There are 8 ways to get from Cardiff to Kirkwall by train, plane, ferry, or bus
Select an option below to see step-by-step directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in Rome2Rio's travel planner.
Train to Bristol Airport, fly
best- Take the train from Cardiff Central to Bristol Temple Meadstrain
- Fly from Bristol Airport (BRS) to Kirkwall (KOI)plane BRS - KOI
6h 56m£225–492Bus, ferry via Newcastle upon Tyne
cheapest- Take the bus from Cardiff North Road to Newcastle-Upon-Tynebus
- Take the bus from Newcastle-Upon-Tyne to Aberdeen Bus Stationbus
- Take the ferry from Aberdeen Ferry Terminal to Kirkwall Orkney Hatston Ferry Terminalferry Nl2
23h 54m£59–136Train, ferry via Crewe
- Take the train from Cardiff Central to Crewetrain
- Take the train from Crewe to Haymarkettrain
- Take the train from Haymarket to Aberdeentrain
- Take the ferry from Aberdeen Ferry Terminal to Kirkwall Orkney Hatston Ferry Terminalferry Nl2
17h 31m£108–310Bus, ferry
- Take the bus from Sophia Gardens to Lordswood Rdbus 111 / ...
- Take the bus from Newhall St to Buchanan Bus Stationbus
- Take the bus from Buchanan Bus Station to Union Square Bus Stationbus
- Take the ferry from Aberdeen Ferry Terminal to Kirkwall Orkney Hatston Ferry Terminalferry Nl2
21h 9m£64–147Train to London Heathrow Airport, fly
- Take the train from Cardiff Central to London Paddingtontrain
- Fly from London Heathrow Airport (LHR) to Kirkwall (KOI)plane LHR - KOI
7h 53m£171–524Train to Birmingham Airport, fly
- Take the train from Cardiff Central to Birmingham New Streettrain
- Fly from Birmingham Airport (BHX) to Kirkwall (KOI)plane BHX - KOI
8h 14m£221–566Train, train to Southampton Airport, fly
- Take the train from Cardiff Central to Readingtrain
- Take the train from Reading to Southampton Airport Parkwaytrain
- Fly from Southampton Airport (SOU) to Kirkwall (KOI)plane SOU - KOI
11h 47m£274–672Train, ferry
- Take the train from Newport (S Wales) to Aberdeentrain Plymouth - Aberdeen
- Take the ferry from Aberdeen Ferry Terminal to Kirkwall Orkney Hatston Ferry Terminalferry Nl2
18h 18m£255–808
Bristol Airport (BRS) to Kirkwall (KOI) flights
Questions & Answers
The cheapest way to get from Cardiff to Kirkwall is to bus and ferry via Newcastle upon Tyne which costs £55 - £140 and takes 23h 54m.
The fastest way to get from Cardiff to Kirkwall is to train and fly which takes 6h 56m and costs £220 - £500.
The distance between Cardiff and Kirkwall is 576 miles.
The best way to get from Cardiff to Kirkwall without a car is to train and ferry via Crewe which takes 17h 31m and costs £100 - £310.
It takes approximately 6h 56m to get from Cardiff to Kirkwall, including transfers.
There are 67+ hotels available in Kirkwall.
What companies run services between Cardiff, Wales and Kirkwall, Scotland?
There is no direct connection from Cardiff to Kirkwall. However, you can take the train to Bristol Temple Meads, walk to Bristol Temple Meads, take the shuttle to Bristol Airport, walk to Bristol Airport (BRS) airport, fly to Kirkwall (KOI), walk to Airport Terminal, then take the bus to Supermarkets. Alternatively, you can take a train from Cardiff Central to Kirkwall via Crewe, Haymarket, Aberdeen, Aberdeen Ferry Terminal, and Kirkwall Orkney Hatston Ferry Terminal in around 17h 31m.
- Website
- britishairways.com
Flights from Bristol Airport to Kirkwall via Aberdeen
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 35m
- When
- Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday
- Estimated price
- £210–460
Flights from Bristol Airport to Kirkwall via Edinburgh
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 30m
- When
- Tuesday
- Estimated price
- £210–450
Flights from Bristol Airport to Kirkwall via Glasgow
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 2m
- When
- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- £210–450
Flights from London Heathrow Airport to Kirkwall via Dundee
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 30m
- When
- Monday and Friday
- Estimated price
- £240–950
Flights from London Heathrow Airport to Kirkwall via Glasgow
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 1m
- When
- Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- £120–390
Flights from London Heathrow Airport to Kirkwall via Aberdeen
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 40m
- When
- Tuesday, Friday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- £120–390
Flights from London Heathrow Airport to Kirkwall via Edinburgh
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 40m
- When
- Tuesday and Sunday
- Estimated price
- £120–390
Flights from London Heathrow Airport to Kirkwall via Belfast City, Aberdeen
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 25m
- When
- Sunday
- Estimated price
- £120–390
Flights from Birmingham Airport to Kirkwall via Glasgow
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 5m
- When
- Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- £55–320
Flights from Birmingham Airport to Kirkwall via Edinburgh
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 30m
- When
- Sunday
- Estimated price
- £55–320
Flights from Birmingham Airport to Kirkwall via Belfast City, Aberdeen
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 55m
- When
- Sunday
- Estimated price
- £200–480
Flights from Southampton Airport to Kirkwall via Edinburgh
- Ave. Duration
- 9h 30m
- When
- Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- £240–550
Flights from Southampton Airport to Kirkwall via Glasgow
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 15m
- When
- Sunday
- Estimated price
- £85–430
Flights from Southampton Airport to Kirkwall via Manchester, Aberdeen
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 20m
- When
- Tuesday and Thursday
- Estimated price
- £240–550
Flights from Southampton Airport to Kirkwall via Belfast (Aldergrove), Glasgow
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 45m
- When
- Sunday
- Estimated price
- £90–440
- Website
- loganair.co.uk
Flights from Bristol Airport to Kirkwall via Aberdeen
