B9040 (Orkney)

This article is about the former B9040 on Orkney.
For the current B9040 from Burghead to Lossiemouth, see B9040.

The A961 (former B9040) towards Burwick

B9040 is the former number for the A961 on South Ronaldsay, Orkney. The route started at the landing stage for the ferry across the Water Sound to Burray and headed west then south across the island, ending by the churchyard at Burwick.

The route was upgraded to the A961 shortly after World War II with the completion of the Churchill Barriers. However, for a while the two routes co-existed on the island, as can be seen from the 1951 OS Quarter Inch map, to the right, and is also shown on the 1948 One Inch sheet. The A961, therefore, initially terminated at St Margaret's Hope, and the B9040 continued along the rest of the route to Burwick. The reason behind this, and indeed the date of the final change are not known as yet, although the A961 had been extended to Burwick by 1956.

The 1922 MOT Road List defines this route as: Water Sound (Ferry) - Burwick