Dunnet Head and Orkney Scotland

Day 38/Scotland 15

Travelled: 96km on land, 30km by ferry from Gills Bay to Saint Margaret’s Hope Orkney Islands with Pentland Ferries £91 (2 adults and motorhome 6-8m)

Stay: Sands O’Wright,Orkney - free parking at a pretty bay beach. N58.8263 W3.0016

Visited: Dunnet Head, Castletown (mainland), Hoxa Head (Orkney)

After our morning coffee we drove 30mins west to Dunnet Head. Here stands a lighthouse (and fog horn) built in 1831 on the most northerly point in mainland Great Britain. Being such a strategic point, the military used it as a base during WWII to protect Scapa Flow, the waters between the mainland and Orkney Islands.

 We then travelled a little bit further west to Castletown and found out about the flagstone trade that was once here by following the interpretive signs down to the little harbour. The stone was even imported to Australia! 

We then made our way back to Gills Bay ferry terminal to await our 1:30pm departure to Saint Margaret’s Hope terminal on one of Orkney’s many islands, South Ronaldsay. We had pre-booked our journey the day before through Pentland Ferries. 

Mark had to reverse on and then we relaxed on board for just over an hour to cross the sometime turbulent waters of Pentland Firth. Luckily our trip was quite smooth but unfortunately the weather was the same...wet. 

We decided to drive down to the southern end of this island to Burwick, which has a foot passenger only terminal for ferries to John o’Groats.

This is to fellow Aussie motorhomers currently in Ireland- Mike and Pam, we have also experienced great roads in Orkney with a grassy middle strip!

 As there was not much else here we decided to head back north to Hoxa Head. We put our wet weather gear on and went to explore the old military Battery complex built here in WWII. We also enjoyed the lovely cliffs and views across to Flotta Island which also has a Battery and an Oil Terminal.

 We then went back to Sands o’Wright Bay parking up with a few other motorhomes to spend the night.