There are three car ferry routes to Orkney from mainland Scotland. NorthLink Ferries sails from Scrabster to Stromness and from Aberdeen to Kirkwall, and Pentland Ferries sails from Gills Bay to St Margaret's Hope on South Ronaldsay. The two short crossings over the Pentland Firth take 90 minutes and 1 hour 10 minutes. The Aberdeen sailing is a longer evening trip on the ships that carry on to Shetland.
I went through both operators' own websites on 13 November 2026 and set out below what each says about crossing times, sailings, fares, vehicles, foot passengers, pets and check-in.
The ferries to Orkney at a glance
| Route | Operator | Crossing time | Sailings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scrabster–Stromness | NorthLink Ferries | 90 minutes | Up to 3 a day each way |
| Gills Bay–St Margaret's Hope | Pentland Ferries | 1 hour 10 minutes | 3 a day each way |
| Aberdeen–Kirkwall | NorthLink Ferries | Leaves Aberdeen 17:00, arrives Hatston 23:00 | Certain days of the week |
Pentland Ferries sails every day of the week on its timetable. NorthLink's Scrabster timetable changes with the season, and the Aberdeen ships only call at Orkney on some days, so check the dates you want before you plan the rest of the trip.
Scrabster to Stromness with NorthLink
NorthLink says MV Hamnavoe "travels from Scrabster at the very north of Mainland Scotland to Stromness in the Orkney islands", with the journey taking 90 minutes. The distance by sea is 30 miles. NorthLink's Scrabster port page says the ferry sails up to 3 times a day from Scrabster and up to 3 times a day from Stromness.
The timetable has three patterns for 2026. On peak dates, sailings leave Scrabster at 08:45, 13:15 and 19:00. On weekend dates they leave Scrabster at 12:00 and 19:00, and on off-peak dates at 08:45 and 19:00. The first sailing of the day is from Stromness and the last is from Scrabster, and the ship docks overnight in Stromness.
Scrabster is on the north coast near Thurso. NorthLink says Scrabster Ferry Terminal is located 1½ miles from Thurso, and that Thurso is 112 miles from Inverness. In Stromness, NorthLink says buses stop opposite the ferry terminal, and the main bus route runs to Kirkwall, a distance of 16 miles, passing Stenness for Maeshowe, the Ring of Brodgar and the Standing Stones of Stenness.
What you see on the way
This is the crossing for the Old Man of Hoy. NorthLink says it "is the only ferry crossing to Orkney which passes the Old Man of Hoy and St John's Head", and calls the sea stack "usually the first landmark visitors can tick off their bucket list".
On board MV Hamnavoe
NorthLink lists The Feast Restaurant, a shop, the Magnus Lounge, a children's play area called the Vikling's Den and free wi-fi in the public areas and cabins. In summer drinks are served in the bar; in winter, NorthLink says, drinks can be bought in The Feast. Magnus Lounge access on this route was £7.50 in NorthLink's 2026 fares.
Cabins aren't available on the daytime crossing, but NorthLink's Hamnavoe B&B lets you sleep on board in Stromness the night before the morning sailing to Scrabster. NorthLink gives it as "Bed and Breakfast from £53.00 per cabin" for an Inner 2 berth cabin in low or mid season, with up to 2 breakfasts per cabin and no passenger or vehicle fare included.
NorthLink says it "is the only ferry crossing to Orkney which passes the Old Man of Hoy and St John's Head", and calls the sea stack "usually the first landmark visitors can tick off their bucket list".
Gills Bay to St Margaret's Hope with Pentland Ferries
Pentland Ferries sails across the Pentland Firth "from Gills Bay in Caithness to St Margaret's Hope in South Ronaldsay, Orkney". Its timetable gives the journey time as 1 hour 10 min, and its home page puts it as "in just over an hour".
There are three sailings a day each way, Monday to Sunday. From Gills Bay they leave at 09:30, 13:30 and 18:45. From St Margaret's Hope they leave at 07:45, 11:30 and 17:00.
Pentland says the crossing runs on MV Alfred or MV Pentalina, its purpose-built car and passenger ferries, with spacious seating areas, a café and outdoor seating. Gills Bay is 4 miles west of John O'Groats, and Pentland gives the satnav postcode as KW1 4YB. Pentland says the drive from Inverness to Gills Bay takes approximately 2½ hours.
