The route from the Firth of Forth, running to the South of the Pentland Hills, has probably been in use since Mesolithic times, between 8,000 BC and 4,000 BC. It was certainly well used by the Neolithic period, from 4,000 BC to around 2,200 BC, as evidenced by the finds along the route, especially in the Black Mount area.

It was primarily followed by the Roman road builders in 140 AD when they constructed their road linking Cramond and Inveresk with Clydesdale, and this route largely remained in use for over 1,600 years.

By the 18th Century, a number of changes had already been made to the line of the road. For example, in West Linton, the route was altered by deviation to the South of the Roman road to run through the Northern part of the village, continuing through Slipperfield and along the ‘Dolphinton Straight’, to rejoin the old route just South of Ingraston.

By the beginning of the 20th Century, a maze of roads and tracks criss-crossed Britain, and the government began to consider classification. Action was taken with the setting up of the Roads Board in 1913 to begin initial work on determining the quality and usage of British roads. The Board’s remit was to classify existing roads, to upgrade as required and to build new ones using income from the new road and petrol tax.

The first definitive list was published in 1922. The two main routes through the Black Mount area were the road South-West from Edinburgh, and, crossing this at Melbourne, the road running East-West across the Borders. Both roads were classified as Class I, routes designated as connecting large population centres or for through traffic.

The first batch of road numbers was released between 1921 and 1923. The two routes passing through the Black Mount area were classified as the A702, running from Edinburgh to St John’s Town of Dalry in Dumfries and Galloway, and the A72, running from Hamilton in South Lanarkshire to Galashiels in the Scottish Borders.

The development and modernisation of the road network spurred an increase in traffic, both private and commercial, during the late 1920s. The railways were a casualty of this growth, and nowhere more so than in the Black Mount area, with the two local rail routes being closed in 1933. Click here to read more about the history of the railways in the Black Mount area.

The Trunk Roads Acts of 1936 and 1946 defined major through routes across the UK, with the Ministry of Transport taking direct control of them. Scotland has had responsibility for its own trunk roads since 1955. Originally, Trunk roads were listed with a "T" in brackets after their number, for example the A702(T). This addition is no longer included on current Ordnance Survey maps, which simply distinguish between primary and non-primary 'A' roads.

The Gazetteer for Scotland web site offers an excellent range of information, both geographical and historical, on the Black Mount area. Click here to access this web site.

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