B6373 road
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The B6373 road runs through Dalkeith, Midlothian, Scotland. About half a mile long, it leaves and rejoins the A68 in the town. It consists of three town streets: Old Edinburgh Road, Buccleuch Street, London Road.
The following description runs from north to south along the B6373.
The road starts just on entering Dalkeith, as one comes from Edinburgh, at a mini roundabout on the A68; forking right from here brings you onto the B6373. This is Old Edinburgh Road, running in a south-west direction, and barely 10 yards after the road starts, Ironmills Road branches off to the west. Down this road is the headquarters of the Scottish Qualifications Authority (school examinations board).
The B6373 now begins a steep climb, passing a turn off east onto North Wynd for the town Baptist church and a car park catering for town centre shoppers. The imposing West Church appears here to the west of, and towering above, the road. This former Presbyterian (Church of Scotland) church is sadly no longer used as a church, but is now the workshops of a local woodworking company.
After the church the road flattens out and bends into a southerly direction. An access road comes off at this bend to the west into another car park, and serving an indoor bowling stadium. The ascent ends at a crossroads with the A6094 (High Street to the east, Eskbank Road to the west). On the crossroads is the town's register office.
Over the crossroads is Buccleuch Street, a somewhat flatter and straighter stretch. Right at the start of Buccleuch Street, the B6373 passes between the town Jobcentre and Citizens' Advice Bureau, and then between two of the buildings of Midlothian Council as well as Dalkeith Library on the east side of the road.
At the end of Buccleuch Street the B6373 passes over another crossroads with Lothian Road (east) and Abbey Road (west). Abbey road is a turn off for Fairfield House (also Midlothian Council), Newbattle Golf Club, Dalkeith Police Station, and Newbattle itself with its abbey. The B6373 now veers east onto London Road to end at another mini roundabout on the A68.
Here, the A68 can be taken southwards from here to towns such as Jedburgh in the Borders, or indeed is signposted north back towards Edinburgh.
The B6373 is a well kept secret, not appearing on any signs, and very few maps since it is so small. Traffic through Dalkeith almost invariably uses the main A68 trunk road. The quality of the B6373, however, is every bit as good as the A68 in Dalkeith and the B6373 is often used as an alternative to the far more busy A68 by those with local knowledge. After all, it was formerly the route of the A68, before it was rerouted onto Edinburgh Road and South Street.
[edit] External links
- See the B6373 on maps: NT333667
