Shetland, Fair Isle, Orkney - How busy?

[RedBaron]

Hi all,

I'm planning my itinerary for the coming season. I'm currently sailing the Norwegian cost and thinking of hopping across and doing the above islands over the course of 2-3 months. Something I have loved about sailing in Norway, especially northern Norway, is just how remote it all is - so few other boats about. Can anyone provide some anecdotal input on how busy Shetland, Orkney, Fair Isle get in season? I would likely be there July to September. I appreciate it's a bit of a nebulous question, but hoping some fellow introverts can provide useful commentary.

It was the below picture of North Haven harbour in Fair Isle that first got me thinking that maybe these places aren't so remote.

Thanks all!

 

[Sandy]

I've always had great interaction with Orkney Marinas drop them an email or call them for an idea of how busy they get.

 

[jamie N]

It could be that the Fair Isle picture is at a weekend, with some Shetland boats out for a day trip. The motorboat is 'Good Shepherd', the supply/ferry vessel for the Isle.
Fantastic sailing and hospitality throughout.

 

[Kelpie]

We've only sailed Orkney, but I wouldn't worry at all about it getting busy. Lots of anchorages and not very many other boats. We absolutely loved it, especially everything north of Scapa. But don't mess up your tides!

 

[noelex]

Both the Shetland and Orkney islands are very quiet, especially the Shetland islands where you see few boats at anchor.

We didn’t stop at Fair Isle.

Edit: I should clarify that we did not use any marinas.

 

[dunedin]

From our experience Kirkwall marina tends to get very busy and can entail rafting, Stromness somewhat less so. Plenty of empty anchorages.

From what I have heard Lerwick and Fair isle also often rafted, but plenty of space elsewhere in Shetland

 

[NormanS]

Very briefly: Orkney is a group of islands with the tide rushing back and forward through them.
Shetland, yes it is several islands, but also a considerable land mass with innumerable well sheltered anchorages.

 

[Minchsailor]

I've cruised the Shetlands quite a bit, I'd say it doesn't get busy, as in Solent Bank Holiday busy; but the odd weekend there can be a few yachts around in the popular spots - Lerwick small boat harbour and the quay at Fair Isle are the obvious ones.

Haven't been since Brexit, but a significant number of Norwegian boats used to visit for a couple of days on a booze cruise and fill the Lerwick pontoons - they didn't go much further afield.

Masses of anchorages, usually with quite good shelter where you can have varying degrees of solitude.

Be aware that many of the 'marinas' in the Shetland government cruising guide would be better described as 'small boat harbours' and are a bit compact for the average cruising yacht (I am 36ft, 1.8m draft) and I don't fit.

I've cruised the Norwegian coast from Bergen up to beyond the Arctic circle; if you like that area I am sure you will like the Shetlands, especially the west coast of Mainland which does not get as many visiting yachts as the Eastern side.

 

[srm]

Anchorages in both Orkney and Shetland are almost always empty. Orkney has buoys for visitors in a number of anchorages. In Shetland there are a number of fully sheltered summer anchorages but most Orkney anchorages can be open to one direction or another so choose with a weather eye.

Lerwick harbour pontoons are often overcrowded as it is the terminus of the Norwegian booze cruise. I have seen boxes of booze after more boxes being stowed away on Norwegian yachts. There are pontoons in a number of other Shetland locations, some of which like Skeld and Scalloway can take visitors while others are mainly for local boats, but no problem anchoring off.

Fair Isle is well worth a visit, my favourite harbour and I never saw it as crowded as in the pic above but its a while since I was there.

However, you will find a copy of the Admiralty Tidal Stream Atlas NP 209 is essential for these waters. Without it you are likely to join the long list of yachts that have found that magic spot where water speed is equal and opposite to tide stream and ground speed effectively remains zero for an hour or two. Even though the tidal range is not big the streams are strong in the narrow sounds in Shetland and in most of the waters around and between the Orkney Islands. As well as the obvious wind over tide conditions be aware on the west side of the islands that tide running against a swell in otherwise calm weather can give hazardous conditions in the mouths of Hoy Sound and Eynhallow Sound (Orkney) and between Papa Stour and the mainland in Shetland.

 

[jamie N]

As well as the obvious wind over tide conditions be aware on the west side of the islands that tide running against a swell in otherwise calm weather can give hazardous conditions in the mouths of Hoy Sound and Eynhallow Sound (Orkney) and between Papa Stour and the mainland in Shetland.

