Inadequate access

At the risk of being considered repetitive, may I once again express my complete and utter disbelief at the proposals by Shetland Amenity Trust to undertake massive improvements at Sumburgh Lighthouse in order to attract more and more people to this unique site with no mention of access.

Once again, in spite of numerous comments about the poor access when this was last in the public eye, in last week’s broadcast by Jimmy Moncrieff no mention whatsoever was made about improvements to the access road which is surely the key to the whole enterprise.

As a tour guide, I wrote on the previous occasion about my, and others’, concerns regarding the narrowness of the road, the lack of adequately sized passing places and the size of the car park. As larger and larger coaches appear on the roads, the corner at Grutness is now becoming impossible to negotiate, as is the corner at the cattle grid.

Is it not time to consider a new approach road, by passing Grutness altogether and leading, say, from near the hotel to near the second quarry on the road leading to the lighthouse. No doubt this would be expensive, but much finance seems to be available for other much larger and less popular locations.

One other point is that many of the passengers on the coaches are elderly persons and unable to get to the lighthouse in the time available, regardless of what wonders await them there, no doubt including a much-needed (in every sense of the word) comfort stop. This would really need to be duplicated at the car park, unless some form of “shuttle” transport is going to be provided between the two sites.

Douglas C Smith
Cliff House,
Lerwick.