Extra-late night Stromness to ‘Hope bus service to be trialled

Changes to the X1 bus service between Stromness, Kirkwall, and St Margaret’s Hope will come into force on December 5, following feedback from users.

The changes aim to allow improved timings for workers travelling from St Margarets Hope or Stromness to and from Kirkwall for work.

This will include an extra-late service on Friday and Saturday nights, on a trial basis until March 31.

Orkney Islands Council’s transportation manager, Laura Cromarty, said: “The X1 changes are based on public demand that we have been feeding back to Stagecoach.

“While the X1 is a commercial service operated by Stagecoach, and not subsidised by the council, we do work with them to highlight the needs and wishes of the community when it comes to timetables.

“The X1 ‘late night buses’ are being part funded through the Scottish Government’s Smarter Choices Smarter Places scheme.

“This is the same funding we’ve used to trial late night bus service leaving Kirkwall and serving East Mainland, West Mainland, and Kirkwall and Orphir on Friday and Saturday nights.

“We hope folks will take full advantage of these evening and late night services — they are being run on a trial basis only but good usage by local folk would help us put forward a strong business case for funding to carry on the services past March 2023.”

You can view the new timetables from December 5 on www.orkney.gov.uk/bus