Ferries from
Orkney Islands to Scotland
Ferries from
Orkney Islands to Scotland
Ferries from Orkney Islands to Scotland are available with 2 operators. There are 3 ferry routes. Ferries from St Margaret's Hope to Gills Bay and Stromness to Scrabster are popular ferry trips from Orkney Islands to Scotland. Sailing frequency can change throughout the year and often sailings increase during peak season.
Ferries from Orkney Islands to Scotland sail approximately 40 times per week and are provided by Northlink Ferries & Pentland Ferries.
Orkney Islands to Scotland ferry time ranges between 1 hour 15 minutes and 8 hours 15 minutes depending on the ferry route, operator, and ship.
The fastest ferry from Orkney Islands to Scotland is in 1 hour 15 minutes on the St Margaret's Hope to Gills Bay ferry with Pentland Ferries.
Yes, you can travel on a car ferry from Orkney Islands to Scotland with Northlink Ferries & Pentland Ferries.
The distance between Orkney Islands and Scotland is 19.1 miles (30.7km) and 16.6 nautical miles.
Orkney Islands to Scotland ferry prices can vary by route, operator, season, vehicle type and whether you are sailing on a high-speed ferry or conventional ferry.
The St Margaret's Hope to Gills Bay ferry ferry sails approximately 21 times weekly with a crossing time of 1 hour 15 minutes.
Stromness to Scrabster ferry ferries sail about 17 times weekly with a sailing time of 1 hour 30 minutes.
For the best ferry offers, we recommend booking in advance for the cheapest ferry prices and availability. Visit our special offers page to take advantage of all the latest ferry discounts.
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The Orkney Islands are a Scottish archipelago approximately ten miles north of the mainland. They are mysterious islands, the largest of which is simply called ‘Mainland’, due to a millennia-old history embedded into the cultural heritage and landscape. The archipelago’s name dates back to the 1st Century BC, when the land was settled by Mesolithic and Neolithic tribes. Evidence of its past can be seen almost everywhere, with a large number of burial cairns, tombs, brochs and castles scattered across the vast green plains. The abundant wildlife attracts a great number of visitors, too, with a variety of rare bird and mammal species like puffins, seals and Eurasian otter to be found throughout the islands. Given the Orkney’s location between the two, the Shetland Islands, to the north, and the Scottish mainland, to the south, are within easy reach by ferry. Mainland has a couple of ports offering regular routes operated by the region’s leading ferry companies.
Scotland is the Northernmost of the four countries that form the United Kingdom of Great Britain. Surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean to the West and North, the North Sea to the East and across the border to the South you’ll find England. Scotland is a lively and friendly country, rich in history and heritage dating back thousands of years. People flock here to visit not only the beautiful mountains and valleys, rolling hills, forests and rocky coastlines but also for the experiences that Scotland has to offer. Whether you’re looking to play a game of golf at the very place it was invented or to visit one of the many distilleries for some whiskey tasting, Scotland has much to offer any visitor. In terms of arriving by ferry to Scotland, from Northern Ireland there’s a choice of year round services from and to numerous ports with sailings operated by modern and well-equipped ferries. There are no longer any direct ferries from continental Europe to Scotland however there are numerous crossings to England and Ireland that get you close enough.