At the Orkney end, Pentland says it is a 20-minute car journey from St Margaret's Hope across the Churchill Barriers to Mainland Orkney, with the Italian Chapel on Lamb Holm on the way. There's also an X1 bus between St Margaret's Hope and Kirkwall, run by Stagecoach.
What you see on the way
Pentland's journey page describes the islands of Stroma and Swona, seals on their shores, and the whirlpools and eddies of the Pentland Firth. It also says that, passing Swona, you can look to the left of Hoy "and you may spot the famous rock stack, the Old Man of Hoy". Later you pass the gun towers and lookout posts at Hoxa Head before the ship turns into St Margaret's Hope.
Aberdeen to Kirkwall with NorthLink
NorthLink's other route to Orkney uses MV Hrossey and MV Hjaltland, "the same ferries which sail to and from Shetland but on certain days of the week they stop at Hatston (outside Kirkwall)". The distance by sea from Aberdeen to Hatston is 154 miles.
Northbound, NorthLink says the ship leaves Aberdeen at 17:00 and arrives in Hatston at 23:00, before carrying on to Shetland at 23:45, and passengers arriving in Hatston must get off on arrival. Southbound, the ship from Shetland arrives at Hatston at 23:00 and reaches Aberdeen at 07:00 the next morning.
For 1 November to 31 December 2026, NorthLink's timetable shows the Kirkwall call northbound on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, and southbound on Wednesday and Friday. On the other days the ships sail direct between Aberdeen and Lerwick.
The Aberdeen terminal is at Jamieson's Quay. NorthLink says it is directly over the road from Union Square Shopping Centre and a five-minute walk from the bus and train stations.
On the overnight Kirkwall to Aberdeen trip, NorthLink recommends booking a cabin, sleeping pod or reclining seat. It says sailings from Aberdeen to Kirkwall "depart in the early evening, and arrive at 23:00 so a cabin is not essential".
Fares
These are the single fares each operator was showing when I checked on 13 November 2026.
NorthLink, Scrabster to Stromness (2026 low season): £22.10 for an adult, £11.20 for a child aged 5–15, infants free, and £72.00 for a car under 6m long. Bicycles go free.
NorthLink, Aberdeen to Kirkwall (2026 low season): £27.50 for an adult, £13.75 for a child, and £108.00 for a car under 6m long. Reclining seats were £3.50, sleeping pods £18.00 and an Inner 2 berth cabin £78.00.
NorthLink's low season runs from 7 January to 23 March and 1 November to 17 December, with higher mid and peak prices at other times. NorthLink says "A return fare is double the price of a single fare. The driver is not included in the price of vehicles. Cabin prices are per room, not per person." Senior citizens aged 60 and over, people in full-time education and passengers with a disability get a 10% discount on passenger and vehicle fares.
Pentland Ferries, Gills Bay to St Margaret's Hope (fares from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027): £23 for an adult, £11 for a child aged 5–15, children up to 5 free, and £55 for a car, not including the driver. Dogs and cycles travel free. Pentland says "All fares quoted are for one way only. To work out your return fare, please double the fares shown above."
Pentland adds that if you book direct it doesn't charge an amendment fee, and you get a full refund if you cancel 18 hours before travel.
Taking a car, motorbike or motorhome
All three routes carry vehicles. NorthLink says it is happy to transport cars (petrol, diesel, hybrid and electric), motorhomes, vans, caravans and other towed vehicles, motorcycles, bicycles and ebikes. It adds that for safety reasons electric and hybrid cars and ebikes cannot be charged on board.
On Scrabster to Stromness, a motorbike was £21.20 in NorthLink's 2026 low season, and a motorhome under 6m long cost the same as a car. Pentland charges £25 for a motorcycle and prices motorhomes and caravans by length, from £55 up to 5m. Pentland says vans over 7m, commercial vehicles and freight can't be booked online.
If you're leaving the car behind, NorthLink says long stay parking at Scrabster is 400m from the terminal and costs £15 per week, or part thereof. In Stromness, long stay parking at the Ferry Road car park is free.
Travelling as a foot passenger
All three crossings take foot passengers. At Scrabster, NorthLink says foot passengers are required to check in at the Scrabster Ferry Terminal, which is on a pier 800m away from the vehicle check-in. On MV Hamnavoe, small items of luggage can be carried on board, and larger items go on a luggage trolley that is driven onto the vehicle deck.
