Shetland Islands Council
Shetland Islands Council | |||
Location Map ( geo) | |||
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County | |||
Zetland | |||
Other Important Destinations | |||
Lerwick | |||
Borders | |||
(Aberdeen • Orkney Islands by ferry) | |||
Shetland Islands Council serves the traditional county of Zetland. This includes all of the islands in the archipelago.
All the roads in the authority are non-trunk roads and are maintained by Shetland Islands Council. There are therefore no Transport Scotland Roads in Shetland. As of 2016, Government Statistics say that the council is responsible for 139.8 miles of A roads; 96.2 miles of B roads and 412.4 miles of other roads.
Principal and Classified Numbered Roads
The following is a list of A and B classified roads that are at least partially managed by the authority:
Route | From | To | Length |
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A968 | Hillside, Mainland | Haroldswick, Unst | 41.9 miles | View |
A969 | Garthspool | Clickimin | 1.6 miles | View |
A970 | Grutness | Isbister | 71.4 miles | View |
A971 | Tingwall | Melby and Walls | 26.0 miles | View |
B9071 | Culswick | Vidlin | 26.5 miles | View |
B9072 | Commercial Street | King Harald Street | 0.2 miles | View |
B9073 | Wick | Scalloway | 1.4 miles | View |
B9074 | Veensgarth | Hamnavoe | 7.9 miles | View |
B9075 | Weisdale | Laxo | 13.8 miles | View |
B9076 | Brae | Firth | 7.2 miles | View |
B9078 | Hillswick | Stenness | 5.9 miles | View |
B9079 | Eela Water | Ollaberry | 2.5 miles | View |
B9081 | Ulsta | Camb | 12.7 miles | View |
B9082 | Gutcher | Cullivoe | 2.4 miles | View |
B9083 | Cullivoe | Haa of Houlland | 1.7 miles | View |
B9084 | Uyeasound turn | Uyeasound pier | 0.6 miles | View |
B9086 | Haroldswick | Stackhoull | 2.2 miles | View |
B9087 | Haroldswick | Kirkaton | 2.1 miles | View |
B9088 | Brough Lodge | Funzie | 5.9 miles | View |
B9122 | Channerwick | Boddam | 5.3 miles | View |
Classified Unnumbered Roads
For their Class III road network, the authority uses "C" prefixes.
Road Numbering in Shetland
Road numbering in Shetland is particularly intriguing, because the main A-roads have several spurs bearing the same number. What is more intriguing is that this system predates 1932 (it can be seen on the 1932 edition of the Ten-Mile Road Map of Great Britain), and is virtually the only example of the use of spur roads prior to 1935, with the only other known example being the A708 near Selkirk.
The relative scarcity of maps of Shetland means that we can only date the introduction of the spur roads to some time between 1922 and 1932.
Junctions
Bridges, Tunnels, and other Crossings
Ferries
The Shetland Islands are connected directly to Aberdeen on the mainland with a passenger ferry and a freight ferry making the crossing in each direction every night. Several nights each week these ferries also call at Kirkwall on Orkney, these stops timed for around midnight either way, and adding two hours to the crossing time. These ferries are provided by Northlink Ferries, under direct contract to the Scottish Government.
There is also a network of inter-island ferries operated by the Shetland Islands Council. Some of these are run with two vessels on a shuttle service, notably the Whalsay and Yell services. Unst and Fetlar are both served by the Bluemull Sound Ferry, albeit with a less frequent service to Fetlar. Similarly, there is some overlap between the Whalsay and Out Skerries services, although the latter has its own vessel operating a less frequent service. Bressay, which lies opposite Lerwick has a single vessel providing an hourly service. Papa Stour is served by two return services up to five days a week, while the ferries to distant Foula and Fair Isle only operate once a week in the winter, and two or three days a week in the summer. More frequent air connections are provided to both islands.
Shetland Islands Council | ||||||
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