Despite Scotland’s transport network having the reputation of “lagging behind” other countries (whether that’s deserved or not is open to interpretation), the country’s 10 motorways are designed to help drivers get from A to B in a reasonably quick time.
But not all motorways are created equal and Scotland’s 10 each have their own characters, quirks and idiosyncrasies. They range from routes that take just a minute to complete to others that wind their way for miles through the stunning countryside.
Everyone will have their own favourite – and their own reasons – but the Scottish Express have ranked all 10 from worst to best.
10. A823(M) – M90 (J2) to Dunfermline (one mile)
Little more than a spur of the M90, the A823(M) was supposed to be part of a longer motorway along the north coast of the River Forth in Fife, a plan that never came to fruition. At just a mile long, it now acts as a link between junction 2 of the M90 and the edge of Dunfermline, Scotland’s newest city.
9. M898 – Glasgow Airport to Erskine (one mile)
Another short motorway that links the M8 at Glasgow Airport with the A898, which carries traffic across the Erskine Bridge and onwards towards Loch Lomond in the west. If the motorway extended over the Erskine Bridge, with its stunning views of Glasgow and the Clyde, it would rank much higher.
8. M77 – Glasgow to Fenwick (20 miles)
As boring a stretch of road you can imagine considering it connects Glasgow with stunning Ayrshire. Almost always facing queues as you join from the M8 on its ridiculous slip road, the M77 forms part of a wider A77 route to the south-west of Scotland.
The motorway section passes the likes of Newton Mearns and Stewarton before coming to an end at Fenwick, near Kilmarnock, and becoming the A77. Relatively easy to drive but a forgettable piece of road.
7. M876 – Dennyloanhead to Bowtrees (eight miles)
An unremarkable section of road that links the M80 from Glasgow to the the Kincardine Bridge. An easy drive, it is notable for having the only example of a pedestrian footway crossing a UK motorway, near junction 2 at Stenhousemuir.
6. M73 – Uddingston to Moodiesburn (seven miles)
A short but vital piece of road that connects three other major motorways together. The M73 has little of note on its route between Uddingston on the south and Moodiesburn in the north, but journeying through central Scotland would be verry different without it.
Starting at junction four of the M74, it then links with the M8, both towards Glasgow and Edinburgh, at its own second junction (junction eight on the M8). Working its way north, it then connects with the M80, taking traffic north towards the M9 and beyond. Not a road you’ll love, but its importance deserves acknowledged.
5. M80 – Glasgow to Stirling (25 miles)
Almost as important as the M73, the M80 nevertheless ranks a spot higher as it is simply more interesting. Running through the north of Glasgow where it branches off from the M8, it runs past the infamous new town of Cumbernauld and on to Stirling, where it connects with the M9.
The section between its junction with the M73 and Haggs can get extremely slow, but once the road branches off to join the M876, it becomes a pleasant drive. Bonus points for the impressive bridges you go under, such as the Cumbernauld-Stepps railway line and the Castlecary Viaduct, which is 95-feet high and 582-feet long.
4. M9 – Newbridge to Dunblane (33 miles)
The M9 starts just outside Edinburgh, leaving the M8 at junction 2. From there, it takes a north-west route past beautiful Linlithgow Palace, the industrial town of Grangemouth and onto Stirling through the Carse of Lecropt before terminating at the Keir Roundabout where the famous A9 continues the journey to the very northern tip of Scotland.
The M9 is a relatively uneventful journey interspersed with moments of beauty. It passes right by the famous Kelpie statues on the outskirts of Falkirk and also boasts spectacular views of Stirling Castle and the Wallace Monument. The route also shares a a mile with M876 on its way to Kincardine Bridge across the Forth.
3. M8 – Edinburgh – Bishopton (60 miles)
Scotland’s busiest motorway is the main connection between its two biggest cities. Starting just outside Edinburgh, it travels west in a relatively straight line, past an array of public artworks and into the very heart of Glasgow – a situation unique in the UK.
It goes on past Glasgow Airport, and that’s where many people’s thoughts of the M8 end but it charges onwards, reaching the waters of the River Clyde before it becomes the A8. The section through Glasgow is, for want of a better word, bonkers.
Reaching five lanes in parts, traffic skirts the northern edge of the city centre with junctions coming thick and fast before the Kingston Bridge takes you over the Clyde and offers an unbeatable view of the city centre. The Kingston Bridge is one of the busiest bridges in Europe and the Scottish Green Party have made noises about cutting the speed limit to 30mph in this section – prompting one wag to suggest that would actually speed traffic up.
Still, it is a thrilling ride and the closest you’ll come to the iconic LA freeways in the UK…if that’s your kind of thing. Fun fact: The M8 network includes the A8(M) at Baillieston, technically a separate motorway that’s just 320 metres long – the shortest in the UK.
2. M90 – Edinburgh to Perth (36 miles)
The M90 is not a perfect motorway by any stretch of the imagination. It includes an eight-mile section with no hard shoulder and one of the tightest corner on the UK motorway network as it cuts its way through the Ochil Hills. But it also boasts the two best views from any Scottish motorway at either end of its route.
Shortly after splitting from the M9 at Edinburgh, it reaches the Queensferry Crossing which lifts traffic above the Firth of Forth below. From here, you are afforded a great view, albeit slightly obscured by the original road bridge, of one of the wonders of the industrial age – the Forth Rail Bridge.
At the other end, it splits in two, with traffic heading to the Highlands being directed for the Broxden Roundabout. For those heading north-east, however, the Friarton Bridge offers a beautiful vista over the city of Perth and the River Tay before it becomes the A90 and continues towards Dundee and, eventually, Aberdeen.
The M90 has the distinction of being the most northerly motorway in the UK. Not the easiest drive, it nevertheless boasts some stunning scenery on the way
1. M74 & A74(M) – Glasgow to Gretna (85 miles)
The M74 (pictured) forges a path through the south-west of Scotland, linking Glasgow with the M6 in England. For generations of Glaswegians, it symbolised the start of holiday season as people headed to Blackpool on the Lancashire coast. And even today, it acts as a marker that you are ‘nearly home’ from any trip in the opposite direction having visited our neighbours down south.
Even without the emotional baggage attached to it, the M74 and A74(M) route is a clear winner. Over the years it has been subject to controversy, and its extension that opened in 2011 cut a swathe through the southside of Glasgow as well as the towns of Rutherglen and Cambuslang while linking it with the M8.
(Pic: Mapillary)