Surface dressing - bus service update

There will be changes to public bus Service 9 (Kirkwall Town Service) and Service 7 (Stromness and Kirkwall to Birsay via Dounby) later this week as the Council's surface dressing work begins from Thursday 17 May.

Roads will be closed in both directions for a time while surface dressing is carried out - meaning bus routes will be affected during the hours of work.

The information below advises diversions that will be taken by relevant buses during road closures expected to take place in coming days.

There could be delays as a result of diversions - please allow plenty of time for your journeys.

As surface dressing is weather dependent, please check our Facebook, Twitter or News section of our website for the latest updates before travelling on whether your bus service is affected on any particular day.

You can also call Stagecoach on 01856 870 555 or the Council’s Transport team on 01856 87 35 35, or download the Stagecoach ‘app’ for live bus information. 

The areas where surface dressing is expected to take place between 17 and 22 May, weather permitting, are:

• Thursday 17 May - Old Finstown Road from Market Stance (the stables near the turn off to Sunnybank Road) to the 30mph sign as you come into Kirkwall. Diversion is via Sunnybank Road and Ayre Mills roundabout and through Kirkwall.
• Monday 21 May - Back Road (Dounby) - a short section of residential road from the A986 to Vetquoy Road.
• Tuesday 22 May - A986 between the Dounby 30mph signs. Diversion is via the A966, (Hundland Road), A965 (Stromness-Kirkwall road) and A967 (Stromness-Birsay road).

Information about how road closures will affect bus services are provided below.

The roadworks at Old Finstown Road on Thursday 17 May will affect Service 9 (Kirkwall Town Service), as follows:

The 07:30, 08:30, 16:30 and 17:30 (all departing from Kirkwall Travel Centre) services are unaffected.

Outwith these times the following areas will not be served - Hatston Brae, Sunnybank Road, Old Finstown Road, Glaitness Road, Old Scapa Road to Foreland Road. The route will therefore be as follows: 

Kirkwall Travel Centre Stand 3, West Castle Street, Castle Street, Broad Street, Palace Road, Thoms Street, The Meadows, Marwick Drive, Muir Drive, (Turn at Otterswick), Muir Drive, Marwick Drive, The Meadows, Berstane Road, East Road (Orkney College), Work Road, Craigiefield Road, Carness Road, Weyland Bay, Islands View Road, Cromwell Road, Shore Street, Harbour Street, Burgh Road, Kirkwall Travel Centre Stand 3.

Kirkwall Travel Centre Stand 3, West Castle Street, Junction Road, Pickaquoy Road, Ayre Road, Junction Road, Forelands Road, Old Scapa Road, Scapa Beach, New Scapa Road, Pipersquoy Road, Kirklands Road, Quoybanks Crescent, Holm Road, Bignold Park Road, Inganess Road, Berstane Loan, Berstane Road, The meadows, Bignold Park Road, Clay Loan, Union Street, Junction Road, Pickaquoy Road, Ayre Road, Burgh Road, Kirkwall Travel Centre Stand 3.

The roadworks at A986 in Dounby on Tuesday 22 May will affect Service 7 (Stromness and Kirkwall to Birsay), as follows:

The 06:34 and 07:34 services (departing Stromness) and 17:35 service (departing Kirkwall) are unaffected.

Outwith these times the following areas will not be served: Harray Road End, Harray, Dounby. There is only one service in each direction affected. The route will therefore be:

For the 13:40 departing Kirkwall: Kirkwall Travel Centre Stand 4, West Castle Street, Junction Road, Pickaquoy Road, Hatston Brae, Sunnybank Road, Old Finstown Road, Finstown, A965, Brodgar Road, A967, Twatt Crossroads, A967, Birsay Hostel, A967 Barony Mill, A966, Birsay – Earl’s Palace.

For the 14:20 departing Birsay: Birsay – Earl’s Palace, A966, A967, Barony Mill, A967 Birsay Hostel, Twatt Crossroads, A967, Brodgar Road, A965, Finstown, Old Finstown Road, Sunnybank Road, Hatston Brae, Pickaquoy Road, Great Western Road, Kirkwall Travel Centre Stand 4.

There is no impact on bus services as a result of surface dressing at Back Road, Dounby, expected to take place on Monday 21 May.