Scrabster to Stromness Ferry

The Scrabster Stromness ferry route connects Scotland with Orkney Islands. Currently there is just the 1 ferry company operating this ferry service, Northlink Ferries. The crossing operates up to 21 times each week with sailing durations from around 1 hour 30 minutes.

Scrabster Stromness sailing durations and frequency may vary from season to season so we’d advise doing a live check to get the most up to date information.

Scrabster - Stromness Ferry Operators

  • Northlink Ferries
    • 3 Sailings Daily 1 hr 30 min
    • Get price

Scrabster Stromness Average Prices

Prices shown represent the average one way price paid by our customers. The most common booking on the Scrabster Stromness route is a car and 2 passengers.

Scrabster Guide

The small town of Scrabster is located on Thurso Bay in Caithness, on the Scottish north east coast. It is situated around 2 km from Thurso, 26 km from Wick and 180 km from Inverness. The town's harbour was the base for a ferry operation that carried military explosives to Scapa Flow during the Second World War. The service continued until 1945 and was operated using a 40 ft King's Lynn pilotcutter, named Mermaid, which was built in 1908. Following the war the harbour has continued to play an important role in the town's growth and prosperity. It is the most northerly port on the Scottish mainland and is an important fishing port. For several decades it was also the port of choice for the Queen and her family when they disembarked from the Royal Yacht Britannia every August when they visited the Queen Mother at her Highland home, Castle of Mey, 11 miles from Scrabster. Today, visitors can follow in their footsteps, as the Castle is open to visitors.

Ferries from the port depart to Stromness in Orkney.

Stromness Guide

Located in the south west of Orkney, in Scotland, Stromness is a town and sea port that is centred around its main street which is characterised by houses and shops built from local stone. The town can trace its history back to the 16th century where records show that an inn was located on the site of the current town. During the 17th century the town became increasingly important when England was at war with France. The town's quays and harbour are located to the north of the town and are now accessed by a new coastal road which has alleviated the amount of harbour traffic in the northern parts of the town.

There is a ferry service from Stromness to the Scottish mainland via the port of Scrabster and operates around three times each day with a crossing time of around 1 hour and 30 minutes.