The A701 leaves Dumfries and travels north to meet the
A74(M) east of
Beattock. It then passes beneath the A74(M) before continuing to the north-east towards
Moffat and ultimately Edinburgh. The road can be an alternative to the
A7 or
A702 routes to Edinburgh from the
A74(M) and
M6. It is signposted as a scenic route to Edinburgh from the motorway. The A701 is popular with motorcyclists and passes close to the edge of the
Devil's Beef Tub. It runs also parallel with the former
Talla Railway for several miles. A relief road for a stretch of the A701 running between
Penicuik and Edinburgh has a been proposed and is being phased. The decision has been contested for many years, as the bypass will form a bottle neck back into the current road, and also will cut through an important
wildlife corridor, a woodland which is a
Site of Special Scientific Interest. ==References==