There are 6 ways to get from Cairnryan to Kirkwall by bus, plane, train, ferry, or car
Select an option below to see step-by-step directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in Rome2Rio's travel planner.
Bus, bus to Edinburgh Airport, fly
best- Take the bus from Ferry Terminal to Buchanan Bus Stationbus
- Take the bus from Buchanan Bus Station to Terminalbus
- Fly from Edinburgh Airport (EDI) to Kirkwall (KOI)plane EDI - KOI
5h 47m£184–451Bus, ferry
cheapest- Take the bus from Cairnryan Stena Terminal to Glasgow Buchananbus 923
- Take the bus from Buchanan Bus Stn to Inverness Union Streetbus
- Take the bus from Inverness Union Street to Scrabster Vehicle Terminalbus
- Take the ferry from Scrabster Ferry Terminal to Stromness Orkney Ferry Terminalferry Nl1
14h 51m£48–68Bus, train, ferry
- Take the bus from Ferry Terminal to Buchanan Bus Stationbus 923
- Take the train from Glasgow Queen Street to Invernesstrain
- Take the bus from Bus Station Stance 3 to Ferry Terminalbus X99
- Take the ferry from Scrabster Ferry Terminal to Stromness Orkney Ferry Terminalferry Nl1
14h 39m£102–171Bus, train to Glasgow Airport, fly
- Take the bus from Old Pier to Henrietta Streetbus
- Take the train from Ayr to Paisley Gilmour Streettrain
- Fly from Glasgow Airport (GLA) to Kirkwall (KOI)plane GLA - KOI
6h 29m£239–508Drive to Campbeltown, fly
- Drive from Cairnryan to Campbeltown (CAL)car
- Fly from Campbeltown (CAL) to Kirkwall (KOI)plane CAL - KOI
21h 45m£148–376Bus, ferry via Wick
- Take the bus from Ferry Terminal to Buchanan Bus Stationbus 923
- Take the bus from Buchanan Bus Station to Bus Station Stance 3bus
- Take the bus from Bus Station Stance 3 to Bus Terminalbus X99
- Take the ferry from Gills Bay Ferry Terminal to St Margarets Hope Ferry Terminalferry Pf1
15h 9m£79–122
Edinburgh Airport (EDI) to Kirkwall (KOI) flights
Questions & Answers
The cheapest way to get from Cairnryan to Kirkwall is to Bus and ferry which costs £45 - £70 and takes 14h 51m.
The fastest way to get from Cairnryan to Kirkwall is to bus and fly which takes 5h 47m and costs £180 - £460.
The distance between Cairnryan and Kirkwall is 336 miles.
The best way to get from Cairnryan to Kirkwall without a car is to bus and train and ferry which takes 14h 39m and costs £100 - £180.
It takes approximately 5h 47m to get from Cairnryan to Kirkwall, including transfers.
There are 229+ hotels available in Kirkwall.
What companies run services between Cairnryan, Scotland and Kirkwall, Scotland?
There is no direct connection from Cairnryan to Kirkwall. However, you can take the bus to Buchanan Bus Station, take the bus to Terminal, walk to Edinburgh Airport (EDI) airport, fly to Kirkwall (KOI), walk to Airport Terminal, then take the bus to Travel Centre. Alternatively, you can take a bus from Ferry Terminal to Hornesquoy Road via Buchanan Bus Station, Glasgow Queen Street, Inverness, Bus Station Stance 3, Ferry Terminal, Scrabster Ferry Terminal, Stromness Orkney Ferry Terminal, and Travel Centre in around 14h 39m.
- Website
- loganair.co.uk
Flights from Edinburgh Airport to Kirkwall
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 10m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- £160–410
Flights from Glasgow Airport to Kirkwall
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 15m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- £240–410
Flights from Campbeltown to Kirkwall via Glasgow Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 21h 25m
- When
- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- £95–300
- Phone
- +44 (0)344 811 0141
- Website
- ScotRail
Train from Glasgow Queen Street to Inverness
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 17m
- Frequency
- Every 4 hours
- Estimated price
- £70–120
- Website
- ScotRail
Train from Ayr to Paisley Gilmour Street
- Ave. Duration
- 39 min
- Frequency
- Every 30 minutes
- Estimated price
- £13–22
- Website
- ScotRail
- Phone
- 0141 352 4444
- [email protected]
- Website
- Scottish Citylink Coaches Ltd
Bus from Ferry Terminal to Buchanan Bus Station
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 10m
- Frequency
- Every 4 hours
- Estimated price
- £15–29
- Website
- Scottish Citylink Coaches Ltd
- Single
- £15–29
Bus from Buchanan Bus Station to Terminal
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 1m
- Frequency
- Every 15 minutes
- Estimated price
- £7–15
- Website
- Scottish Citylink Coaches Ltd
- Single
- £7–15
Bus from Ferry Terminal to Buchanan Bus Station
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 10m
- Frequency
- Every 4 hours
- Estimated price
- £15–29
- Website
- Scottish Citylink Coaches Ltd
- Single
- £15–29
Bus from Ferry Terminal to Buchanan Bus Station
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 10m
- Frequency
- Every 4 hours
- Estimated price
- £15–29
- Website
- Scottish Citylink Coaches Ltd
- Single
- £15–29
Bus from Buchanan Bus Station to Bus Station Stance 3
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 45m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- £30–60
- Website
- Scottish Citylink Coaches Ltd
- Single
- £30–60
- Phone
- +44 845 600 0449
- [email protected]
- Website
- NorthLink Ferries
Ferry from Scrabster Ferry Terminal to Stromness Orkney Ferry Terminal
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 30m
- Frequency
- 4 times a day
- Estimated price
- £13–19
- Website
- NorthLink Ferries
- Low
- £13–17
- Peak
- £16–19
Ferry from Scrabster Ferry Terminal to Stromness Orkney Ferry Terminal
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 30m
- Frequency
- 4 times a day
- Estimated price
- £13–19
- Website
- NorthLink Ferries
- Low
- £13–17
- Peak
- £16–19
Want to know more about travelling around United Kingdom
Rome2Rio's Travel Guide series provide vital information for the global traveller. Filled with useful and timely travel information, the guides answer all the hard questions - such as 'How do I buy a ticket?', 'Should I book online before I travel? ', 'How much should I expect to pay?', 'Do the trains and buses have Wifi?' - to help you get the most out of your next trip.
Related travel guides
Travelling to the UK: What do I need to know?
Read the travel guide
Want to know more about Flixbus?
Read the travel guide