For getting to Scrabster without a car, NorthLink says the X99 bus from Inverness takes just under 4 hours, and the Far North Line train from Inverness to Thurso also takes just under 4 hours. Thurso station is 2 miles from Scrabster, and NorthLink advises pre-booking a taxi. For Gills Bay, Pentland says the nearest train stations are Wick and Thurso and there is "a limited bus service between Inverness and Gills Bay".
Pentland's FAQ says it doesn't need to see any photo ID. It also says under 16s are not allowed to travel unless accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Check-in times
- NorthLink at Scrabster and Stromness: check-in opens 90 minutes before departure (60 minutes for the 06:30 from Stromness). Car drivers are recommended to check in at least one hour before. Check-in closes 30 minutes before departure.
- NorthLink at Aberdeen: check-in opens 120 minutes before departure, and 90 minutes before at Hatston. NorthLink says "if you have not checked in at least 30 minutes prior to departure you will not be allowed on board."
- Pentland Ferries: the latest check-in is 30 minutes before the scheduled departure, and Pentland says space may be reallocated and boarding refused after that. Wheelchair passengers must check in 45 minutes before departure.
Taking a dog
NorthLink on MV Hamnavoe has a dog lounge on Deck 6 next to Brinkie's Bar, with space for up to 8 dogs at a time. A place is free, and NorthLink encourages you to reserve one because priority goes to those with a booking. Dogs can also stay in a suitably ventilated vehicle or go with you on the outside deck. NorthLink says there is no access to the kennels or car deck during the 90-minute crossing.
NorthLink on the Aberdeen ships has kennels and pet-friendly cabins, but no dog lounge. A small kennel was £9.85 and a large one £13.10 in the 2026 fares, and there's a £15 supplement for each pet staying in a pet-friendly cabin. Only support dogs are allowed in the ships' internal public areas.
Pentland Ferries carries dogs free. Its FAQ says MV Alfred has a dog-friendly indoor sun deck lounge and MV Pentalina has an inside dog-friendly area, or you can sit outside or leave dogs in vehicles on the car deck.
Winter and dry dock sailings
NorthLink says it "will operate an amended service on routes to Orkney and Shetland as passenger ships undergo scheduled maintenance at dry dock during January, February and March 2027". Over Christmas, there will be no Scrabster to Stromness sailings on 25 and 26 December 2026 or on 1 and 2 January 2027, and no Aberdeen sailings on 24, 25 and 31 December 2026 or 1 January 2027.
NorthLink also points out that adverse weather can affect sailing times in winter, and says that if you give a mobile number with your booking you'll be alerted to changes by SMS.
Going on to Shetland
NorthLink also sails from Kirkwall to Lerwick, using the same Aberdeen ships, so you can combine Orkney and Shetland in one trip. See the Aberdeen–Lerwick route and the Scotland ferry routes hub for more.
Questions about the ferry to Orkney
What is the quickest ferry to Orkney?
Pentland Ferries' Gills Bay to St Margaret's Hope crossing takes 1 hour 10 minutes on its timetable. NorthLink's Scrabster to Stromness crossing takes 90 minutes.
Which ferry passes the Old Man of Hoy?
NorthLink says Scrabster to Stromness on MV Hamnavoe is the only ferry crossing to Orkney that passes the Old Man of Hoy and St John's Head. Pentland Ferries says that on its crossing you may spot the Old Man of Hoy to the left of Hoy as you pass Swona.
How much is the ferry to Orkney for a car?
When I checked, Pentland's single fare for a car was £55, not including the driver. NorthLink's 2026 low season single for a car under 6m was £72.00 on Scrabster to Stromness and £108.00 on Aberdeen to Kirkwall, also without the driver.
Can I take a dog on the ferry to Orkney?
Yes, on all three routes. Pentland carries dogs free, and NorthLink has a free dog lounge on MV Hamnavoe, plus kennels and pet-friendly cabins on the Aberdeen ships.
Can I get to Orkney without a car?
Yes. All three routes take foot passengers. The Aberdeen terminal is a five-minute walk from the bus and train stations, and there are buses and trains from Inverness to Thurso for the Scrabster ferry.
Do I need ID for the ferry to Orkney?
Pentland Ferries says it doesn't need to see any ID.
