Ferries to Kirkwall
Ferries from Kirkwall to Aberdeen and Lerwick, operated by Northlink Ferries.
Ferry routes from Kirkwall
Every route from Kirkwall at a glance.
Route map
Ports and terminals
Kirkwall
Town port
- Terminals
- Hatston Ferry Terminal, Hatston Quay, KW15 1RQ (Stadtbuero Kiln Corner, Ayre Road, KW15 1QX)
- Location
- Kirkwall, Orkney, Schottland
- Waters
- Nordsee
Kirkwall is the main town of Orkney and the intermediate stop on the northern route between the Scottish mainland and Shetland. From here you can reach Aberdeen and Lerwick. Together the routes add up to as many as 4 departures a day. Crossings take between 5.5 and 6 hours. The port is served by Northlink Ferries.
Getting there and the terminal
The ferries do not leave from the old harbour of Kirkwall but from Hatston Ferry Terminal, Hatston Quay, KW15 1RQ, around two miles outside the centre, where the bus station is. Stagecoach connects Kirkwall and Stromness with the terminal and serves the evening arrivals; a taxi should be booked in advance. There is free short-stay parking right at the terminal building, and the equally free long-stay parking run by Orkney Islands Council lies 500 metres away by the vehicle check-in building. In town, NorthLink runs an office on Ayre Road (Kiln Corner, KW15 1QX) for tickets and information, weekdays from 9am to 5pm; there is no check-in there.
Check-in
Check-in opens 90 minutes before departure and closes 30 minutes before departure. With a vehicle you have to be there one hour before departure. Allow plenty of time for the way to Hatston: the ship does not lie over for the night but sails on to Aberdeen or Lerwick after the call.
Timetable
Departures and arrivals for ferries to and from Kirkwall