 ORKNEY ISLANDS FERRIES TICKET RESERVATIONS |
Booking your Orkney Islands ferries ticket online is safe and secure.
Simply select your outward and return routes below, enter the number of passengers then click 'Get Price' and follow the onscreen help from there.
If you are not certain of the port name in your destination country click here for country specific ferry route information or click anywhere on the ferry route map below to view an interavtive map of all Orkney Islands ferry routes.
When booking your ferry ticket online a booking reference will be sent to you by email. On arrival at the port of departure present the booking reference number together with a photo ID and you will be given your ferry tickets.
The Orkney Islands is an island group in northern Scotland, situated 10 miles (16 km) north of the coast of Caithness. Orkney comprises over 70 islands; around 20 are inhabited. The largest island, known as "the Mainland," has an area of 202 sq mi (523 km²), making it the sixth-largest Scottish island and the ninth-largest island surrounding the island of Great Britain. The largest settlement and administrative centre is Kirkwall.
The Orkney ISlands is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, a constituency of the Scottish Parliament, a lieutenancy area, and a former county. The local council is Orkney Islands Council, the only Council in Scotland in which all the elected members are independent.
The Orkney Islands has been inhabited for at least 5,500 years. Originally inhabited by neolithic tribes and then by the Picts, The Orkney Islands was invaded and finally annexed by Norway in 875 and settled by the Norse. It was subsequently annexed to the Scottish Crown in 1472, following the failed payment of a dowry agreement.
The Orkney Islands contain some of the oldest and best-preserved Neolithic sites in Europe, and the "Heart of Neolithic Orkney" is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Mainland is the largest island of Orkney. Both of Orkney's burghs, Kirkwall and Stromness, are on this island, which is also the heart of Orkney's transportation system, with ferry and air connections to the other islands and to the outside world. The island is more densely populated (75% of Orkney's population) than the other islands and has much fertile farmland. The name Mainland is a corruption of the Old Norse 'Meginland'.
Kirkwall lies on a narrow strip of land between West Mainland (the major portion) and East Mainland. The island is mostly low-lying (especially East Mainland), but with coastal cliffs to the north and west and two sizeable lochs. Mainland contains the remnants of numerous Neolithic, Pictish and Viking constructions. The Neolithic constructions include two major stone circles; Standing Stones of Stenness and the Ring of Brodgar; several cairns, most notably Maeshowe; and a stone-built settlement Skara Brae.
With two exceptions, the other islands in the group are classified as north or south of the Mainland. The exceptions are the remote islets of Sule Skerry and Sule Stack, which lie 37 miles (60 km) west of the archipelago, but officially form part of the Orkney Islands.
With the largest selection of ferry routes and operators orkney-ferries.com is able to offer you the lowest ferry fares with online reservations on all ferries sailing from over twenty six different countries across Europe including ferries to and from Scotland, Ireland, Wales, France, Germany, Holland, Spain, Italy, Greece, Russia, Estonia, Sweden, Norway, Belgium and the UK.
Book your Orkney Islands ferry tickets to and from the UK, Ireland, France, Italy, Germany, Holland and Spain online in advance to benefit from exclusive online discounts of on all major ferry operators including P&O, Stenaline, Brittany Ferries, Seafrance and Irish Ferries.
