Motorhome Semotorhomeice Points In Orkney

The reliable chemical disposal points are at the campsites. Kirkwall Bay Touring Park, about a mile and a half north of the capital, has a motorhome service point plus a separate chemical disposal point. Point of Ness Campsite on the Stromness shoreline, near the ferry terminal, has a service area for fresh water and chemical and grey-waste disposal, and Birsay Hostel and Campsite on the northwest Mainland adds a third. These council and private sites are the backbone of servicing here. There is no street disposal, so plan your dump around a campsite, and use the Orkney Islands Council and Orkney.com pages to confirm current access before you go.

Free options are limited, because the reliable chemical disposal points sit at the council and private campsites and come as part of a pitch fee if you stay. Passing motorhomes can sometimes use a site's point for a small charge, but on islands this compact, where the campsite is also your best overnight, most visitors simply book a pitch that bundles the dump, grey-water empty and fresh-water fill together. Orkney has asked motorhomers to use the campsites rather than seeking to avoid them, and never to tip waste roadside. Budget a modest pitch fee for servicing and you will find it good value and hassle-free.

By ferry, since there is no bridge. The quickest vehicle crossing is the NorthLink ferry from Scrabster to Stromness, about 90 minutes on the MV Hamnavoe, and Pentland Ferries run from Gills Bay to St Margaret's Hope on South Ronaldsay. NorthLink also sails the longer overnight route from Aberdeen to Kirkwall. Motorhome space is limited and fills fast in summer, partly because North Coast 500 travellers add Orkney to their trips, so book early. Once ashore, the roads are good and the A965 links Stromness and Kirkwall, making it easy to reach the campsite service points at either end of the Mainland.

Wild parking for a night is tolerated in some spots if you are considerate, but Orkney has been clear that it wants motorhomers to use the campsites as visitor numbers grew with the NC500. That request matters, because the islands are small, the ground is thin and the community notices poor behaviour. Whatever you do about overnighting, you must never empty a chemical cassette or grey water anywhere but a proper disposal point at a campsite. Tipping waste roadside is both harmful and deeply unwelcome here. The straightforward approach is to base at a Kirkwall or Stromness campsite, service there, and tour the islands with clean tanks.

Fresh potable water is available at the council and private campsites, usually at the same service area as the chemical disposal point. Kirkwall Bay, Point of Ness in Stromness and Birsay all have fresh-water filling alongside their waste disposal. If you stay on a pitch the fill is part of your fee, and passing motorhomes allowed in can usually top up for a small charge. There are no public taps for motorhomes on the streets, so plan the fill to coincide with your disposal stop. Take on a good fill when you can, because it lets you day-trip out to the Neolithic sites and the outer edges of the Mainland without worry.

Sometimes, yes. The Churchill Barriers carry the A961 south from the Orkney Mainland over to Lamb Holm, Burray and South Ronaldsay, and in stormy weather high seas can wash over the causeways. For a tall, high-sided motorhome that is worth taking seriously, so check the conditions and any warnings before you cross in rough weather, and simply wait for the seas to ease if needed. In normal conditions the barriers are an easy and scenic drive, passing the famous Italian Chapel at Lamb Holm. They are also the route to the campsite and services on South Ronaldsay, so time your crossing sensibly around the weather.

Late spring through early autumn is the sweet spot. Summer brings the famous simmer dim, the near-midnight twilight, along with the warmest, longest days, but it is also the busiest, so book ferries and pitches early as NC500 traffic spills over. Spring is cooler and windier but quieter, with the ground firming and sites reopening, a fine time to service and tour in peace. Early autumn can be lovely before the October storms build and ferries grow less reliable. Winter is windy, dark and stormy, several campsites close and crossings cancel, so it suits only the hardy and flexible. Service while sites are open, whenever you visit.

Easier than the wilder islands, but still plan ahead. Kirkwall has the largest supermarkets, the most filling stations and the gas dealers, so it is the place to fill diesel, sort gas cylinders and stock food. Stromness and the larger villages have fuel too, but the outer islands and smaller settlements have less, so do not run low before heading out to explore. Island fuel costs more than the mainland because everything arrives by ferry, so a full tank when you can get one is worth it. Top up gas and diesel in Kirkwall as part of your service and shopping stop, and you will tour the islands relaxed.

No, grey water needs a proper disposal point just like the chemical cassette, and in Orkney that means a campsite service area at Kirkwall Bay, Point of Ness, Birsay or another site with facilities. It can feel harmless to tip washing-up water, but on these small islands it is both unnecessary and unwelcome, and Orkney has asked visitors to dispose of waste properly. Hold your grey water until you reach a point, and plan your route so you pass one before the tank is full. Using a proper grey-water gully keeps the islands clean and keeps motorhomers welcome, which matters here more than in most places.

