Crossing takes 2 hours. Connecting bus to Kirkwall. Crossing takes 8 hours. Mon-Fri all year. Crossing takes 14 hours.
Most ferries carry vehicles and some require advance booking, especially during peak times.
There is also a pedestrian ferry between John O'Groats and Orkney. There are other airports at Inverness , Stornaway , Benbecula , Tiree , Glengedale , Campbeltown , Shetland and Kirkwall . British Airways offers a regular shuttle service from London to Scotland and flights are also widely available from English regional airports. Iceland Air also fly directly from the main US airports to Glasgow. Easyjet also offer regional travel.