Stays · Destination Guide
Descend through cold, clear history onto the warships of Scapa Flow
Accommodation listings are not available for this destination yet. Use the local planning notes to choose your base.
Most visitors reach Orkney by Loganair flight to Kirkwall Airport or by car ferry from mainland Scotland. For a Stromness-based dive week, the NorthLink crossing from Scrabster arrives directly in Stromness and is often the cleanest option for bulky personal equipment. The Gills Bay to St Margaret's Hope route is shorter but leaves a cross-island drive, while the Aberdeen to Kirkwall sailing avoids the far-north road journey. Flights connect Kirkwall with Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness, with a seasonal Dundee and London Heathrow link described by the destination authority. Build a weather buffer into separate tickets and never schedule a flight too close to the final dive. Confirm dive-equipment and cylinder rules directly with the carrier before departure.
Stromness is compact and walkable, but a vehicle gives the greatest flexibility for the Churchill Barriers, airport, West Mainland archaeology and ferry terminals. Car hire and taxis operate from Kirkwall and Stromness, while public buses serve many major Mainland sights.