A75 road


The A75 is a primary trunk road in Scotland, linking Stranraer and its ferry ports at Cairnryan with the A74 at Gretna, close to the border with England and the M6 motorway.

Route

Heading west along the south coast of Scotland from its junction with the A74 motorway at Gretna it continues past Eastriggs, Annan, Dumfries, Castle Douglas, Gatehouse of Fleet, Newton Stewart, Kirkcowan and Glenluce before ending at Stranraer.
The majority of the road is of single-carriageway standard, although a few short dual carriageway sections exist, including a one-mile section past Gretna, a section past Collin a two-mile section just west of Dumfries and a 1-mile section at Barlae.
There are also numerous three-lane overtaking sections which allow overtaking in one direction or on some occasion both directions. The road has recently been re-routed at Carrutherstown and a bypass has been constructed to avoid the village of Dunragit and the frequently struck Challoch Railway Bridge, which has earned the title of "most hit bridge in the UK."
There are only two service stations on the A75: one at Collin on the eastern edge of Dumfries, and one at Castle Kennedy to the east of Stranraer.
The road forms part of the international E-road, European route E18.
The majority of heavy goods vehicles which cross the short sea route of the North Channel via Cairnryan use the A75, with a much as 90% of HGV traffic using the A75.
In January 2020, Transport Scotland concluded a transport study of South West Scotland and outlined options for investment to the A75 and other trunk roads. In case of the construction of an Irish Sea Bridge from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, further road widening and potentially an upgrade to motorway status may be required.

History

The mostly single-carriageway road has been re-aligned, re-routed and bypasses most towns in recognition of the heavy freight traffic it carries between the A74/M6 and the ferry ports for Northern Ireland at Cairnryan. Only two settlements are now not bypassed by it and Kirkclaugh to Mossyard.

Reports of haunting

A four-mile stretch of the A75 known as the Kinmount Straight between Carrutherstown and Annan, is claimed by some to be haunted. The section adjacent to Kelhead Moss Plantation, near Kinmount House, is a main site of the alleged mysterious events. Sightings have been claimed to have been seen near the Swordwellrigg hamlet on the Annan bypass.

1962

Derek and Norman Ferguson were driving along the A75 near Kinmount, around midnight, when they claim that a large hen flew towards their window screen but vanished on the point of impact. They claim that the hen was followed by an old lady who ran towards the car waving her outstretched arms. They say that she was followed by a screaming man with long hair and further animals, including 'great cats, wild dogs, goats, more hens and other fowl, and stranger creatures', who all disappeared. They further claim that the temperature then dropped, and when the brothers stopped the car, it began to sway violently back and forth. Derek got out of the car and the movement stopped. He climbed back in and then, finally, claims that a vision of a furniture van came towards them before disappearing.

Junction list