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 35m
- When
- Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday
- Estimated price
- £210–460
Flights from Bristol Airport to Kirkwall via Edinburgh
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 30m
- When
- Tuesday
- Estimated price
- £210–450
Flights from Bristol Airport to Kirkwall via Glasgow
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 2m
- When
- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- £210–450
Flights from London Heathrow Airport to Kirkwall via Dundee
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 30m
- When
- Monday and Friday
- Estimated price
- £240–950
Flights from Birmingham Airport to Kirkwall via Glasgow
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 5m
- When
- Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- £55–320
Flights from Birmingham Airport to Kirkwall via Edinburgh
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 30m
- When
- Sunday
- Estimated price
- £55–320
Flights from Southampton Airport to Kirkwall via Edinburgh
- Ave. Duration
- 9h 30m
- When
- Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- £240–550
Flights from Southampton Airport to Kirkwall via Glasgow
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 15m
- When
- Sunday
- Estimated price
- £85–430
Flights from Southampton Airport to Kirkwall via Manchester, Aberdeen
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 20m
- When
- Tuesday and Thursday
- Estimated price
- £240–550
Flights from Southampton Airport to Kirkwall via Belfast (Aldergrove), Glasgow
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 45m
- When
- Sunday
- Estimated price
- £90–440
- Phone
- +44 3457 000 125
- gwr.feedback@gwr.com
- Website
- gwr.com
Train from Cardiff Central to Bristol Temple Meads
- Ave. Duration
- 46 min
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- £12–24
- Website
- https://www.gwr.com/
Train from Cardiff Central to London Paddington
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 56m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- £40–90
- Website
- https://www.gwr.com/
Train from Cardiff Central to Reading
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 28m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- £30–95
- Website
- https://www.gwr.com/
Train from Cardiff Central to Bristol Temple Meads
- Ave. Duration
- 49 min
- Frequency
- Once a week
- Estimated price
- £5–19
- Website
- https://www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk/
Train from Haymarket to Aberdeen
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 22m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- £9–55
- Website
- https://www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk/
Train from Cardiff Central to Birmingham New Street
- Ave. Duration
- 2h
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- £19–90
- Website
- https://www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk/
Train from Reading to Southampton Airport Parkway
- Ave. Duration
- 42 min
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- £12–28
- Website
- https://www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk/
Train from Newport (S Wales) to Aberdeen
- Ave. Duration
- 9h 23m
- Frequency
- Once a week
- Estimated price
- £220–750
- Website
- https://www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk/
- Standard
- £220–330
- 1st Class
- £500–750
- Phone
- 03333 211 202
- Website
- tfw.wales
Train from Cardiff Central to Crewe
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 34m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- £40–55
- Website
- https://tfw.wales/
- Phone
- +44 345 528 0253
- Website
- avantiwestcoast.co.uk
Train from Crewe to Haymarket
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 8m
- Frequency
- Every 4 hours
- Estimated price
- £30–150
- Website
- https://www.avantiwestcoast.co.uk/
- Phone
- +44 344 811 0141
- Website
- scotrail.co.uk
Train from Haymarket to Aberdeen
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 21m
- Frequency
- Every 2 hours
- Estimated price
- £22–55
- Website
- https://www.scotrail.co.uk/
- Phone
- +44 345 722 5333
- customers@lner.co.uk
- Website
- lner.co.uk
Train from Haymarket to Aberdeen
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 27m
- Frequency
- 4 times a day
- Estimated price
- £16–25
- Website
- https://www.lner.co.uk/
- Phone
- 08717 81 81 81
- Website
- nationalexpress.com
Bus from Sophia Gardens to Lordswood Rd
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 35m
- Frequency
- Every 3 hours
- Estimated price
- £14–27
- Website
- https://www.nationalexpress.com/en
Rome2Rio's guide to FlixBus
Contact Details
- Phone
- +49 30 300 137 300
- service@flixbus.com
- Website
- flixbus.fr
Bus from Newhall St to Buchanan Bus Station
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 10m
- Frequency
- Every 3 hours
- Estimated price
- £13–50
- Website
- https://www.flixbus.co.uk
Bus from Buchanan Bus Station to Union Square Bus Station
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 20m
- Frequency
- Every 20 minutes
- Estimated price
- £7–16
- Website
- https://www.flixbus.co.uk
Bus from Cardiff North Road to Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
- Ave. Duration
- 9h 10m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- £20–60
- Website
- https://www.flixbus.co.uk
Bus from Newcastle-Upon-Tyne to Aberdeen Bus Station
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 10m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- £10–30
- Website
- https://www.flixbus.co.uk
- Phone
- +44 845 600 0449
- info@northlinkferries.co.uk
- Website
- northlinkferries.co.uk
Ferry from Aberdeen Ferry Terminal to Kirkwall Orkney Hatston Ferry Terminal
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 30m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- £20–36
- Website
- https://www.northlinkferries.co.uk/
- Low
- £20–25
- Peak
- £31–36
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