B9066
| B9066 | ||||
| Location Map ( geo) | ||||
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| From: | Rapness (HY509405) | |||
| To: | Rackwick (HY446490) | |||
| Distance: | 7.9 miles (12.7 km) | |||
| Meets: | Pier, B9067, Pier | |||
| Highway Authorities | ||||
| Traditional Counties | ||||
| Route outline (key) | ||||
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The B9066 is the main road on Westray in Orkney's Northern Isles.
The route starts at the island's southern end at Rapness, where the Westray Ferry arrives from Kirkwall on the Orkney Mainland. It briefly wiggles along the shore of the little bay before sweeping inland, running northwestwards on a long straight, passing between the patchwork of small square fields that cover the island. The southern end of the island is called Rapness, with a right turn leading to many of the scattered houses, while others sit back from the road in the fields, with only a few on the roadside. A right kink turns the road and field pattern slightly, and a mile later a left kink turns it back at it passes through Skelwick, another scattered community which occupies the middle part of Westray's eastern arm.
A series of short straights lead through Skelwick and down into the low lying hollow which is partially filled by the Loch of Swartmill to the north. Another long straight then leads to Kirkbrae, at the summit of the route, where it kinks right and soon finds another long straight. This continues north west to Braehead where it meets the B9067 which comes in from the left at a sharp fork, and serves the communities of Midbea to the south west. The route then drops down the last few metres to the shore where it turns sharp left and curves all the way around the Bay of Pierowall, most of which is built-up. Indeed, Pierowall is probably the largest village on any of the northern isles and has houses on both sides of the road, along with a good selection of shops and businesses, for a small island anyway!
A couple of left turns lead to housing estates behind the main street, and on to the scattered communities further west, while the B9066 continues to curve around the bay to a realigned corssroads where side roads lead off to Rackwick and the famous airfield at the northern end of the island. The airfield has the world record for the shortest scheduled flight - just two minutes to hop across to Papa Westray a little over a mile away! The route ends by heading south east past a row of old stone houses to terminate at a pier which provides a passenger ferry link to Papa Westray. (Vehicles are served via Rapness.)