Busier than it used to be. The rise of the North Coast 500 has sent many motorhomers across on the ferry for a side trip, and summer in particular can fill the campsites and the popular Neolithic sites. That popularity is exactly why Orkney has asked visitors to use the campsites, book ahead and behave responsibly with waste. If you want a quieter tour, aim for spring or early autumn when the pressure eases but the sites are still open. Whatever the season, reserving your ferry and pitch in advance takes the stress out of the trip, and servicing at the campsites keeps you in the community's good books.

Good, by island standards. The Orkney Mainland has wide, well-surfaced roads, with the A965 linking Kirkwall and Stromness and the A960 serving the airport, so a large motorhome is comfortable on the main routes. Some minor roads out to the sites and viewpoints narrow, and the Churchill Barriers on the A961 can be splashed by high seas in a storm, but overall driving here is far easier than on the single-track Hebrides. Reaching the campsite service points at Kirkwall Bay and Point of Ness is simple. Just allow for the wind, which is a constant on these exposed islands and can buffet a high-sided rig on open stretches.

Base yourself and service first, then explore. The classic approach is to book a pitch at a Kirkwall or Stromness campsite, empty the cassette, dump grey water and refill fresh water there, then day-trip out to Skara Brae, the Ring of Brodgar, Maeshowe and the Churchill Barriers with clean tanks and full water. Because the Mainland is compact, you are never far from your service hub, so there is no need to carry full tanks around the sites. The situation to avoid is running out of capacity mid-tour and hunting for a disposal point. Service proactively at the campsite and the touring is relaxed and tidy.

We have several disposal locations mapped across the islands, but the practical, reliable ones are the campsite chemical disposal points at Kirkwall Bay Touring Park, Point of Ness in Stromness and Birsay Hostel and Campsite, each with fresh-water filling and grey and chemical waste disposal. This is a compact archipelago with a small but well-run network, so you are rarely far from a proper point on the Mainland. Use our listings alongside the Orkney Islands Council and Orkney.com motorhome pages to plan, book your pitch ahead in summer, and service at the campsites. That keeps your tour clean and keeps motorhomers welcome across the islands.

The reliable chemical disposal points are at the campsites. Kirkwall Bay Touring Park, about a mile and a half north of the capital, has a motorhome service point plus a separate chemical disposal point. Point of Ness Campsite on the Stromness shoreline, near the ferry terminal, has a service area for fresh water and chemical and grey-waste disposal, and Birsay Hostel and Campsite on the northwest Mainland adds a third. These council and private sites are the backbone of servicing here. There is no street disposal, so plan your dump around a campsite, and use the Orkney Islands Council and Orkney.com pages to confirm current access before you go.

Free options are limited, because the reliable chemical disposal points sit at the council and private campsites and come as part of a pitch fee if you stay. Passing motorhomes can sometimes use a site's point for a small charge, but on islands this compact, where the campsite is also your best overnight, most visitors simply book a pitch that bundles the dump, grey-water empty and fresh-water fill together. Orkney has asked motorhomers to use the campsites rather than seeking to avoid them, and never to tip waste roadside. Budget a modest pitch fee for servicing and you will find it good value and hassle-free.

By ferry, since there is no bridge. The quickest vehicle crossing is the NorthLink ferry from Scrabster to Stromness, about 90 minutes on the MV Hamnavoe, and Pentland Ferries run from Gills Bay to St Margaret's Hope on South Ronaldsay. NorthLink also sails the longer overnight route from Aberdeen to Kirkwall. Motorhome space is limited and fills fast in summer, partly because North Coast 500 travellers add Orkney to their trips, so book early. Once ashore, the roads are good and the A965 links Stromness and Kirkwall, making it easy to reach the campsite service points at either end of the Mainland.

Wild parking for a night is tolerated in some spots if you are considerate, but Orkney has been clear that it wants motorhomers to use the campsites as visitor numbers grew with the NC500. That request matters, because the islands are small, the ground is thin and the community notices poor behaviour. Whatever you do about overnighting, you must never empty a chemical cassette or grey water anywhere but a proper disposal point at a campsite. Tipping waste roadside is both harmful and deeply unwelcome here. The straightforward approach is to base at a Kirkwall or Stromness campsite, service there, and tour the islands with clean tanks.

