Edinburgh to Newmains The A71 almost parallels the
M8 between the
A720 (Edinburgh City Bypass) and the junction with the
A73 at
Newmains. It passes through the village of Wilkieston and onto the
Mid Calder bypass, which leads the route to the south of
Livingston. The A71 follows a very straight course through
Livingston with several grade separated junctions.
Newmains to Darvel at
Garrion Bridge West of Livingston, the A71 turns sharply south west, bypassing
Shotts,
Newmains and
Wishaw then descends steeply into the
Clyde Valley, over
Garrion Bridge at the junction with the
A72. The A71 climbs steeply up the western side of the Clyde valley on a road which it shares for a very short section with the A72. When the A71 peaks at the top of the valley, it goes under the
M74 at Jct 8 (a junction known locally as Canderside Toll), before turning towards the village of Stonehouse, where a bypass takes traffic to the north of the narrow village roads, before descending into the
Avon valley and into
Strathaven. This small town, at a meeting of the A71,
A723 and
A726, provides a link to
East Kilbride and
Paisley, as well as to
Lanark,
Hamilton and
Motherwell.
Darvel to Irvine The A71 then becomes a narrow and winding road across moorland, as the road ascends to the head of the Avon valley. At the highest point is
Loudoun Hill, an ancient site of human occupation, and the road here follows the route of a minor
Roman road which once linked the
Clyde Valley and the coast. The road descends into the
Irvine Valley, going through the towns of
Darvel and
Newmilns, and bypassing
Galston and then through
Hurlford. At Darvel, the A71 becomes a
primary route for the rest of its length to Irvine, and widens slightly, with a straighter alignment until its junction with the
A77, south of Kilmarnock. The A71 remains as a dual-carriageway until its terminus in Irvine town centre. A crash barrier runs along the central reservation of the dual-carriageway from the A77 to the boundary with North Ayrshire at Dreghorn. In mid 2014, the road began to subside between Darvel and Newmilns, with the westbound lane being affected near to the entrance to Gowanbank House. Traffic lights were put in place while a solution was sought, however as of January 2017, a solution has been found and the traffic lights have been lifted. ==Junction list==