Ferries to Gills Bay

Gills Bay ferry port lies in Caithness at the very north of Scotland. From here you can reach St Margaret's Hope on Orkney. Up to 6 departures a day appear in the timetable, and the crossing takes around 1.25 hours. The port is served by Pentland Ferries.

Getting there and the terminal

The berth lies around four miles west of John o' Groats. For satnav, Pentland Ferries gives the postcode KW1 4YB. From Inverness the drive takes about two and a half hours: the A9 north, from Latheron the A99 through Wick towards John o' Groats, a good 15 miles further on turn left just past Freswick and then keep right, after a mile and a half left on to the A836 and after about two miles right to the terminal.

Without your own car it gets thin. The nearest railway stations are Wick and Thurso, and only a few Stagecoach buses run between Inverness and Gills Bay, with the connection made on route X99. You can park at the terminal; the areas are covered by CCTV, but you park at your own risk.

Check-in

The latest check-in is 30 minutes before the scheduled departure, and that applies to every single crossing. Wheelchair users should report 45 minutes beforehand so that there is enough time for pre-boarding (Pentland Ferries).