Caravan Parks In Orkney | MOTORHOMEingLife

The three main sites cluster around the two towns. Kirkwall Bay Touring Park, about 1.5 miles north of Kirkwall, is a high-quality private site where all pitches have electric hook-up plus a chemical disposal point. Point of Ness Campsite is a council-run site on the Stromness shoreline with Hoy views and 36 of its 49 pitches on electric hook-up, minutes from the ferry terminal. Orkney Caravan Park at the Pickaquoy Centre in Kirkwall is a four-star council touring park with 31 of 81 pitches on electric hook-up and 28 hardstandings, a short walk from town. All are handy bases for day-tripping the Neolithic sites, so book ahead in summer.

By ferry across the Pentland Firth, and this is the key thing to plan. Two operators carry vehicles: NorthLink Ferries, sailing from Scrabster to Stromness and from Aberdeen and Kirkwall, and Pentland Ferries from Gills Bay to St Margaret's Hope. Both welcome motorhomes and caravans, but vehicle space is limited and books up fast for summer, so reserve your outfit onto a sailing as early as you can and leave flexibility in your dates, because gales do cancel crossings. Check the operator timetables and weather updates before setting off north. Treat the ferry as the anchor around which the whole trip is planned.

Yes, electric hook-up is well provided at the town sites, which matters in a place this exposed where you will want heating and power in any season. Kirkwall Bay Touring Park has electric hook-up on all pitches, Point of Ness at Stromness has 36 of its 49 pitches on hook-up, and Orkney Caravan Park at Pickaquoy has 31 of 81 pitches on electric plus 28 hardstandings. Hardstanding is worth choosing if your outfit is heavy, since ground softens after the frequent rain and wind-driven spray. Because the powered and hardstanding pitches are limited in number, confirm hook-up and pitch type when you book, especially for the peak summer weeks when they go first.

Mild in temperature but dominated by wind. Summer highs reach only around 16°C, and because Orkney is treeless there is little shelter, so the wind is a constant companion and can turn ferocious quickly. The magical compensation in June and July is the simmer dim, the near-endless northern daylight with light through much of the night. Winter is mild at about 8°C but ferociously windy and wet, and most sites close. Spring and autumn are quieter, with spring bringing nesting seabirds and calmer days, and autumn bringing dramatic storm light. Pack for wind and wet above all, peg everything down hard, and treat a calm, sunny evening as a genuine gift.

At the chemical disposal points on the town campsites. Kirkwall Bay Touring Park has a chemical disposal point, and the council sites at Stromness and Kirkwall provide disposal points, grey-water drainage and fresh-water fills. These are the places to service your outfit. Never empty waste on verges, beaches, shorelines or into the sea; the landscape is fragile and it is exactly what visitors come to enjoy. Because Orkney does not have a dense network of standalone service points, plan your emptying and fresh-water top-ups around the campsites, and service before heading to the smaller islands where facilities are scarce. Keeping to proper disposal points protects the environment for everyone.

On Mainland Orkney, yes; the roads are quiet, well surfaced and well suited to caravans and motorhomes, linking Kirkwall, Stromness and the Neolithic sites over short distances. Distances are small, so you rarely need to move the outfit once pitched in a town. The A961 crosses the Churchill Barriers to the South Isles, and these causeways can flood or catch heavy spray in high winds, so check conditions before crossing. Reaching Hoy or the North Isles needs a separate inter-island ferry booking. Traffic is light throughout, which makes for relaxed driving, but the wind on exposed stretches and the barriers means you should keep an eye on conditions in rough weather.

Orkney is world-class for prehistory, so the Neolithic sites top the list. Skara Brae, a 5,000-year-old stone village, the Ring of Brodgar stone circle, the standing stones of Stenness and the Maeshowe chambered tomb together form the Heart of Neolithic Orkney World Heritage Site, all within a short drive of each other on the West Mainland. Beyond prehistory, the Italian Chapel on Lamb Holm is a moving wartime relic on the way across the Churchill Barriers, and a ferry to Hoy brings the dramatic Old Man of Hoy sea stack and cliff walks. Add St Magnus Cathedral in Kirkwall and superb birdlife, and a week fills easily.

For the ferry, absolutely, and for the campsites in peak summer, yes. Vehicle ferry space with NorthLink or Pentland is the main bottleneck and fills for the summer, so book your crossing as early as you can. The three main campsites have limited hook-up and hardstanding pitches, and they fill through the school holidays, so reserve a pitch ahead for July and August. Midweek and in spring or autumn you have more flexibility on both ferries and pitches. If you plan to add Hoy or the North Isles, book those inter-island ferries too. Building in a little date flexibility helps in case gales disrupt sailings, which does happen.

