Northern Europe
Quick Facts: Port: Rapness, Westray | Country: Scotland, United Kingdom | Terminal: Rapness Pier (no formal cruise terminal building) | Dock: Ships anchor or use the ferry pier — small tenders or the inter-island ferry landing used for access | Distance to Pierowall (main village): approximately 7 miles / 11 km north | Time zone: GMT/BST (UTC+0 in winter, UTC+1 April–October)
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Westray is one of Orkney’s most rewarding outer islands — a dramatic, wind-carved landscape of 5,000-year-old standing stones, Europe’s oldest domestic settlement, puffin colonies, and white sand beaches so pristine they look borrowed from the Hebrides. Ships calling here are rare and special; you’re not getting a polished cruise-port experience, you’re getting raw, magnificent Orkney. The single most important planning tip: there is virtually no infrastructure at Rapness Pier, so pre-arrange your transport before you step ashore — taxis, hire cars, and guided tours are limited and book up fast.
[Check your exact pier location on Google Maps](https://www.google.com/maps/search/Westray+Island+Scotland+cruise+terminal) before your sailing day so you understand the island’s layout.
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Port & Terminal Information
Rapness Pier is a working agricultural and ferry pier on the southeastern tip of Westray. It is the point at which Orkney Ferries’ inter-island service from Kirkwall arrives, and it serves as the landing point for cruise tenders when ships anchor offshore in the sound.
- Terminal building: There is none. Rapness Pier has a small waiting shelter and a toilet block — that is it. No ATMs, no luggage storage, no Wi-Fi, no tourist information desk, no souvenir kiosk.
- Dock vs. tender: Smaller expedition vessels (e.g., Hurtigruten’s MS Maud, Scenic Eclipse, or National Geographic vessels) may use the pier directly; larger ships will anchor and tender passengers in. Tendering adds 15–20 minutes each way to your schedule — factor this in religiously.
- ATMs: The nearest ATM is in Pierowall village, 7 miles north, inside the Westray Co-op. It is a Cardtronics machine and sometimes runs low on cash on busy tourist days — withdraw what you need the night before aboard ship if possible.
- Mobile signal: Patchy at the pier. EE and Vodafone UK networks tend to work in Pierowall; don’t count on data at Rapness itself.
- Tourist information: Visit the [Orkney Islands Council tourism page](https://www.visitorkney.com) before sailing. There is no on-island tourist office.
- Distance to Pierowall: 7 miles / 11 km — [see the route on Google Maps](https://www.google.com/maps/search/Westray+Island+Scotland+cruise+terminal). The road is single-track with passing places.
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Getting to the City
Pierowall is the island’s only village and your hub for food, shops, and the key historic sites. Getting there from Rapness Pier requires a plan.
- On Foot — Technically walkable but not practical for a shore day. The 7-mile walk to Pierowall on a single-track road takes approximately 2 hours each way and offers little shelter from Orkney’s notoriously unpredictable wind and rain. Walking is better used for exploring the coastline immediately around Rapness if you have a very short port call (under 4 hours).
- Bicycle — Westray is a genuine cycling island on quiet single-track roads with almost no traffic. Tulloch Bike Hire (+44 1857 677 374) in Pierowall rents bikes for approximately £15–£20 per day. The problem for cruise passengers is that you need to get to Pierowall first to collect the bike — coordinate with your ship’s tour desk or arrange a one-way taxi.
- Taxi/Private Car — Your most reliable option. There are only a handful of drivers on Westray: try Westray Taxis or ask your ship’s tour desk to pre-book. Expect to pay approximately £15–£20 one-way from Rapness to Pierowall. Taxis are not waiting at the pier — pre-booking is essential. With a small group of 4, costs split very reasonably.
- Bus — There is no scheduled bus service between Rapness Pier and Pierowall that aligns with cruise ship arrivals. Orkney Islands Council operates a community minibus on limited days — check with the island community council at [westraydevelopmenttrust.org](https://www.westraydevelopmenttrust.org) well in advance, as community transport is sometimes arranged for visiting ships.
- Rental Car — There is no car hire office at Rapness. Westray Car Hire (ask your ship’s tour desk or Google “Westray car hire Orkney” to get the most current contact) can sometimes arrange delivery of a vehicle to the pier — cost is approximately £50–£70 for the day. With 4 people splitting costs, this is excellent value and gives you full island freedom.
- Hop-On Hop-Off — Does not exist on Westray.
