• Fishing in Orkney - image by Colin Keldie

Fishing

With large lochs stocked with canny brown trout, more than a hundred miles of sea trout shoreline, and the promise of a day’s exciting sea angling, it’s no wonder Orkney welcomes anglers of all ages during the fishing season.

There are six main lochs on the Orkney mainland that offer excellent, and free, fishing. The Harray Loch is one of the very best, stretching to over 2500 acres full of skerries, bays and shallows. The others - Swannay, Boardhouse and Hundland in the north-west, Stenness next door to the Harray Loch, and Kirbister in Orphir - each have their own characteristics offering plenty of variety for visitors.

For anglers keen to island hop during their time in Orkney, the North and Bea Lochs in Sanday are well worth the ferry journey or flight.

Sea trout fishing in Orkney is more of a challenge, but for anyone willing to put the time and effort in, the rewards can make it all worthwhile. Prime locations include the Bay of Firth, Finstown Brig, Inganess Bay, Scapa and Waulkmill.

Ghillies and a small number of boats are available to hire, and the Orkney Trout Fishing Association website offers excellent advice on the best locations, flies, and conditions to give yourself the best chance of a successful day or two on the water. The site also highlights the hard work that goes into preservation of stocks across the islands.

If you're interested in sea angling in the waters around Orkney, visit the Orkney Sea Angling Association website for more information.

We can’t promise tight lines all the time, but we’re sure you’ll be hooked on Orkney’s angling hotspots nonetheless. You’ll also receive a warm welcome and advice (along with a few ‘ones that got away’ tales) from our local fishing community.