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A mini guide to
North Isles: Rousay, Westray & beyond: getting there
Stops, stations and how to reach North Isles: Rousay, Westray & beyond
Stops and stations
Getting to North Isles: Rousay, Westray & beyond
Choose the stop closest to where you are going.
| Stop or station | Services | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Tingwall pier | Orkney Ferries | Short crossings to Rousay, Egilsay and Wyre |
| Kirkwall pier | Orkney Ferries | Ferries to Westray, Papa Westray, Sanday, Eday, Stronsay and North Ronaldsay |
| Kirkwall Airport | Loganair inter-isles | Flights to Westray, Papa Westray, Eday, Stronsay, Sanday and North Ronaldsay |
Walking from nearby areas
- Kirkwall & central Mainland: 29.5 km from North Isles: Rousay, Westray & beyond, better by public transport
- Stromness & the West Mainland: 32.6 km from North Isles: Rousay, Westray & beyond, better by public transport
- Scapa Flow, the South Isles & Hoy: 44.6 km from North Isles: Rousay, Westray & beyond, better by public transport
Reaching Orkney
Official travel information
Orkney is reached by ferry from Caithness or Aberdeen, or by Loganair flights to Kirkwall. Crossing and flight times below are the approximate figures published by Visit Orkney; always check the operator for current times, fares and weather disruption.
- Visit Orkney (orkney.com) → — the official visitor site
- NorthLink Ferries → — Scrabster, Aberdeen and Lerwick sailings
- Pentland Ferries → — Gills Bay to St Margaret's Hope
- Orkney Ferries → — inter-island ferries
- Loganair: Orkney inter-isles → — flights to six North Isles
- Orkney Islands Council: bus services → — timetables and weather warnings
- Historic Environment Scotland → — tickets for Skara Brae and Maeshowe
Times, fares and disruption change: use the operator pages above for live information.
Plan your journey here
Enter your starting point and Google Maps will show routes to North Isles: Rousay, Westray & beyond. Public transport is selected; change it on the map. Check operator sites for live disruption.
While you are here
Things to see in North Isles: Rousay, Westray & beyond
A few of the sights in the area. The Things to do page lists them all, with directions and official links.
Holland Farm
Laird's farm on Papa Westray built in the early 1800s, with a threshing barn, kiln, smithy, dovecote and the Bothy Museum.
Quoyness Chambered Cairn
Sanday tomb about 5,000 years old, entered by crawling along a 9-metre passage into a central chamber still 4 metres high.
Vinquoy Chambered Cairn
Chambered cairn on Vinquoy Hill in the north of Eday, a scheduled monument.
Orkney
More areas to explore
Kirkwall & central Mainland
Orkney's main town: St Magnus Cathedral, the palaces, the Orkney Museum and Neolithic tombs close by
Open the mini guide →
Stromness & the West Mainland
Skara Brae, Maeshowe and the stone circles, Stromness harbour and the cliffs of Birsay and Yesnaby
Open the mini guide →
Scapa Flow, the South Isles & Hoy
The Italian Chapel and Churchill Barriers, St Margaret's Hope, and Hoy's hills, Old Man and wartime Lyness
Open the mini guide →Photo credits
- Holm of Papa Westray Chambered Cairn: hayley green, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- North Isles: Rousay, Westray & beyond (area photo): MichaelMaggs, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Holland Farm: Rob Burke, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Quoyness Chambered Cairn: Callum Black, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Vinquoy Chambered Cairn: Chris Downer, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Kirkwall & central Mainland: Robert Scarth, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Stromness & the West Mainland: Dr. John F. Burka, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Scapa Flow, the South Isles & Hoy: Gregory J Kingsley, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Photos from Wikimedia Commons, used under the licences shown. All photo credits
Keep exploring Orkney