- Ship Shore Excursion — If your ship offers an organised Westray tour, it is worth considering seriously here. Westray’s logistics are genuinely tricky for first-time independent travellers. A ship-organised coach or minibus tour of the island removes all transport stress and guarantees you’re back at the pier in time. That said, private guided tours offer a richer, more personal experience — the [Orkney Island Discovery Tour with an Experienced Local Guide](https://www.viator.com/search/Westray+Island+Scotland) (from USD 298.11) and the [Orkney Island Tour with Expert Guide](https://www.viator.com/search/Westray+Island+Scotland) (also from USD 298.11) both cover Orkney’s highlights with knowledgeable local narration. 🎟 Book: Orkney Island Discovery Tour with Experienced Local Guide 🎟 Book: Orkney Island Tour with Expert Guide
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Top Things to Do in Westray, Rapness, Orkney
Westray packs a genuinely extraordinary range of Neolithic archaeology, wildlife spectacle, coastal drama, and authentic Scottish island life into a very small area — here are the sights that earn every minute of shore time.
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Must-See
1. The Knap of Howar (Free) — This is the reason Westray belongs on any serious traveller’s bucket list. The Knap of Howar is a pair of Neolithic farmhouses on the western coast of Westray that date back to approximately 3500 BC — making them the oldest standing domestic buildings in northern Europe. The walls are still waist-high. You can walk inside them and press your hand against stone that was placed there 5,500 years ago. No fence, no crowds, no admission charge. Allow 45 minutes including the short walk from the road. Find it [via GetYourGuide’s Orkney experiences](https://www.getyourguide.com/s/?q=Westray+Island+Scotland¤cy=USD&partner_id=MHU0UHU) for context on the wider Neolithic Orkney landscape.
2. Westray Heritage Centre, Pierowall (Adults £3, children free) — This small but excellent community museum houses the “Westray Wife,” a tiny 5,000-year-old carved stone figurine that is the earliest known depiction of a human face in Scotland. The figurine is only 4 cm tall and utterly extraordinary. The Heritage Centre also explains the Norse history of the island — Westray gets its name from the Old Norse for “West Island” — and the story of local laird’s role in the Highland Clearances. Open seasonally (typically May–September, Monday–Saturday 10:00–17:00, Sunday 12:00–17:00 — confirm hours at [visitorkney.com](https://www.visitorkney.com) before your visit). Allow 1 hour.
3. Noltland Castle (Free, Historic Environment Scotland) — A spectacularly atmospheric ruined Z-plan tower house built in the 1560s for Gilbert Balfour, a man so comprehensively villainous that he was implicated in the murder of both Cardinal Beaton and Lord Darnley (Mary Queen of Scots’ husband). The castle is one of Orkney’s most imposing ruins, with a remarkable number of gun loops (70+) for its size. It sits just outside Pierowall and takes about 30 minutes to explore properly. Access is free, open year-round.
4. St Mary’s Church & Pierowall Norse Graveyard (Free) — Pierowall’s medieval church ruins and the adjacent Norse burial ground sit in the heart of the village. Grave slabs carved with Ringerike-style Viking ornament have been found here — some are now in the Heritage Centre. The graveyard itself is still in use and offers a moving sense of continuity across 1,000 years. Allow 20 minutes.
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Beaches & Nature
5. Noup Head RSPB Nature Reserve & Puffin Cliffs (Free) — Noup Head is the northwestern tip of Westray and one of Scotland’s great seabird spectacles. From approximately May to July, the 60-metre sandstone cliffs host tens of thousands of breeding seabirds: guillemots, razorbills, kittiwakes, fulmars, and — most beloved — Atlantic puffins nesting in burrows at the clifftop. You can sit within metres of puffins going about their business. The lighthouse at Noup Head is a listed building and the views across to Rousay and the Orkney Mainland are stunning. Allow 1.5–2 hours. The RSPB access road is passable in a car — check [rspb.org.uk](https://www.rspb.org.uk) for seasonal access updates. A [guided Orkney wildlife and heritage tour via Viator](https://www.viator.com/search/Westray+Island+Scotland) can put Noup Head in ornithological context. 🎟 Book: Orkney West Mainland Tour
6. Bay of Tuquoy (Free) — A wide, sheltered bay on the southwest of the island with a broad sandy beach and the ruins of a 12th-century Romanesque church (Cross Kirk) sitting immediately above the shore. The church has a beautifully carved chancel arch. This beach is quiet, rarely visited by tourists, and has the kind of clean, Atlantic-washed sand that makes you wonder why you ever go to the Mediterranean. Allow 1 hour.
7. Gentoo & Grey Seals at Rapness Point (Free) — If you have time at the pier before or after your island explorations, walk south along the shoreline from Rapness for 15–20 minutes. Grey seals haul out on the rocks regularly, and you’ll often see gannets diving offshore. No facilities, no trail — just wild Orkney coastline. Allow 30–45 minutes.