You mentioned it!! I won't sleep tonight!!
I left Stromness at 'Dark O'Clock' on an absolutely windless night, and 'strayed through inattention' into the "Area to be avoided" at Hoy mouth; very effing skerry in my mind, which was as mad a ride as I've ever had, because I strayed away from the 'safe' area near to the shore.
Safe enough if one is paying attention; if you're not, it'll hurt!
Edit: Cheers @srm, "Scalloway" changed for "Stromness"! No wonder I misread the tides....

 

[RedBaron]

Thanks everyone. This is exactly what I was after. Sounds like these areas are indeed quite fairly remote, especially outside of Lerwick and Kirkwall.

I've cruised the Norwegian coast from Bergen up to beyond the Arctic circle; if you like that area I am sure you will like the Shetlands, especially the west coast of Mainland which does not get as many visiting yachts as the Eastern side.

Great to hear it'll scratch a similar itch to the Norwegian sailing. I'm finding myself in need of a change of scenery, but hoping to do that while avoiding the crowds.

@JamieN and SRM - thanks for the tide tips. It'll be my first sailing in heavily tidal waters and as such I think I'm coming in with a healthy dose of apprehension.

Really appreciate all the help friends!

 

[srm]

I left Scalloway at 'Dark O'Clock' on an absolutely windless night, and 'strayed through inattention' into the "Area to be avoided" at Hoy mouth;

Heading west from Stromness (not Scalloway) can be easy, just wait for the end of the west flowing stream and take the slack through Hoy Mouth. Once clear the east flowing stream is negligible. I have lost count of the number of visiting yachts that have ignored this advice as they said they must have the tide with them. Unfortunately, I never got the chance to speaks to them afterwards, (though one local boat confessed that it was **** frightening). I have watched a few with masts pitching around +/- 45 degrees as they were swept through the breaking swells.

The same timing works for the other west facing sounds.

 

[RedBaron]

Heading west from Stromness (not Scalloway) can be easy, just wait for the end of the west flowing stream and take the slack through Hoy Mouth. Once clear the east flowing stream is negligible. I have lost count of the number of visiting yachts that have ignored this advice as they said they must have the tide with them. Unfortunately, I never got the chance to speaks to them afterwards, (though one local boat confessed that it was **** frightening). I have watched a few with masts pitching around +/- 45 degrees as they were swept through the breaking swells.

The same timing works for the other west facing sounds.

Is the stream east flowing through Hoy Mouth on rising tide or falling?

 

[srm]

Is the stream east flowing through Hoy Mouth on rising tide or falling?

East going stream is with the rising/flood tide. However, slack waters in the sound is close to but not at the same times as HW/LW Stromness. I always used the tidal stream atlas NP 209, which uses Dover as its reference, to plan my passages. Heading east through the sounds with the tide is normally not a problem, unless of course in to an easterly gale. It is heading west with swell and wind against tide that can get very interesting.

 

[Concerto]

I am from the south of England, but last year I sailed the Orkneys, Fair Isle and Shetland. I was reporting daily with photos on this forum and this link is the start of this section of my Round Britain trip I di singlehanded on my 42 year old Westerly Fulmar.

Round Britain day 26

There are also a series of short videos on YouTube and this is the first for this area.

Generally all the harbours and anchorages were very quiet except for Kirkwall and Lerwick, but these were not that bad as they have so much to go and see. Happy to answer any questions on any of the places I visited.

 

[HappyAfloat]

Last year we visited the Orkneys, Fair Isle, and Shetland. Anchorages were empty, harbours and marinas were busy. We stayed a few days at Fair Isle and the harbour was busy with pleasure craft and a commercial vessel delivering supplies for the bird observatory rebuild.
While in Shetland we visited Lerwick twice and it was always busy, this year the Tall Ships Race will be arriving at the end of July so planning around this event may be prudent.

 

[Aja]

We did Shetland Fair Isle and Orkney last year. Everywhere quiet, busiest place was Kirkwall. Stopped off in Fair Isle on a Thursday. Us and a Sigma 38 in. Shop closed, but an utterly beautiful place which I wouldn't have missed.

 

[ylop]

If thinking of July this year you might want to check the dates for the tall ships visiting Shetland.

 

[HenrikH]

Difficult to read the ensigns of the boats on Fair Isle. But I sense blue and yellow. Swedish sailors often sail abroad in a flotilla. Perhaps it is a swedish gathering?

 

[Martin&Rene]

Download

Welcome Anchorages

for information on some of the harbours that would be relevant to you.