There are many combinations and options of travel you can use to get to Orkney and it is always easier than people think when they see our dots of islands to the north of the UK mainland.

By air – Flybe flights are operated by Loganair from Glasgow (80 minutes), Edinburgh (80 minutes), Inverness (45 minutes), Aberdeen (50 minutes) and Shetland (35 minutes).  There is a summer service to Bergen in Norway.

By sea – There are three main vehicle ferry routes to and from Orkney. Northlink Ferries sail between Lerwick in Shetland, Hatston Pier, Kirkwall and Aberdeen. The northbound ferry travels during the evening from Aberdeen to Kirkwall and onward overnight to Shetland, three to four days a week. The southbound does this in reverse with an overnight journey from Kirkwall to Aberdeen (6 hours).  From Aberdeen you can fly, take the train or bus or drive onwards.  A shorter option is the Northlink Scrabster to Stromness (90 minutes) route with three sailings a day on weekdays and two on Saturdays and Sundays.  A CityLink bus connects with the boat to and from Inverness and trains from Thurso south.  An even quicker option is the Pentland Ferries catamaran from Gill’s Bay, near John o’ Groats to St Margaret’s Hope in South Ronaldsay (1 hour).  A foot ferry from John o’Groats to Burwick in South Ronaldsay with John o’Groats Ferries has a direct bus link to Inverness. It also operates day trips around Orkney. If you sail here in your own boat there are berths in Orkney marinas in Kirkwall, Stromness and Westray and anchorages in other isles.