Mostly no. Because Orkney takes such a battering from winter wind and rain, most campsites operate through the warmer months and close for the season, with the practical touring window running roughly from spring to early autumn. Some may open on reduced terms at the shoulders, but you should never assume; check the Orkney.com motorhome and camping pages or the council site listings before planning an off-season trip. In summer everything is open and the concern flips to availability rather than closures, so booking ahead matters more than checking opening. Confirming both site opening and ferry sailings before you commit to the crossing saves a long, wasted journey north.

Yes, the Orkney campsites are generally dog friendly, and the islands are a fine place to walk one, with cliff paths, beaches and quiet roads. Sites usually ask that dogs are kept on a lead around other pitches and that you clean up after them. Orkney is important for ground-nesting and seabird colonies, so keep dogs on a lead near cliffs, moorland and reserves during the nesting season, and well clear of grazing sheep, which are everywhere on the treeless landscape. Always check the individual site rules when you book, as a few limit dog numbers. Bring enough dog food for the trip, since shop choice on the smaller islands is limited.

Pitch fees are modest, with town touring pitches and electric hook-up typically around £18 to £30 a night, and the council sites offering particularly fair value. The real headline cost is the ferry, so budget for NorthLink or Pentland vehicle fares for your outfit plus passengers from the start and book early for space and better fares. Everyday costs run a little higher than the mainland because goods are shipped in, so stocking up before you cross helps. There are no road tolls. Many attractions like the standing stones and coastal walks are free, while Skara Brae and Maeshowe charge admission, and a Historic Scotland pass can save money across several sites.

The on-island touring is genuinely easy, with short distances, quiet roads and well-run town campsites, so once you are ashore it suits most people including less experienced tourers. The challenge is the logistics and the weather rather than the driving. You need to plan and book the ferry, cope with strong wind and treeless exposure, and arrive reasonably self-sufficient since on-island repairs are limited. If that sounds manageable and you are comfortable pegging down securely and watching the forecast, Orkney is a wonderful and rewarding trip. Nervous first-timers might build confidence on a mainland trip first, then bring that experience north for the ferry and the wind, which are the main hurdles here.

You can, but it takes planning and a separate ferry booking. Mainland Orkney and the South Isles linked by the Churchill Barriers are all reachable by road once you are ashore, so most touring happens there. Reaching Hoy, with its famous Old Man sea stack, or the North Isles means an inter-island ferry, and vehicle space on those smaller ferries is limited, so book ahead and check whether taking the outfit or just day-tripping on foot makes more sense. Many tourers leave the caravan pitched in Kirkwall or Stromness and hop across as foot passengers for a day, which is simpler than moving the whole outfit onto a small inter-island sailing.

The three main sites cluster around the two towns. Kirkwall Bay Touring Park, about 1.5 miles north of Kirkwall, is a high-quality private site where all pitches have electric hook-up plus a chemical disposal point. Point of Ness Campsite is a council-run site on the Stromness shoreline with Hoy views and 36 of its 49 pitches on electric hook-up, minutes from the ferry terminal. Orkney Caravan Park at the Pickaquoy Centre in Kirkwall is a four-star council touring park with 31 of 81 pitches on electric hook-up and 28 hardstandings, a short walk from town. All are handy bases for day-tripping the Neolithic sites, so book ahead in summer.

By ferry across the Pentland Firth, and this is the key thing to plan. Two operators carry vehicles: NorthLink Ferries, sailing from Scrabster to Stromness and from Aberdeen and Kirkwall, and Pentland Ferries from Gills Bay to St Margaret's Hope. Both welcome motorhomes and caravans, but vehicle space is limited and books up fast for summer, so reserve your outfit onto a sailing as early as you can and leave flexibility in your dates, because gales do cancel crossings. Check the operator timetables and weather updates before setting off north. Treat the ferry as the anchor around which the whole trip is planned.

Yes, electric hook-up is well provided at the town sites, which matters in a place this exposed where you will want heating and power in any season. Kirkwall Bay Touring Park has electric hook-up on all pitches, Point of Ness at Stromness has 36 of its 49 pitches on hook-up, and Orkney Caravan Park at Pickaquoy has 31 of 81 pitches on electric plus 28 hardstandings. Hardstanding is worth choosing if your outfit is heavy, since ground softens after the frequent rain and wind-driven spray. Because the powered and hardstanding pitches are limited in number, confirm hook-up and pitch type when you book, especially for the peak summer weeks when they go first.

Mild in temperature but dominated by wind. Summer highs reach only around 16°C, and because Orkney is treeless there is little shelter, so the wind is a constant companion and can turn ferocious quickly. The magical compensation in June and July is the simmer dim, the near-endless northern daylight with light through much of the night. Winter is mild at about 8°C but ferociously windy and wet, and most sites close. Spring and autumn are quieter, with spring bringing nesting seabirds and calmer days, and autumn bringing dramatic storm light. Pack for wind and wet above all, peg everything down hard, and treat a calm, sunny evening as a genuine gift.

