A-roads Around Britain: The Plan Day 10: Edinburgh and North-East England.

Plan for Day 10: Rosyth to Scarborough

(249 miles, approx 8.5 hours)

I'll start with a bit of an update on the A890 situation: it is open some times when vehicles are being escorted along the railway line. Bit like a giant level-crossing. Still may be of no use to me depending when I'm likely to be there. Could use the ferry, but priority is given to local traffic and I don't know how long I would have to wait. Might get away with being local though if I wear a kilt and put on a Scottish accent...

Day 10 will likely be all about returning back to England and then generally getting lost. If I tell you I will be driving through Edinburgh, Newcastle, Gateshead, Sunderland, Middlesbrough and Hartlepool you'll get the idea. The directions list for this one is looooooooooong.

To make up for not actually being on an A-road when I entered Scotland I'll leave via the A1.
© Copyright peter robinson and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

The day starts by trundling over the Forth Road Bridge and into Edinburgh, skirting past the port of Leith and the Royal Yacht Britannia. The A1 (single-digit A-road number 8) will be my friend for a long part of the morning, with various diversions to visit the places it bypasses. North of Berwick I will of course return to England having left 4 days before. I'll leave the A1 at Alnwick as it decides to head to more central parts and start the long slog through the towns and cities of the North-East. My first toll for a long time will be paid to use the new Tyne Tunnel. This will be toll number 5. I probably should be thankful that Scotland scrapped all it's road tolls and in turn has saved me some money!

Looks fun.
© Copyright Alexander P Kapp and licensed for reuse under thisCreative Commons Licence

Through Gateshead, Sunderland and Hartlepool, yet another toll will occur in Middlesborough at the Middlesborough Transporter Bridge. I was debating whether or not this counted as a ferry, but thought the clue was in the name really. For those unfamiliar with what a transporter bridge is, basically the vehicles sit on a platform suspended from the actual bridge structure which is then hauled across. I checked it runs on Bank Holidays and even though the alternative isn't that far I thought it looked like fun! Next is Redcar and suddenly after all that city and town driving I'll be into the North Yorkshire Moors National Park for the run down to Scarborough.

Epic list of directions: