There are 6 ways to get from Edinburgh to Mainland by plane, train, 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.
Fly from Edinburgh Airport
best- Fly from Edinburgh Airport (EDI) to Kirkwall (KOI)plane EDI - KOI
2h 42m£170–410Bus, ferry
cheapest- Take the bus from Queensferry Street to Bus Station Stance 3bus M90
- Take the bus from Bus Station Stance 3 to Ferry Terminalbus X99
- Take the ferry from Scrabster Ferry Terminal to Stromness Orkney Ferry Terminalferry Nl1
11h 7m£45–78Train, ferry via Aberdeen
- Take the train from Edinburgh Waverley to Aberdeentrain Edinburgh - Aberdeen
- Take the ferry from Aberdeen Ferry Terminal to Kirkwall Orkney Hatston Ferry Terminalferry Nl2
10h 8m£62–141Train, ferry
- Take the train from Edinburgh Waverley to Invernesstrain
- Take the train from Inverness to Wicktrain
- Take the ferry from Scrabster Ferry Terminal to Stromness Orkney Ferry Terminalferry Nl1
13h 12m£154–314Train to Glasgow Airport, fly
- Take the train from Edinburgh Waverley to Glasgow Queen Streettrain
- Fly from Glasgow Airport (GLA) to Kirkwall (KOI)plane GLA - KOI
3h 32m£182–432Bus, ferry via Edinburgh, Bus Station
- Take the bus from Edinburgh, Bus Station to Bus Station Stance 3bus
- Take the bus from Inverness Union Street to Scrabster Terminal Buildingbus
- Take the ferry from Scrabster Ferry Terminal to Stromness Orkney Ferry Terminalferry Nl1
11h 8m£57–96
Edinburgh Airport (EDI) to Kirkwall (KOI) flights
Questions & Answers
The cheapest way to get from Edinburgh to Mainland is to bus and ferry which costs £45 - £80 and takes 11h 7m.
The fastest way to get from Edinburgh to Mainland is to fly which takes 2h 42m and costs £170 - £410.
The distance between Edinburgh and Mainland is 217 miles.
The best way to get from Edinburgh to Mainland without a car is to train and ferry via Aberdeen which takes 10h 8m and costs £60 - £150.
It takes approximately 2h 42m to get from Edinburgh to Mainland, including transfers.
There are 230+ hotels available in Mainland.
What companies run services between Edinburgh, Scotland and Mainland, Orkney Islands, Scotland?
Loganair flies from Edinburgh Airport (EDI) to Kirkwall (KOI) twice daily.
- Website
- loganair.co.uk
Flights from Edinburgh Airport to Kirkwall
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 10m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- £160–400
Flights from Glasgow Airport to Kirkwall
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 15m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- £200–400
- Phone
- +44 (0)344 811 0141
- Website
- ScotRail
Train from Edinburgh Waverley to Aberdeen
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 29m
- Frequency
- Every 2 hours
- Estimated price
- £55–110
- Website
- ScotRail
Train from Edinburgh Waverley to Inverness
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 43m
- Frequency
- 5 times a day
- Estimated price
- £80–150
- Website
- ScotRail
Train from Inverness to Wick
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 22m
- Frequency
- 3 times a day
- Estimated price
- £75–140
- Website
- ScotRail
Train from Edinburgh Waverley to Glasgow Queen Street
- Ave. Duration
- 50 min
- Frequency
- Every 20 minutes
- Estimated price
- £20–40
- Website
- ScotRail
Train from Edinburgh Waverley to Aberdeen
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 32m
- Frequency
- 4 times a day
- Estimated price
- £40–65
- Website
- London North Eastern Railway Limited (LNER)
Train from Edinburgh Waverley to Inverness
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 32m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- £60–90
- Website
- London North Eastern Railway Limited (LNER)
Train from Edinburgh Waverley to Aberdeen
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 30m
- Frequency
- Twice daily
- Estimated price
- £65–100
- Website
- Cross Country
- Phone
- +44 330 060 0500
- enquiry@sleeper.scot
- Website
- Caledonian Sleeper
Train from Edinburgh Waverley to Aberdeen
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 6m
- Frequency
- 4 times a week
- Estimated price
- £40–65
- Website
- Caledonian Sleeper
Train from Edinburgh Waverley to Inverness
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 15m
- Frequency
- 6 times a week
- Estimated price
- £60–95
- Website
- Caledonian Sleeper
Train from Edinburgh Waverley to Glasgow Queen Street
- Ave. Duration
- 57 min
- Frequency
- 6 times a week
- Estimated price
- £15–24
- Website
- Caledonian Sleeper
- Phone
- 0800 031 8542
- Passengerassistance@lumo.co.uk.
- Website
- Lumo
Train from Edinburgh Waverley to Glasgow Queen Street
- Ave. Duration
- 53 min
- Frequency
- Twice daily
- Estimated price
- £8–16
- Website
- Lumo
- Phone
- 0141 352 4444
- info@citylink.co.uk
- Website
- Scottish Citylink Coaches Ltd
Bus from Queensferry Street to Bus Station Stance 3
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 58m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- £30–60
- Website
- Scottish Citylink Coaches Ltd
- Single
- £30–60
Bus from Edinburgh, Bus Station to Bus Station Stance 3
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 5m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- £30–60
- Website
- Scottish Citylink Coaches Ltd
- Single
- £30–60
- Phone
- 01698 653164
- enquiries@parksofhamilton.co.uk
- Website
- Park's of Hamilton
Bus from Queensferry Street to Bus Station Stance 3
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 53m
- Frequency
- Every 4 hours
- Website
- Park's of Hamilton
Bus from Edinburgh, Bus Station to Bus Station Stance 3
- Ave. Duration
- 4h
- Frequency
- Every 4 hours
- Website
- Park's of Hamilton
Bus from Bus Station Stance 3 to Ferry Terminal
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 39m
- Frequency
- Twice daily
- Estimated price
- £2
- Website
- Stagecoach North Scotland
Rome2Rio's guide to FlixBus
Contact DetailsContact Details
- Phone
- +49 30 300 137 300
- service@flixbus.com
- Website
- Flixbus
Bus from Edinburgh, Bus Station to Bus Station Stance 3
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 10m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- £18–30
- Website
- Flixbus
- Phone
- +44 (0)131 510 4007
- ride@ember.to
- Website
- Ember
Bus from Inverness Union Street to Scrabster Terminal Building
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 28m
- Frequency
- Every 4 hours
- Estimated price
- £14–20
- Website
- Ember
- Phone
- +44 845 600 0449
- info@northlinkferries.co.uk
- Website
- NorthLink Ferries
Ferry from Aberdeen Ferry Terminal to Kirkwall Orkney Hatston Ferry Terminal
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 30m
- Frequency
- 6 times a week
- Estimated price
- £20–36
- Website
- NorthLink Ferries
- Low
- £20–25
- Peak
- £31–36
Ferry from Scrabster Ferry Terminal to Stromness Orkney Ferry Terminal
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 30m
- Frequency
- 4 times a day
- Estimated price
- £13–19
- Website
- NorthLink Ferries
- Low
- £13–17
- Peak
- £16–19
Ferry from Scrabster Ferry Terminal to Stromness Orkney Ferry Terminal
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 30m
- Frequency
- 4 times a day
- Estimated price
- £13–19
- Website
- NorthLink Ferries
- Low
- £13–17
- Peak
- £16–19
Ferry from Scrabster Ferry Terminal to Stromness Orkney Ferry Terminal
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 30m
- Frequency
- 4 times a day
- