Catch the 09:45 from Kirkwall, step off at Balfour pier 25 minutes later, and you have most of the day on Shapinsay before the 15:15 or 16:45 brings you back. That is the simplest way to use Orkney Ferries' winter timetable, in force from 28 September 2026 to 1 May 2027: six round trips on weekdays, five on Saturdays and three on Sundays.
Winter timetable effective from 28 September 2026 to 1 May 2027 (Orkney Ferries PDF dated 22 September 2026), checked against the operator's online timetable on 7 October 2026. Orkney Ferries — Shapinsay winter timetable 2026–27 (PDF) · 2026-10-07
Book the car, not yourself. Foot passengers can usually pay on board, but vehicles must be reserved at least an hour before the boat sails, and the timetable is short enough in winter that a missed sailing costs real time. Plan the return first: on a weekday the last boat leaves Balfour at 16:45, and on Sunday at 15:15.
Then pick the outward boat. On weekdays and Saturdays the 09:45 from Kirkwall gives a full day; on Sundays the first departure is not until 11:30, which still leaves time for a loop of the island on a bike. VisitOrkney points out that there are no taxis and no hire cars once you land, so decide before you leave Kirkwall whether you are walking, cycling or driving.
Shapinsay is green, low-lying and well suited to that kind of visit, according to the islands' tourism body, which describes the crossing as one many residents make every working day to get to jobs in Kirkwall.
A return costs exactly twice the single. Walkers can simply arrive and settle the fare with the crew, in cash or by card, though the operator warns that it cannot take everyone once a sailing is full and recommends booking.
Cars and vans up to 5.5 metres pay one flat fare; motorhomes are priced in length bands above that. Bicycles travel free.
| Adult, single | £ 3.45 |
| Adult, return | £ 6.90 |
| Junior, single | £ 1.75 |
| Senior citizen (65+), single | £ 2.60 |
| Registered disabled or blind, single | £ 2.60 |
| Under 5 | Free |
| Bicycle | Free |
| Car or van up to 5.5 m, single | £ 11 |
| Car or van up to 5.5 m, return | £ 22 |
| Blue Badge vehicle up to 5.5 m, single | £ 8.25 |
| Motorcycle, single | £ 5.80 |
| Motorhome 5.51–8 m, single | £ 27.25 |
Orkney Ferries' South Isles, Shapinsay and Rousay fares from 1 April 2026 (the 2026–27 sheet), read on 7 October 2026. Orkney Ferries — South and Inner Isles fares 2026–27 (PDF) · 2026-10-07
The two piers lie just under six kilometres apart on the map, and Balfour lies north-east of Kirkwall across open water, close enough that VisitOrkney notes Kirkwall stays in view from much of the island. Once ashore, the roads are straight and the fields regular, laid out after improvements in the mid-1800s, so it is hard to get lost on foot or by bike.
Kirkwall is also where the Westray boat leaves for the North Isles, while the shorter hops to Rousay and to Hoy start from slipways elsewhere on the Mainland: Tingwall for Rousay and Houton for Lyness and Flotta.
The Shapinsay boat uses its own berth on Kirkwall pier, which the Department for Transport lists separately from the main Kirkwall ferry terminal a little to the north. Orkney Ferries' office on Shore Street is the place to pay cash for a booking.
Foot passengers need to be there ten minutes before sailing, vehicles twenty.
The boat lands at Balfour, the island's planned estate village, where there is a waiting room with toilets on the pier. Thomas Sinclair's shop, a short walk away, doubles as the post office, sells petrol and diesel and has a small bakery.
There is no taxi or car hire on the island. Visitors without a car walk, bring a bike, or book one of the island e-bikes through the Shapinsay community website.
Orkney Ferries' timetable warns drivers that vehicles on this route are reversed onto the ferry, and asks for them to be ready to board twenty minutes before departure.
The Iron Age broch sits above the shore at the north-eastern tip, across the whole island from the pier. A lane leads to a small car park and a grassy track to the site, where only the central part has been excavated.
Shapinsay's café, restaurant and bar passed to the Shapinsay Development Trust in 2022, which reopened it in 2023. Phone 01856 711 243 to check opening hours out of season.
VisitOrkney lists the Mill Dam among the island sights and rates it one of the finest birdwatching spots in the whole of Orkney.
Outside ferry hours the Shapinsay Development Trust runs a passenger-only service that must be booked in advance, by phone, text or WhatsApp on 07901 575 162 or through the island's website.
The village at the pier, Balfour, was built for workers on the estate that shares its name; Balfour Castle, privately owned today, is visible from much of the island and from the Mainland too. The heritage centre and the Development Trust are the people to ask for walking routes, as no guided tours operate.
MV Shapinsay, the vessel on the route, was built by Yorkshire Drydock in 1988 and is registered in Kirkwall. Her fleet entry also assigns her to the Rousay, Egilsay and Wyre service. When we checked on 7 October 2026 the operator reported all services running as scheduled.
Every sailing is timetabled at 25 minutes, between Kirkwall pier and Balfour.
Yes. On weekdays and Saturdays take the 09:45 from Kirkwall and come back on the 15:15 or 16:45 from Balfour. On Sundays the only option is out on the 11:30 and back on the 15:15.
£3.45 single or £6.90 return for an adult, on the sheet valid from 1 April 2026. A car or van up to 5.5 metres costs £11.00 single, and bicycles are free.
Cars need a reservation made no later than an hour ahead. Foot passengers can pay the crew without one, although the operator recommends reserving in case the sailing fills.
No. VisitOrkney says there is no taxi or car hire on the island, but e-bikes can be booked through the Shapinsay community website.
On 7 October 2026 the operator's search page found nothing to book over the two holiday pairs: Christmas and Boxing Day, then the first two days of January. The printed winter timetable does not mention holidays, so check nearer the time.