There are 6 ways to get from Belfast to Mainland by plane, busferry, bus, ferry, train, or car ferry
Select an option below to see step-by-step directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in Rome2Rio's travel planner.
Fly
best- Fly from George Best Belfast City Airport (BHD) to Kirkwall (KOI)BHD - KOI
4h 40m£172–452Car ferry, bus, train, ferry
cheapest- Take the car ferry from Belfast to Cairnryan
- Take the bus from Stena Terminal to Buchanan Bus Station923
- Take the train from Glasgow Queen Street to Aberdeen
- Take the ferry from Aberdeen Ferry Terminal to Kirkwall Orkney Hatston Ferry TerminalNl2
18h 14m£92–297Bus and ferry, bus, ferry
- Take the busferry from Belfast, Europa Buscentre to Glasgow Buchanan923
- Take the bus from Buchanan Bus Station to Bus Station Stance 3
- Take the bus from Union Street to Ferry TerminalE6
- Take the ferry from Scrabster Ferry Terminal to Stromness Orkney Ferry TerminalNl1
17h 16mBus and ferry, train, ferry
- Take the busferry from Belfast, Europa Buscentre to Glasgow Buchanan923
- Take the train from Glasgow Queen Street to Aberdeen
- Take the ferry from Aberdeen Ferry Terminal to Kirkwall Orkney Hatston Ferry TerminalNl2
17h 29mBus and ferry, bus, ferry via Ayr
- Take the busferry from Belfast, Europa Buscentre to Ayr923
- Take the bus from Ayr Bus Station to Bath StreetX77
- Take the bus from Buchanan Bus Station to Bus Station Stance 3M10
- Take the bus from Bus Station Stance 3 to Ferry TerminalX99
- Take the ferry from Scrabster Ferry Terminal to Stromness Orkney Ferry TerminalNl1
17h 40mFerry, train
- Take the ferry from Larne to Cairnryan
- Take the train from Stranraer to Glasgow Central
- Take the train from Glasgow Queen Street to Aberdeen
- Take the ferry from Aberdeen Ferry Terminal to Kirkwall Orkney Hatston Ferry TerminalNl2
19h 5m£105–405
George Best Belfast City Airport (BHD) to Kirkwall (KOI) flights
Questions & Answers
The cheapest way to get from Belfast to Mainland is to car ferry and bus and train and ferry which costs £90 - £300 and takes 18h 14m.
The fastest way to get from Belfast to Mainland is to fly which takes 4h 40m and costs £170 - £460.
The distance between Belfast and Mainland is 325 miles.
The best way to get from Belfast to Mainland without a car is to bus and ferry and bus and ferry which takes 17h 16m and costs .
It takes approximately 4h 40m to get from Belfast to Mainland, including transfers.
There are 168+ hotels available in Mainland.
What companies run services between Belfast, Northern Ireland and Mainland, Orkney Islands, Scotland?
Aer Lingus, Loganair, and easyJet fly from George Best Belfast City Airport (BHD) to Kirkwall (KOI) twice daily.
- Website
- loganair.co.uk
Flights from George Best Belfast City Airport to Kirkwall via Aberdeen
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 10m
- When
- Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday
- Estimated price
- £170–460
Flights from George Best Belfast City Airport to Kirkwall via Edinburgh
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 10m
- When
- Sunday
- Estimated price
- £170–460
- Phone
- +44 344 811 0141
- Website
- scotrail.co.uk
Train from Glasgow Queen Street to Aberdeen
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 46m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- £26–85
- Website
- https://www.scotrail.co.uk/
Train from Stranraer to Glasgow Central
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 35m
- Frequency
- 6 times a week
- Estimated price
- £11–30
- Website
- https://www.scotrail.co.uk/
- Phone
- +44 28 9066 6630
- Website
- translink.co.uk
Busferry from Belfast, Europa Buscentre to Glasgow Buchanan
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 5m
- Frequency
- 3 times a day
- Website
- https://www.translink.co.uk/
Busferry from Belfast, Europa Buscentre to Ayr
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 10m
- Frequency
- 3 times a day
- Website
- https://www.translink.co.uk/
Rome2Rio's guide to FlixBus
Contact Details
- Phone
- +49 30 300 137 300
- service@flixbus.com
- Website
- flixbus.fr
Bus from Buchanan Bus Station to Bus Station Stance 3
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 55m
- Frequency
- Every 30 minutes
- Estimated price
- £8–19
- Website
- https://www.flixbus.co.uk
- Phone
- +44 (0)131 510 4007
- ride@ember.to
- Website
- ember.to
Bus from Union Street to Ferry Terminal
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 28m
- Frequency
- Every 4 hours
- Website
- https://www.ember.to/
- Phone
- 0141 352 4444
- info@citylink.co.uk
- Website
- citylink.co.uk
Bus from Stena Terminal to Buchanan Bus Station
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 10m
- Frequency
- Every 3 hours
- Estimated price
- £13–19
- Website
- https://www.citylink.co.uk/
Bus from Buchanan Bus Station to Bus Station Stance 3
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 40m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- £24–35
- Website
- https://www.citylink.co.uk/
Bus from Ayr Bus Station to Bath Street
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 1m
- Frequency
- Every 15 minutes
- Estimated price
- £5–8
- Website
- https://www.stagecoachbus.com
- Phone
- 0141 352 4444
- enquiries@megabus.com
- Website
- uk.megabus.com
Bus from Buchanan Bus Station to Bus Station Stance 3
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 40m
- Frequency
- 3 times a week
- Estimated price
- £15–21
- Website
- https://uk.megabus.com
- Phone
- 01224591381
- bluebird.enquiries@stagecoachbus.com
- Website
- stagecoachbus.com
Bus from Bus Station Stance 3 to Ferry Terminal
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 39m
- Frequency
- 3 times a day
- Estimated price
- £29–40
- Website
- https://www.stagecoachbus.com/
- Phone
- +44 845 600 0449
- info@northlinkferries.co.uk
- Website
- northlinkferries.co.uk
Ferry from Scrabster Ferry Terminal to Stromness Orkney Ferry Terminal
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 30m
- Frequency
- Every 4 hours
- Estimated price
- £13–19
- Website
- https://www.northlinkferries.co.uk/
- Low
- £13–17
- Peak
- £16–19
Ferry from Aberdeen Ferry Terminal to Kirkwall Orkney Hatston Ferry Terminal
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 30m
- Frequency
- Twice daily
- Estimated price
- £20–36
- Website
- https://www.northlinkferries.co.uk/
- Low
- £20–25
- Peak
- £31–36
- Phone
- +44 844 770 7070
- info.se@stenaline.com
- Website
- stenaline.dk
Car ferry from Belfast to Cairnryan
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 22m
- Frequency
- Every 4 hours
- Estimated price
- £30–160
- Website
- https://www.stenalinetravel.com/
- Phone
- 01304 44 88 88
- customer.services@poferries.com
- Website
- poferries.com
Ferry from Larne to Cairnryan
- Ave. Duration
- 2h
- Frequency
- Every 4 hours
- Estimated price
- £25–220
- Website
- https://www.poferries.com/en
- Passenger Standard
- £25–45
- Passenger Car
- £130–220
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