Gills Bay to St. Margaret’s Hope, Scotland
There is a certain anticipation that comes with taking the last ferry of the evening to a location. You hurry to arrive on time so you don’t miss your boat. If you miss the boat, you are stuck. In many places, this can be a problem, as you could be stuck until the next day at the earliest to reach your destination. Ferry terminals, such as the one in Gills Bay, will have a staging lot, a dock, an office, and often not much else if you are in a rural location. We had an idea of the travel time, but when you are driving a long distance, you’re still trying to make the boat.
There are two major ferry options for the Orkney Islands. The Pentland Ferries Gills Bay to St. Margaret’s Hope option is a shorter crossing, 1 hour 10 minutes, than the Scrabster to Stromness ferry, one hour 30 minutes, operated by Northlink Ferries. Also, the Airbnb where we were staying was only a 20-minute drive from St. Margaret’s Hope, which would make for a better morning when we caught the ferry back to Great Britain. Northlink also operates an Aberdeen to Kirkwall ferry every other day and takes six hours to make this crossing. The same Northlink Ferry will connect on further to the Shetland Islands. At one time, a passenger ferry option ran from John O’Groats to Burwick, but it is no longer in operation. Travelers to the Orkney Islands should research the best option for their needs. Visitors can also arrive via plane and cruise ship, as Kirkwall is one of the most visited cruise ship ports in the United Kingdom.
Our long drive north from Forres worked out well with our time, and we arrived at our ferry terminal in Gills Bay with time to spare to head over to the Orkney Islands. All voyages must be pre-purchased to ensure there are enough slots on the ferry for traffic to and from the island. If you are in a longer vehicle, you will have to back onto the boat in Gills Bay so you can pull off at the other end. Our van was just short enough that we could circle inside the ferry so that we could depart easily from our stop in St. Margaret’s Hope.
If you drive onto the ferry, there are a few important things you need to be aware of. First, you must leave your vehicle for the entire journey, so bring anything you need for the next hour and a half. Second, if you have a very sensitive car alarm, disable it, as it will make noise while you are at sea. Third, if you are traveling with a dog, there are specific areas where they can be on the boat. Dogs can also stay in the vehicle for the journey. Finally, before you leave your vehicle, set the parking brake. Once you have what you are taking into the cabin, you can exit to the lounge area of the ship.
For both ferry rides, we were on the M.V. Pentalina. On the Pentalina, there is an inside lounge on the Starboard side, a café with tables on the Port side, and an outside area above both. It was rather cold, rainy, and foggy on our journey to St. Margaret’s Hope, so any time I spent outside was rather brief. We spent most of our time in the lounge, but I also tried out a burger as I was starting to get a little hungry from our travel day. The ferry had reasonably priced food items, but on the last run, some items were no longer available. Because of the weather, sightseeing was limited, but the passage was smooth enough, and we walked back down to our van and left the St. Margaret’s Hope Terminal.
On our return voyage, we were blessed with sunny skies, calm seas, and a smooth voyage. We weren’t blessed to share the voyage with a garbage truck, which made for a horrible smell when we stood downwind. Everyone wanted to eat breakfast, and I tried the lorne sausage roll, which was delicious and filling.
Because the sea was calmer, I spent more time on deck, especially to clear my nose from the odoriferous air. I was enamored with the scenery and glad to be beyond the thick, gray skies we encountered on the way to the Orkney Islands.
We had to make a tough choice at the start of our trip: go to the Isle of Skye or head to the Orkney Islands. Going to the Orkney Islands exposed us to history, culture, and an excellent side venture, all thanks to the ferry.
