an Teine) is a suburban district in the Scottish city of Glasgow. It is situated north of the River Clyde, and in the east end of the city. Since 2007 it has formed the core of the East Centre ward under Glasgow City Coun ...
as Edinburgh Road – much of which is a two/three-lane dual-carriageway, but an urban restriction is still applied – then past
Haghill Haghill is a residential neighbourhood in Glasgow, Scotland. It is situated in the east end of the city, north of the River Clyde. The housing includes tenements (from the 1900s and the 1930s), former council houses and several more recently con ...
and
Dennistoun Dennistoun is a mostly residential district in Glasgow, Scotland, located north of the River Clyde and in the city's east end, about east of the city centre. Since 2017 it has formed the core of a Dennistoun ward under Glasgow City Council, ...
as Alexandra Parade into the city centre at
Glasgow Royal Infirmary The Glasgow Royal Infirmary (GRI) is a large teaching hospital. With a capacity of around 1,000 beds, the hospital campus covers an area of around , and straddles the Townhead and Dennistoun districts on the north-eastern fringe of the city cen ...
and
Glasgow Cathedral Glasgow Cathedral ( gd, Cathair-eaglais Ghlaschu) is a parish church of the Church of Scotland in Glasgow, Scotland. It is the oldest cathedral in mainland Scotland and the oldest building in Glasgow. The cathedral was the seat of the Archbishop ...
, where it follows the
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 ...
and then the
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 ...
running north–south - meeting the A89 (Gallowgate) and the A749 (London Road) 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 ...
. It splits for the complex one-way system, recombining prior to the junction at the start of the A814 that heads west along the
Clyde Clyde may refer to: People * Clyde (given name) * Clyde (surname) Places For townships see also Clyde Township Australia * Clyde, New South Wales * Clyde, Victoria * Clyde River, New South Wales Canada * Clyde, Alberta * Clyde, Ontario, a tow ...
, before crossing the river near
The Gorbals The Gorbals is an area in the city of Glasgow, Scotland, on the south bank of the River Clyde. By the late 19th century, it had become densely populated; rural migrants and immigrants were attracted by the new industries and employment opportu ...
, where it meets the end of the A74. From there the A8 leads out of town through
Tradeston Tradeston () is a small district in the Scottish city of Glasgow adjacent to the city centre on the south bank of the River Clyde. Geography Tradeston is bounded by the River Clyde to the north, the Glasgow to Paisley railway line to the so ...
, Kingston (passing under the M8's Kingston Bridge)
Kinning Park Kinning Park is a southern suburb of Glasgow, Scotland. It was formerly a separate police burgh between 1871 and 1905 before being absorbed by the city. In 1897, it had a population of 14,326.Govan Parish School Board, ''The Members' Year Book ...
, Cessnock and Ibrox as Paisley Road West, changing to Edmiston Drive past
Ibrox Stadium Ibrox Stadium is a football stadium on the south side of the River Clyde in the Ibrox area of Glasgow, Scotland. The home of Rangers Football Club, Ibrox is the third largest football stadium in Scotland, with an all-seated capacity of . O ...
, then through
Drumoyne Drumoyne ( gd, Druim Uaine) is now a district in the Scottish city of Glasgow. It is situated south of the River Clyde and is part of the former Burgh of Govan. It is the birthplace of Sir Alex Ferguson, manager of Manchester United football ...
and
Shieldhall Shieldhall is a district in the Scottish city of Glasgow. It is situated directly south of the River Clyde and is part of the wider Govan area. Location and history Taking its name from the country estate which occupied the territory until the ...
as Shieldhall Road,
Braehead Braehead ( sco, Braeheid, Gaelic: ''Ceann a' Bhruthaich'') is a commercial development located at the former site of Braehead Power Station in Renfrew on the south bank of the River Clyde in Renfrew, Renfrewshire. It is particularly notable ...
as Renfrew Road and the town centre of
Renfrew Renfrew (; sco, Renfrew; gd, Rinn Friù) is a town west of Glasgow in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. It is the historic county town of Renfrewshire. Called the "Cradle of the Royal Stewarts" for its early link with Scotland's former ...
as Glasgow Road, Glebe Street and Inchinnan Road, passing to the rear of
Glasgow Airport gd, Port-adhair Eadar-nàiseanta Ghlaschu , image = Glasgow Airport logo.svg , image-width = 200 , image2 = GlasgowAirportFromAir.jpg , image2-width = 250 , IATA = GLA , ICAO = EGPF , type = Public , owner = AGS Airports , hub = *easy ...
at
Inchinnan Inchinnan (Scottish Gaelic: ''Innis Fhionghain'') is a small village in Renfrewshire, Scotland. The village is located on the main A8 road between Renfrew and Greenock, just south east of the town of Erskine. History The name of Inchinnan vil ...
, crossing over the M8 east of Bishopton and meeting it again at the motorway's western end, Junction 31 between Bishopton and
Langbank Langbank is a village on the south bank of the River Clyde in Renfrewshire, Scotland. It is 9.3 miles/15 km northwest from Paisley (Renfrewshire) and 3.4 miles/5.5 km east from Port Glasgow (Inverclyde) on the A8. History Langbank ev ...
. The A8 becomes the primary route again and takes traffic through
Port Glasgow Port Glasgow ( gd, Port Ghlaschu, ) is the second-largest town in the Inverclyde council area of Scotland. The population according to the 1991 census for Port Glasgow was 19,426 persons and in the 2001 census was 16,617 persons. The most recen ...
. Its terminus is in Greenock at a large
roundabout A roundabout is a type of circular intersection or junction in which road traffic is permitted to flow in one direction around a central island, and priority is typically given to traffic already in the junction.''The New Shorter Oxford En ...
with the
A78 road The A78 is an A road in Scotland. It connects Greenock and Prestwick on a route which follows the northern section of the Ayrshire coast. Route The A78 begins in Greenock, Renfrewshire as a continuation of the A8 road at the Bull Ring rounda ...
and the A770 to
Gourock Gourock ( ; gd, Guireag ) is a town in the Inverclyde council area and formerly a burgh of the County of Renfrew in the west of Scotland. It was a seaside resort on the East shore of the upper Firth of Clyde. Its main function today is as a r ...
, which was the former terminus of the A8.


Euroroute designations

Three short stretches of the A8 are part of three different
Euroroute The international E-road network is a numbering system for roads in Europe developed by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). The network is numbered from E1 up and its roads ...
s, as follows: * The stretch from the western end of the M8 into Greenock is part of the E05. * Between M8 Junctions 6 and 7 is part of the E16. * A very short stretch linking the
A720 The Edinburgh City Bypass, designated as A720, is one of the most important trunk roads in Scotland. Circling around the south of Edinburgh, as the equivalent of a ring road for the coastal city, it links together the A1 towards north-east Eng ...
and A902 is part of the E15.


References


External links


A8 at ''Roader's Digest'' (SABRE)SABRE - Map and photos of A8Road to Nowhere - A8
{{DEFAULTSORT:8-0008 Roads in Scotland Transport in Edinburgh Transport in North Lanarkshire Transport in Glasgow Transport in Renfrewshire Transport in Inverclyde Greenock Port Glasgow Renfrew Govan Gorbals Baillieston Coatbridge New Town, Edinburgh Corstorphine