The A1 road runs between London and Edinburgh and is commonly known as the Great North Road.
The modern A1 follows much of a historic northward route used by travellers, mail coaches and traders. Earlier sections included Roman roads such as Ermine Street, while the coaching route became especially important between London, York and Edinburgh. The road was formally designated in 1921, when Britain introduced its modern road-numbering scheme.
Today, the A1 is about 410 miles long and passes through or near cities including Peterborough, Doncaster, Newcastle upon Tyne and Berwick-upon-Tweed. Large portions are dual carriageway, and several sections have been upgraded to motorway standard as the A1(M).
A common mix-up is confusing the A1 with the M1. The M1 is a separate motorway that carries traffic north from London through the Midlands, while the A1 is the historic east-side route toward Scotland. The Great North Road is the historic name; A1 is the current numbered road designation.