At the chemical disposal points on the town campsites. Kirkwall Bay Touring Park has a chemical disposal point, and the council sites at Stromness and Kirkwall provide disposal points, grey-water drainage and fresh-water fills. These are the places to service your outfit. Never empty waste on verges, beaches, shorelines or into the sea; the landscape is fragile and it is exactly what visitors come to enjoy. Because Orkney does not have a dense network of standalone service points, plan your emptying and fresh-water top-ups around the campsites, and service before heading to the smaller islands where facilities are scarce. Keeping to proper disposal points protects the environment for everyone.

On Mainland Orkney, yes; the roads are quiet, well surfaced and well suited to caravans and motorhomes, linking Kirkwall, Stromness and the Neolithic sites over short distances. Distances are small, so you rarely need to move the outfit once pitched in a town. The A961 crosses the Churchill Barriers to the South Isles, and these causeways can flood or catch heavy spray in high winds, so check conditions before crossing. Reaching Hoy or the North Isles needs a separate inter-island ferry booking. Traffic is light throughout, which makes for relaxed driving, but the wind on exposed stretches and the barriers means you should keep an eye on conditions in rough weather.

Orkney is world-class for prehistory, so the Neolithic sites top the list. Skara Brae, a 5,000-year-old stone village, the Ring of Brodgar stone circle, the standing stones of Stenness and the Maeshowe chambered tomb together form the Heart of Neolithic Orkney World Heritage Site, all within a short drive of each other on the West Mainland. Beyond prehistory, the Italian Chapel on Lamb Holm is a moving wartime relic on the way across the Churchill Barriers, and a ferry to Hoy brings the dramatic Old Man of Hoy sea stack and cliff walks. Add St Magnus Cathedral in Kirkwall and superb birdlife, and a week fills easily.

For the ferry, absolutely, and for the campsites in peak summer, yes. Vehicle ferry space with NorthLink or Pentland is the main bottleneck and fills for the summer, so book your crossing as early as you can. The three main campsites have limited hook-up and hardstanding pitches, and they fill through the school holidays, so reserve a pitch ahead for July and August. Midweek and in spring or autumn you have more flexibility on both ferries and pitches. If you plan to add Hoy or the North Isles, book those inter-island ferries too. Building in a little date flexibility helps in case gales disrupt sailings, which does happen.

Mostly no. Because Orkney takes such a battering from winter wind and rain, most campsites operate through the warmer months and close for the season, with the practical touring window running roughly from spring to early autumn. Some may open on reduced terms at the shoulders, but you should never assume; check the Orkney.com motorhome and camping pages or the council site listings before planning an off-season trip. In summer everything is open and the concern flips to availability rather than closures, so booking ahead matters more than checking opening. Confirming both site opening and ferry sailings before you commit to the crossing saves a long, wasted journey north.

Yes, the Orkney campsites are generally dog friendly, and the islands are a fine place to walk one, with cliff paths, beaches and quiet roads. Sites usually ask that dogs are kept on a lead around other pitches and that you clean up after them. Orkney is important for ground-nesting and seabird colonies, so keep dogs on a lead near cliffs, moorland and reserves during the nesting season, and well clear of grazing sheep, which are everywhere on the treeless landscape. Always check the individual site rules when you book, as a few limit dog numbers. Bring enough dog food for the trip, since shop choice on the smaller islands is limited.

Pitch fees are modest, with town touring pitches and electric hook-up typically around £18 to £30 a night, and the council sites offering particularly fair value. The real headline cost is the ferry, so budget for NorthLink or Pentland vehicle fares for your outfit plus passengers from the start and book early for space and better fares. Everyday costs run a little higher than the mainland because goods are shipped in, so stocking up before you cross helps. There are no road tolls. Many attractions like the standing stones and coastal walks are free, while Skara Brae and Maeshowe charge admission, and a Historic Scotland pass can save money across several sites.

The on-island touring is genuinely easy, with short distances, quiet roads and well-run town campsites, so once you are ashore it suits most people including less experienced tourers. The challenge is the logistics and the weather rather than the driving. You need to plan and book the ferry, cope with strong wind and treeless exposure, and arrive reasonably self-sufficient since on-island repairs are limited. If that sounds manageable and you are comfortable pegging down securely and watching the forecast, Orkney is a wonderful and rewarding trip. Nervous first-timers might build confidence on a mainland trip first, then bring that experience north for the ferry and the wind, which are the main hurdles here.

You can, but it takes planning and a separate ferry booking. Mainland Orkney and the South Isles linked by the Churchill Barriers are all reachable by road once you are ashore, so most touring happens there. Reaching Hoy, with its famous Old Man sea stack, or the North Isles means an inter-island ferry, and vehicle space on those smaller ferries is limited, so book ahead and check whether taking the outfit or just day-tripping on foot makes more sense. Many tourers leave the caravan pitched in Kirkwall or Stromness and hop across as foot passengers for a day, which is simpler than moving the whole outfit onto a small inter-island sailing.