Fresh potable water is available at the council and private campsites, usually at the same service area as the chemical disposal point. Kirkwall Bay, Point of Ness in Stromness and Birsay all have fresh-water filling alongside their waste disposal. If you stay on a pitch the fill is part of your fee, and passing motorhomes allowed in can usually top up for a small charge. There are no public taps for motorhomes on the streets, so plan the fill to coincide with your disposal stop. Take on a good fill when you can, because it lets you day-trip out to the Neolithic sites and the outer edges of the Mainland without worry.

Sometimes, yes. The Churchill Barriers carry the A961 south from the Orkney Mainland over to Lamb Holm, Burray and South Ronaldsay, and in stormy weather high seas can wash over the causeways. For a tall, high-sided motorhome that is worth taking seriously, so check the conditions and any warnings before you cross in rough weather, and simply wait for the seas to ease if needed. In normal conditions the barriers are an easy and scenic drive, passing the famous Italian Chapel at Lamb Holm. They are also the route to the campsite and services on South Ronaldsay, so time your crossing sensibly around the weather.

Late spring through early autumn is the sweet spot. Summer brings the famous simmer dim, the near-midnight twilight, along with the warmest, longest days, but it is also the busiest, so book ferries and pitches early as NC500 traffic spills over. Spring is cooler and windier but quieter, with the ground firming and sites reopening, a fine time to service and tour in peace. Early autumn can be lovely before the October storms build and ferries grow less reliable. Winter is windy, dark and stormy, several campsites close and crossings cancel, so it suits only the hardy and flexible. Service while sites are open, whenever you visit.

Easier than the wilder islands, but still plan ahead. Kirkwall has the largest supermarkets, the most filling stations and the gas dealers, so it is the place to fill diesel, sort gas cylinders and stock food. Stromness and the larger villages have fuel too, but the outer islands and smaller settlements have less, so do not run low before heading out to explore. Island fuel costs more than the mainland because everything arrives by ferry, so a full tank when you can get one is worth it. Top up gas and diesel in Kirkwall as part of your service and shopping stop, and you will tour the islands relaxed.

No, grey water needs a proper disposal point just like the chemical cassette, and in Orkney that means a campsite service area at Kirkwall Bay, Point of Ness, Birsay or another site with facilities. It can feel harmless to tip washing-up water, but on these small islands it is both unnecessary and unwelcome, and Orkney has asked visitors to dispose of waste properly. Hold your grey water until you reach a point, and plan your route so you pass one before the tank is full. Using a proper grey-water gully keeps the islands clean and keeps motorhomers welcome, which matters here more than in most places.

Busier than it used to be. The rise of the North Coast 500 has sent many motorhomers across on the ferry for a side trip, and summer in particular can fill the campsites and the popular Neolithic sites. That popularity is exactly why Orkney has asked visitors to use the campsites, book ahead and behave responsibly with waste. If you want a quieter tour, aim for spring or early autumn when the pressure eases but the sites are still open. Whatever the season, reserving your ferry and pitch in advance takes the stress out of the trip, and servicing at the campsites keeps you in the community's good books.

Good, by island standards. The Orkney Mainland has wide, well-surfaced roads, with the A965 linking Kirkwall and Stromness and the A960 serving the airport, so a large motorhome is comfortable on the main routes. Some minor roads out to the sites and viewpoints narrow, and the Churchill Barriers on the A961 can be splashed by high seas in a storm, but overall driving here is far easier than on the single-track Hebrides. Reaching the campsite service points at Kirkwall Bay and Point of Ness is simple. Just allow for the wind, which is a constant on these exposed islands and can buffet a high-sided rig on open stretches.

Base yourself and service first, then explore. The classic approach is to book a pitch at a Kirkwall or Stromness campsite, empty the cassette, dump grey water and refill fresh water there, then day-trip out to Skara Brae, the Ring of Brodgar, Maeshowe and the Churchill Barriers with clean tanks and full water. Because the Mainland is compact, you are never far from your service hub, so there is no need to carry full tanks around the sites. The situation to avoid is running out of capacity mid-tour and hunting for a disposal point. Service proactively at the campsite and the touring is relaxed and tidy.

We have {{stationCount}} disposal locations mapped across the islands, but the practical, reliable ones are the campsite chemical disposal points at Kirkwall Bay Touring Park, Point of Ness in Stromness and Birsay Hostel and Campsite, each with fresh-water filling and grey and chemical waste disposal. This is a compact archipelago with a small but well-run network, so you are rarely far from a proper point on the Mainland. Use our listings alongside the Orkney Islands Council and Orkney.com motorhome pages to plan, book your pitch ahead in summer, and service at the campsites. That keeps your tour clean and keeps motorhomers welcome across the islands.