Orkney

North Ronaldsay

Orkney's most northerly island, with seaweed-eating sheep behind a 13-mile dyke, a bird observatory and a tall lighthouse.

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Welcome

North Ronaldsay is Orkney's most northerly island, lying further north than the southern tip of Norway.

It is three miles long and two wide, low and flat, with no hill climbs. The island is known for its rare sheep, which live on the shore and eat seaweed, kept there by a 13-mile drystone dyke that runs right round the coast and is thought to be the only one of its kind in the world. Each year the Sheep Festival brings volunteers from around the world to rebuild the stretches that winter storms have damaged.

The island is a first and last landfall for birds migrating between the Arctic and Africa, and the Bird Observatory, which is also the island's shop, café and bar, records them. Two lighthouses stand at the north end, the red-brick one 42 metres high, and from the Observatory it is a walk of a little over an hour to reach it. Loganair flies from Kirkwall and Orkney Ferries sails from there too, so plan your crossing before you set out.

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Before you go

Reached from Kirkwall by air or sea.

Book your seat or berth before you travel, and check sailings the day before, as the tide and weather can change them.

Where: North Ronaldsay, the most northerly of Orkney's islands, across the 5 km North Ronaldsay Firth from the nearest islands to the south. The Bird Observatory is at Twingness, KW17 2BE.
Getting there: Loganair flies Kirkwall to North Ronaldsay with daily return flights, in eight-seat Islander aircraft with a 15 kg baggage allowance; Orkney Ferries sails from Kirkwall on Saturdays from 28 September 2026 to 1 May 2027, with two Wednesday sailings, 23 and 30 December, and on Tuesdays and Fridays or Saturdays in summer. Sailing times are set week by week by tide and weather, and the service is lift on, lift off only, so anyone travelling with a vehicle larger than a car or small van should contact Orkney Ferries first.
Booking: Advance booking is essential for all Orkney inter-isles flights, especially in summer: online with Loganair or by phone on 01856 872 494. Ferries are booked with Orkney Ferries on 01856 872 044 or online; sailing times are confirmed by 2pm the day before.
Open: An open island, any time of year. The Bird Observatory is open all year round; phone 01857 633 200 to check its hours in advance.
Food: The Obscafé at the Bird Observatory is the only place to eat out, serving light lunches and evening meals, and the Observatory has a licensed bar. The island's only grocery shop is there too.
Access: The island is flat, with no hill climbs or steep terrain, and roads and farm tracks reach the main sites. Cycle hire is available at the airfield or pier and must be booked in advance; a taxi service runs too. There is one public toilet, at the pier.

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Where it is

North Ronaldsay, the most northerly island in Orkney, reached from Kirkwall by Loganair flight or Orkney Ferries.

Directions

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For further reading, before you go. The details on this page were checked on 21 October 2026.