Orkney Islands

The Orkney Islands are one of 32 unitary council regions in Scotland, and form a traditional county and Lieutenancy area. Orkney consists of about 70 small islands 16 km north of Caithness in northern Scotland. The largest island in the group is known as "The Mainland"; about 20 are inhabited in total.

Islands

The largest island in Orkney is known as The Mainland. Other islands can be classified as north or south of The Mainland. The islands north of The Mainland are known collectively as The North Isles, those to the south as The South Isles. The remote Sule Skerry and Sule Stack lie around 60 km west of the archipelago, but form part of the council area.

Related Topics:
The Mainland - Sule Skerry - Sule Stack

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The North Isles

The northern group of islands is the most extensive and consists of a large number of moderately sized islands, linked to the Mainland by ferries. Most of the islands described as "holms" are very small.

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• Auskerry
• Calf of Eday
• Damsay
• Eday, Egilsay, Eynhallow
• Faray
• Gairsay
• Helliar Holm, Holm of Faray, Holm of Huip, Holm of Papay, Holm of Scockness
• Kili Holm
• Linga Holm
• Muckle Green Holm
• North Ronaldsay
• Papa Stronsay, Papa Westray
• Rousay, Rusk Holm
• Sanday, Shapinsay, Stronsay, Sweyn Holm
• Westray, Wyre

The South Isles

The southern group of islands surrounds Scapa Flow. Hoy is the highest of the Orkney Isles, while South Ronaldsay and Burray are linked to the Mainland by the Churchill Barriers. The Pentland Skerries lie further south, close to the Scottish mainland.

Related Topics:
Scapa Flow - Churchill Barriers - Pentland Skerries

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• Burray
• Calf of Flotta, Cava, Copinsay, Corn Holm
• Fara, Flotta
• Glims Holm, Graemsay
• Hoy, Hunda
• Lamb Holm
• Rysa Little
• South Ronaldsay, Switha, Swona