Guide to Scottish Islands |
Page Updated 30/01/2018
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Scotland has numerous inhabited islands - and vastly more uninhabited. Island life is different to the Mainland and every Island has its own particular quirks. Many of the larger Islands have distilleries, and all are spectacular. For the cyclist the main way of getting to an Island is by ferry, and the majority of the ferries are run by Caledonian MacBrayne - known throughout Scotland as CalMac, so access to their timetable booklet or an online version of it is vital to Island exploration. A few other ferry operators ply between some of the smaller west coast islands, but are all listed in the CalMac timetable. The site Ships of CalMac contains a wealth of information about the ships plying the routes and the routes themselves.
For the Orkneys and Shetlands Northlink Ferries operates the ferries from Scrabster to Stromness (Orkney) and Aberdeen to Kirkwall (Orkney) and Lerwick (Shetland). Inter-island services in the Orkneys and Shetlands are run by the respective Island Councils. There are two other routes run by private operators between the Orkneys and the Mainland - Gills Bay to St Margaret's Hope (Pentland Ferries) and John O'Groats to Burwick (John O'Groats Ferry). The latter doesn't accommodate cars but does take bikes - it only operates between May and September.
The other alternative is air, quicker but more expensive - for both Orkneys and Shetlands and Orkney inter-island flights see Logan Air or Flybe sites. Shetland inter-island flights are operated by Direct Flight. Flights to Orkney and Shetland are from Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen or Inverness and also Orkney (Kirkwall) to Shetland (Sumburgh). Logan Air/Flybe and Hebridean Air Services provide flights to some west coast islands.
For the Orkneys and Shetlands Northlink Ferries operates the ferries from Scrabster to Stromness (Orkney) and Aberdeen to Kirkwall (Orkney) and Lerwick (Shetland). Inter-island services in the Orkneys and Shetlands are run by the respective Island Councils. There are two other routes run by private operators between the Orkneys and the Mainland - Gills Bay to St Margaret's Hope (Pentland Ferries) and John O'Groats to Burwick (John O'Groats Ferry). The latter doesn't accommodate cars but does take bikes - it only operates between May and September.
The other alternative is air, quicker but more expensive - for both Orkneys and Shetlands and Orkney inter-island flights see Logan Air or Flybe sites. Shetland inter-island flights are operated by Direct Flight. Flights to Orkney and Shetland are from Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen or Inverness and also Orkney (Kirkwall) to Shetland (Sumburgh). Logan Air/Flybe and Hebridean Air Services provide flights to some west coast islands.
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