From Roader's Digest: The SABRE Wiki
The A965 links the two primary towns in Orkney, Kirkwall and Stromness. It serves as a particularly important route as the majority of vehicular traffic for Orkney arrives at Stromness from the Scrabster Ferry.
Route
Kirkwall - Stromness
The A965 passing through Stromness
The A965 starts out as Ayre Road on the Kirkwall waterfront after the A960/A963 roundabout. We pass through another roundabout (one of the few full roundabouts in Orkney!) and head out towards the Hatston Industrial Estate. The road mostly bypasses the Estate, which is also where the pier for the Aberdeen - Kirkwall - Lerwick ferry can be accessed from.
As the road continues, we pass several sites of interest for tourists, including a number of chambered cairns (such as the one at Quanterness), and other interests such as the Grimbister Farm at Grimbister (try the cheese). We enter the village of Finstown, and it's here that the A966 leaves to serve the West Mainland, along with the A986. The A965 continues past Maes Howe, a 5000 year old chambered cairn, and the famous Stones of Stenness. We pass through the village of Stenness, where the B9055 heads north west to Skara Brae and continue close to the coast for some distance, until the junction with the A967 where we begin to enter Stromness. The road passes through the Stromness waterfront, where the Northlink ferry from Scrabster docks.
The road continues through the town of Stromness, along a narrow cobbled street (which may be one way), often crowded with badly parked cars and pedestrians. It is very picturesque, but not really designed for the automobile! The road ends on the southern edge of Stromness, with a minor road looping back round the town.
Original Author(s): Owen Rudge
