Why Orkney Harbours

Hatston pier just outside Orkney’s capital Kirkwall, is Scotland’s longest deep-water commercial berth, and attracts oil and gas support vessels, some of the world’s largest cruise shipping, freight and passenger ferry services and a sheltered berthing facility with extensive quay space for short term operational and maintenance activity for the marine renewable industry.

Vessel Traffic Services are provided 24 hours a day from the Harbour Authority’s HQ at Scapa, and five Class 1 pilots are on a continuous roster to safely berth and anchor the considerable number of large crude oil, LPG and LNG tankers that conduct Ship to Ship operations in Scapa Flow. A ground-breaking ballast water management policy is in force in Scapa Flow to provide every protection to the sensitive eco systems in pristine Orkney waters.