Community / Tens of phone boxes still looking to be ‘adopted’
NEARLY 40 phone boxes in Shetland remain up for ‘adoption’, including the one outside the sorting office on Lerwick’s Commercial Street.
Other boxes up for adoption include the B-listed kiosk at Shirva in Fair Isle, while the rest are dotted around Shetland in locations such as Hillswick, Bressay, Aith and Baltasound.
BT is allowing communities to ‘adopt’ redundant phone boxes for a cost of just £1.
Since 2008 a total of 482 phone boxes in the UK have been adopted and transformed into everything from defibrillator units to mini history museums and book exchanges.
Communities can adopt a kiosk if they are a recognised public body, such as a community council or town council.
Boxes can also be adopted by registered charities or by individuals who have a payphone on their own land.
BT will continue to provide electricity, if already in place, to power the light for adopted phone boxes, free of charge.
BT Enterprise unit director for Scotland Alan Lees said: “With most people now using mobile phones, it’s led to a huge drop in the number of calls made from payphones.
“At the same time, mobile coverage has improved significantly in recent years due to investment in masts, particularly in rural areas.
“We’re currently rationalising our payphone estate to make it fit for the future, and the ‘Adopt a Kiosk’ scheme makes it possible for local communities in across Scotland to retain their local phone box, with a refreshed purpose for the community.”
More details can be found online.
The full list of payphones currently available for adoption in Shetland is as follows:
| ZE1 0BD | Post Office, Commercial St, Lerwick, Shetland, Scotland |
| ZE2 9JX | Gulberwick, Shetland, Scotland |
| ZE2 9JU | Post Office, Shirva, Fair Isle, Shetland, Scotland |
| ZE2 9PE | Walls, Shetland, Scotland |
| ZE2 9NP | Outside Post Office, Bridge of Walls, Shetland, Scotland |
| ZE2 9NS | Hockland, Bridge of Walls, Shetland, Scotland |
| ZE2 9LT | Tresta, Shetland, Scotland |
| ZE2 9NB | Outside Aith Post Office, Aith, Shetland, Scotland |
| ZE2 9NA | Outside Post Office, Bixter, Shetland, Scotland |
| ZE2 9LT | Outside Post Office, Tresta, Shetland, Scotland |
| ZE2 9EL | Outside Post Office, Bressay, Shetland, Scotland |
| ZE2 9ER | At Kirkabister PCO1, Bressay, Shetland, Scotland |
| ZE2 9LQ | At Nethersound, Weisdale, Shetland, Scotland |
| ZE2 9LD | Outside Post Office, Bridge-End, Shetland, Scotland |
| ZE2 9LX | Near Old Chapel / Sand Bixter, Shetland, Scotland |
| ZE2 9NJ | Outside Post Office, Reawick, Shetland, Scotland |
| ZE2 9NL | Outside Post Office, Westerskeld, Shetland, Scotland |
| ZE2 9PL | Outside Post Office, Sandness, Shetland, Scotland |
| ZE1 0UY | Junction Meadowfield Crescent, Meadowfield Rd, Scalloway, Shetland, Scotland |
| ZE2 9PP | Benston, Skellister, Shetland, Scotland |
| ZE2 9PR | Brettabister, Shetland, Scotland |
| ZE2 9RW | Outside Post Office, Hillswick, Shetland, Scotland |
| ZE2 9RD | Sullom, Shetland, Scotland |
| ZE2 9QG | Brae, Shetland, Scotland |
| ZE2 9RY | Outside Post Office, North Roe, Shetland, Scotland |
| ZE2 9RX | At junction near to Leon, Ollaberry, Shetland, Scotland |
| ZE2 9AL | Outside Old Post Office, Brough, Shetland, Scotland |
| ZE2 9QB | Near Post Office, Vidlin, Shetland, Scotland |
| ZE2 9PT | Outside Hall, Voe, Shetland, Scotland |
| ZE2 9JA | Bigton, Shetland, Scotland |
| ZE3 9JN | Adjacent to Shelter Grutness Pier, Sumburgh Sumburgh, Virkie, Shetland, Scotland |
| ZE2 9HB | Car Park, Cunningsburgh, Shetland, Scotland |
| ZE2 9DA | Camb, Shetland, Scotland |
| ZE2 9DP | Outside Post Office, Baltasound, Shetland, Scotland |
| ZE2 9AY | Post Office, Burravoe, Shetland, Scotland |
| ZE2 9DF | Outside Post Office, Gutcher, Shetland, Scotland |
| ZE2 9DG | Junction Sellafirth & Gutcher Rds Sellafirth, Shetland, Scotland |
| ZE2 9BH | Outside Old Post Office, West Sandwick, Shetland, Scotland |
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