8. Westray’s West Coast Walk (Free) — The western coast of Westray from the Knap of Howar north toward Noup Head is walkable along the clifftop. In summer this is one of the most dramatic coastal walks in Scotland — ancient archaeology, wildflowers, seabirds, and Atlantic views with no other humans in sight. The full coast walk is around 6 miles one way, too long for most shore days, but even a 2-mile out-and-back section from the Knap of Howar is rewarding. Allow 1.5–2.5 hours depending on distance.
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Day Trips
9. Papa Westray (“Papay”) (Ferry: approximately £10–12 return) — Papa Westray is Westray’s tiny neighbouring island, accessible via the world’s shortest scheduled airline flight (1.7 miles, about 90 seconds by Loganair) or a short inter-island ferry. Papay has the Knap of Howar right on its shore, a remarkable RSPB reserve for Arctic terns and corn crakes, and a population of around 70 people running one of Scotland’s most inspiring community buyouts. The ferry from Pierowall is infrequent — check the [Orkney Ferries timetable](https://www.orkneyferries.co.uk) to see if timings work with your port call. Only attempt this with a full-day port call of 8+ hours.
10. Kirkwall, Orkney Mainland (Day trip by ferry — not practical from Westray on a single shore day) — For cruisers calling at Westray as a tender port, a trip to Kirkwall for St Magnus Cathedral and Skara Brae is not realistic within a single shore day. However, if your itinerary also includes a Kirkwall port call, the [Semi Private Orkney and Kirkwall Tour](https://www.viator.com/search/Westray+Island+Scotland) (from USD 225.15, 6.5 hours) is an excellent way to maximise that separate port day. 🎟 Book: Semi Private Tour – Orkney and Kirkwall
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Family Picks
11. Westray Heritage Centre & Westray Wife Replica (Adults £3, children free) — Young children are genuinely captivated by the tiny stone Westray Wife figurine, and the centre’s friendly volunteer staff are brilliant at engaging kids with the island’s prehistoric past. The scale of the Heritage Centre is perfectly child-sized — nothing overwhelming. Allow 45 minutes–1 hour.
12. Pierowall Beach & Harbour (Free) — The beach immediately south of Pierowall village is sandy, sheltered, and safe for paddling. The working harbour is busy with lobster boats, and watching the fishermen unload is free entertainment for curious kids. The village is tiny and pedestrian-friendly. Allow 30–45 minutes.
13. Noup Head Puffins (seasonal May–July) (Free) — Puffins are simply irresistible for children. The ability to sit a few metres from puffins returning to their burrows with beaks full of sand eels is one of those wildlife moments families talk about for years. Bring binoculars for the guillemot cliff faces. Allow 1–1.5 hours.
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Off the Beaten Track
14. Fitty Hill (Free) — Westray’s highest point at 169 metres. A short but brisk hill walk to the summit gives you a 360-degree view of the entire island, with Orkney’s outer islands spread across the horizon. The walk from the road takes about 30 minutes each way. Almost nobody goes up here on a shore day. A small Bronze Age cairn sits near the summit.
15. Westray’s North Hill Common Grazing (Orchid Meadows, June–July) (Free) — In June and early July, the North Hill common grazing land on Westray’s northeast is carpeted with northern marsh orchids in extraordinary numbers — tens of thousands of plants turning the hillside purple. This is not signposted or marketed; locals will happily point you toward it if you ask in Pierowall. Allow 30–45 minutes.
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What to Eat & Drink
Westray’s food culture is anchored in what the sea provides — Orkney brown crab, lobster, and hand-dived scallops are landed right here. The island also produces its own beef (Orkney Gold cattle graze on the headlands) and lamb, and Orkney’s dairy tradition means local butter and cheese appear on every table.
- Pierowall Hotel Bar & Restaurant — The island’s main pub and the heart of community life; serves Orkney crab sandwiches, local soup, and Orkney Brewery ales on draught. Mains approximately £12–£18. Open lunchtimes and evenings; confirm hours seasonally at [pierowallhotel.co.uk](http://www.pierowallhotel.co.uk). Pierowall village.
- The Westray Café / Cleaton House Hotel — Cleaton House, 2 miles south of Pierowall, occasionally opens for lunches for visiting groups. Phone ahead (+44 1857 677 508). Homemade soups, local crab, and baking. Approximately £8–£14 for lunch.
- Westray Co-op Store — The island’s only supermarket is a small community co-op in Pierowall. An excellent place to pick up Orkney cheese, oatcakes, local honey, and Orkney Brewery cans to take back to the ship. Open Monday–Saturday approximately 09:00–17:30.
- Orkney Crab — The brown crab landed at Pierowall Harbour is outstanding. Dressed crab sold from the Co-op or local boats when available; approximately £8–£12 for a whole dressed crab. Eat it with oatcakes and butter — this is peak Orkney.
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