A1(M) Scotch Corner: Where does the name come from?
Its name signifies the point of divergence for traffic coming from London, the East Midlands and Yorkshire, heading either to Edinburgh and eastern Scotland along the A1(M) or to Glasgow and western Scotland via the A66. But its name also begs another question - why is it called Scotch Corner?
Where is Scotch Corner and its routes to other place?
The A1(M) leads north towards North East England and Scotland, and south towards London, but Scotch Corner is a junction of f the A1(M), which leads to the A66 north-west towards Penrith and the M6 motorway. There are also three other exits from the junction: the A6055 road north and south, with the southbound side leading to the A6108 towards the Yorkshire Dales and Richmond.
The third exit is towards Middleton Tyas and Croft-on-Tees.
Where does the Scotch Corner name come from?
Scotch Corner, tied to ancient Roman junction points, became a location for travellers separating routes to Eastern Scotland from Western Scotland. The formation of this crossroads started with the Romans in AD 71, following their triumph over the Brigantes, a Celtic tribe, at the Battle of Scotch Corner. As a result, roadways were laid that intersected at this landmark, a short distance from the current intersection.
At the time, the location was more than a crossing; it served as a strong Roman stronghold. Later in time, the corner was acknowledged as a fox hunting district, aiding in the identification of locations for reporting events. Most read:
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In modern times, a significant GBP8 million diversion was put in place in July 1971, leading to a grade-separated junction on the A1.
Further development followed in March 2018, when a GBP380 million was spent upgrading A1 between Leeming Bar and Barton Interchange to a three-lane motorway. Scotch Corner is where the Roman road of Dere Street, which crossed the River Tees at Piercebridge, meets another Roman road (name unknown) which headed west to Bowes and Stainmore. Today, of course, the A1(M) meets the A66 at Scotch Corner.