Orkney ferry guide: Scrabster to Stromness, plus the inter-island hops
Getting a motorhome to Orkney means a real sea crossing, and getting further out to Papa Westray means the shortest scheduled flight in the world. Here is how both legs actually work, from a family who has done them.
The short answer
The main crossing for a motorhome is Scrabster to Stromness, a short hop across the Pentland Firth onto Orkney’s mainland. From there, inter-island ferries and one very short flight get you as far out as Papa Westray, where the hop from Westray holds the record for the world’s shortest scheduled flight.
We drove our motorhome onto the ferry at Scrabster and off again at Stromness on our 2025 trip, which was our point of entry and exit for the whole Orkney leg. Once we were there, we went further than most visitors do: an overnight stop on Papa Westray, reached the proper way, by flying.
Scrabster to Stromness
The crossing that gets your motorhome onto Orkney
Scrabster Ferry Terminal sits right at the top of the Scottish mainland, and it was our departure point for Orkney. The crossing to Stromness takes you across the Pentland Firth, one of the more notorious stretches of water round the UK coast, so it is worth keeping an eye on the forecast before you sail. Stromness itself was our point of entry and exit for the entire Orkney leg of the trip, and it is a proper harbour town worth an hour of your time either side of the crossing.
Book your vehicle space ahead of time if you are travelling in summer. A motorhome takes up a proper chunk of deck space and the popular sailings do sell out, so this is not one to leave to chance once you are already on the NC500.
The inter-island hops
Kirkwall, Westray and out to Papa Westray
Orkney’s mainland is only the start. To get out to Papa Westray we left our motorhome and travelled on, staying overnight at the lovely Papa Westray Hostel after visiting the Knap of Howar, the remains of two Neolithic houses, and St Boniface Kirk. Papa Westray Airport was our departure point the next day, for a flight that lasted barely long enough to notice.
After landing at Westray Airport, we stopped for a cup of tea at Richans Retreat before catching the ferry from Rapness Orkney Ferry Terminal back to Kirkwall, closing the loop on the islands before heading back to Stromness for the crossing home.
The world's shortest scheduled flight
Westray to Papa Westray
This is a genuine record, not a marketing line. The flight between Westray and Papa Westray covers under two miles and, gate to gate, can be over in around two minutes, sometimes less with a following wind. We flew it as part of our 2025 trip, calling it “the world’s shortest flight trip” in our own notes, and Papa Westray Airport had us in and out in just over 24 hours.
It is a genuine novelty and a real answer to a question people ask: yes, the world’s shortest scheduled flight is a real Orkney inter-island hop, and yes, you can fly it yourself if you are up that way.
Ferry questions we get asked
Can you take a motorhome on the ferry to Orkney?
Yes. We took our own motorhome across on the Scrabster to Stromness crossing as part of our 2025 trip. Book ahead for the summer sailings, as vehicle space is limited and does sell out.
How do you get from Orkney to Papa Westray?
We flew the short inter-island hop from Papa Westray to Westray, then caught the ferry from Rapness back to Kirkwall. You can also do it the other way round, or travel out entirely by inter-island ferry, if you would rather leave the motorhome on the mainland and travel light.
What is the world's shortest scheduled flight?
The hop between Westray and Papa Westray in Orkney holds the record. Gate to gate it can be over in about two minutes, sometimes under with a following wind, covering under two miles between the islands. We flew it ourselves in 2025.
Do you need to book the Orkney ferry in advance?
For a motorhome or campervan, yes, especially in summer. Vehicle spaces on the Scrabster to Stromness crossing are limited and the popular sailings fill up, so it is worth booking well before you set off up the NC500.
Written by Steve and Lyndsay Radford. Every stop named here is a real pin from our own 2025 Orkney Road Trip. Roaming Radfords is a trading name of Yowzer Limited.