Why Orkney Harbours

Orkney’s geographical location at 59 degrees north and on the main shipping routes from the Baltic region, the North sea, Trans-Atlantic commercial shipping routes and the north Atlantic periphery neighbours is a unique attraction for both oil and gas and marine tourism activity. The wide range of commercial and leisure ports within the 29 piers and harbours of the ports estate and Europe’s largest natural harbour Scapa Flow at 125 square miles, provides a diverse range of berthing and anchorage options.

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.