Dear Resident,
Notification of Road Events
We are writing to inform you about road events in your area during the upcoming Orkney 2025 International Island Games.
As the proud host island, Orkney will be expecting approximately 2,200 athletes and team members from 23 other islands, to compete in 12 sports across 20 venues.
To ensure the safe and smooth running of the road-based events some temporary road closures will be required. This will give competitors the best chance to perform at their highest level and ensure the safety of competitors and spectators. On some stretches the cyclists are expected to reach speeds exceeding 30 mph which underlines the need for the restrictions.
There are several races that require road closures. There will also be short road closures associated with the opening ceremony and traffic restrictions associated with mountain biking at the Market Stance and Binscarth Woods.
The following pages provide comprehensive details about the roads affected and the timings. We will issue further updates as we get closer to the event, but please keep this letter in a convenient place.
During a closure there will be no vehicular access along the route, although access for emergency vehicles will always be allowed. Pedestrian access will be maintained at all times where there is a footway. Rest assured that the road closures will be removed as soon as it is safe to do so.
We understand that these closures will cause disruption, but hopefully this advance notice will allow you to plan ahead. The Games Organising Committee has worked closely with the sports, OIC Roads Services, the NHS, all care providers and other stakeholders to try to minimise the inconvenience. In the weeks before the Games there will be advance warning signs on the affected roads.
Further updates will be issued as we get closer to the week, and in the meantime, there is lots of information on our website at https://www.orkney2025.com/about/plan-ahead. If you have any queries regarding the closures, please feel free to contact the Games Office at info@orkney2025.com rather than OIC. Please note that all restrictions and closures are provisional at this stage and subject to change.
We want to make a great Games experience for everyone, and we hope that you will come outside and support the athletes along the routes. It is a great opportunity to have a front row seat for world class competition. Our local athletes have told us they are looking forward to competing on home soil, and they would love to see flags and bunting lining the routes.
Kind regards
Gordon Deans
Chair of the Orkney 2025 Organising Committee