A963
| A963 | ||||||||||
| Location Map ( geo) | ||||||||||
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| From: | Kiln Corner Roundabout (HY442113) | |||||||||
| To: | Holm Road (HY451096) | |||||||||
| Via: | Junction Road | |||||||||
| Distance: | 1.7 miles (2.7 km) | |||||||||
| Meets: | A965, A960, A962, A964, A961 | |||||||||
| Old route now: | B9148 | |||||||||
| Highway Authorities | ||||||||||
| Traditional Counties | ||||||||||
| Route outline (key) | ||||||||||
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The A963 has always served as a link road in Kirkwall, connecting up all of the other A roads. However, whilst it originally ran from central Kirkwall south towards the ferry pier at Scapa (without quite reaching it), it has now been rerouted around Orkney's capital to form a sort of bypass to the city centre.
It starts on the A965 at Ayre Mills Roundabout to the west of Kirkwall, and heads south along Pickaquoy Road, in a semi-industrial area also home to the local supermarkets, which curves around to the south of the Peedie Sea. The 'other' start is a little further east, at Kiln Corner Roundabout where the A965 and A960 both terminate. This spur (formerly the main line) heads south past the end of the A960 and A962 to meet the other arm of the A963 at a mini roundabout. Continuing south, the route follows the largely residential New Scapa Road past the old hospital, and just after passing the new hospital (opened in 2019) on the edge of the town, meets the B9148 at a roundabout. That road is the former route of the A963 down to Scapa, but the road now swings eastwards along the Holm Branch Road to terminate where it meets the A961 a little further along. This used to be a standard T-junction but has now been realigned with a curve leading the A963 into the A961 to the south, with the north part of the A961 having to give way.
History
The original route of the A963 was therefore from the Kiln Corner Roundabout south along Junction Road and then New Scapa Road. However instead of then turning onto Holm Branch Road, it continued south to the coast at Scapa Bay along what is now the B9148 to terminate on the B9053. This continued to be the case into the 1970s. The southern arm of Pickaquoy Road around the Peerie Sea is shown on maps from the 1930s, but the western part seems to be somewhat later, probably dating from the wartime when there was a lot of military activity on Orkney. It did not, however, become part of the A963 until the 1980s.
