Gills Bay - St Margaret's Hope
Ferries to Orkney Islands
Gills Bay - St Margaret's Hope
Ferries to Orkney Islands
Connecting the small harbour of Gills Bay in the north of Scotland with the village of St Margaret’s Hope on the Orkney Islands, this ferry route provides an essential link between Scotland and the Orkneys. From Gills Bay, a small harbour located near to the community of Gills, and is one of the longest stretches of low lying rock coast, which is why this harbour is one of the busiest harbours in the area, to the village of St Margaret’s Hope, located on the island of South Ronaldsay, and is a small village that is known primarily for the Festival of the Horse, that is held every year, and is also connected to the mainland of Orkney by a single road.
With up to 3 ferries running per day on this route, provided by 1 ferry operator, and with sail times of around 1 hour, there is no shortage of ferries to choose from, so book now with Direct Ferries, to find the best ferry at the best price for you.
Gills Bay to St Margaret’s Hope sailing durations and frequency may vary from season to season, and from month to month, so we’d advise doing a live check to get the most up to date information.
More routes than anyone else.
Compare fares, times & routes in one place.
Change plans easily with flexi tickets.
Book e-tickets & manage trips in-app.
Live ship tracking & real-time updates.
Top-rated customer support when you need it.
| Gills Bay - St Margaret's Hope Route summary | ||
|---|---|---|
| Departure Country | UK | |
| Destination Country | UK | |
| No. of Operators | 1 | |
| Operators | Pentland Ferries | |
| Average Price | $221* | |
| Average Daily Sailings | 3 | |
| Average Weekly Sailings | 20 | |
| Average Sailing Duration | 1h 15m | |
| First Ferry | 09:30 | |
| Last Ferry | 18:45 | |
| Distance | 16 nautical miles | |
* Prices subject to change, pricing is taken from last 30 days, last updated 2024-11-05.
Most well known locally for the seals that are often found lying on the rocks, Gill’s Bay is found on the north coast of Scotland and serves as a gateway between mainland Scotland and the islands laying to its north. The pier is one of the prominent features of the area, providing the entrance for Pentland Ferries to operate among the docks. In recent times it has become the most commonly used departure point from the mainland across the Short Sea Crossing to the islands of Stroma, Swona and Orkney. The crossing is generally considered the quickest and safest way to get across the waters of Pentland Firth. The sailings on the ferry route run throughout the year and are thought to be a very reliable and comfortable service. Whilst in the area, it is thought to be worthwhile exploring the local wildlife; seals, wild dogs, porpoises are all often spotted among the rocks, whilst even a basking shark has been seen on occasion.
