Understanding Tides and Weather Before Island Trips

By Making the Most of a Self-Catering Cottage in Orkney
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22 Sep 2026

Understanding Tides and Weather Before Island Trips

Why Orkney's Weather and Tides Deserve Your Attention

Orkney is a place that rewards preparation. The islands are small, the distances short, and the scenery extraordinary — but the sea and sky have a quiet authority here that visitors quickly learn to respect. A calm morning can turn into a windy afternoon, and a causeway that was dry at breakfast may be under water by teatime. None of this needs to spoil your trip. It simply means that a few minutes spent with a tide table and a forecast each day will pay you back handsomely.

If you are staying at a guest house in Kirkwall, Stromness or one of the smaller islands, your hosts will almost certainly be keeping an eye on conditions themselves. Ask them. Local knowledge is one of the great pleasures of island travel, and it is freely shared.

Reading a Tide Table Without a Degree in Oceanography

A tide table looks intimidating at first glance, but it tells a simple story. For any given day it lists the times of high and low water, and the height of each in metres. Around Orkney you will typically see two highs and two lows in roughly 24 hours and 50 minutes, so the pattern shifts a little each day.

Two terms are worth knowing. Spring tides occur around the new and full moon, when the range between high and low is at its greatest. Neap tides fall in between, with a much smaller range. If you are planning to cross a strand, reach an island at low water, or walk a section of coast that disappears at high tide, spring tides demand far more care.

Note the height, not just the time — a 1.2 metre low may not expose the same route as a 0.4 metre low.
Add a margin of safety and arrive early rather than late.
Remember that wind can push water levels above or below the predicted figure.

How Weather Shapes Ferry Crossings

Orkney's ferries are robust and well run, but they are not immune to the elements. The short hop across the Pentland Firth and the inter-island routes can be cancelled or delayed when winds rise, particularly from the south-west or west, and when a heavy swell runs against the tide.

Forecasters usually talk about wind speed and direction, and both matter enormously. A 25 mph wind from a sheltered direction is a different proposition from the same wind funnelling through a sound. Add a spring tide running against the wind and you get uncomfortable, sometimes unsafe, sea conditions.

Check the forecast the evening before you travel and again on the morning. If your plans are flexible, build in a spare day around any inter-island crossing. If you are flying in or out, keep in mind that fog and strong crosswinds affect aircraft too. Travel insurance that covers disruption is money well spent.

Causeways, Strands and the Danger of Getting It Wrong

The Churchill Barriers have made travel between several of the south isles wonderfully straightforward, but many of Orkney's most memorable crossings are still tidal. The strand between the Brough of Birsay and the mainland is a classic example: you can walk across at low water, but the route is submerged for several hours either side. The same applies to various causeways linking smaller islands.

People do get caught out, usually because they lose track of time while exploring. The sea here does not wait politely. Before you set off:

Write down the safe crossing window and set a phone alarm for the return.
Allow extra time for a slower walk back, especially with children or a picnic.
Never attempt a crossing when water is already flowing across the route.
Tell someone where you are going and when you expect to be back.

Coastal Walks and the Shifting Shoreline

Some of Orkney's finest walking follows the coast, and much of it is perfectly safe at any state of tide. Clifftop paths above Yesnaby or the Mull of Cara are not going to vanish beneath your feet. The trouble lies in the tempting bits: rocky platforms, sea caves, geos and beaches that connect to headlands only at low water.

Check the tide table before you set out, not after. If a route involves crossing sand, shingle or rock that might be covered, plan it around low water and give yourself a clear margin. Also watch the weather — wet rock and gusty clifftop winds turn an easy path into a slippery one, and sea spray can drench a path well above the waterline.

Midges are mercifully rare here, but wind and rain are not. A waterproof jacket, decent footwear and a printed map or offline app will serve you better than optimism.

Building a Simple Daily Routine

None of this requires expertise. It requires habit. Each morning with your breakfast, do three things: check the day's tide times and heights, look at the inshore waters forecast, and confirm your ferry or tour arrangements. If the weather turns, adapt — Orkney has a wealth of indoor options, from Neolithic sites to local museums and craft workshops.

Guests who plan around the conditions consistently have the best trips. They catch the right light, cross the right strand at the right hour, and never spend an afternoon watching a ferry sail without them. A little attention to tides and weather is not a chore; it is the key that unlocks the islands at their very best.

Practical Tips

Getting to Orkney by Ferry: A Practical Guide for Visitors

Accommodation, ferries and meals are the main costs. Planning ahead and choosing self-catering can help keep your Orkney trip affordable.

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5 Comments

Robert Sonny says Jul 21, 2024 at 10:00am

I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system
Reply
- John Abraham says Jul 21, 2024 at 10:00am
  
  I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system
  Reply
  - Robert Sonnysays Jul 21, 2024 at 10:00am
    
    I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system
    Reply
Robert Sonny says Jul 21, 2024 at 10:00am

I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system
Reply

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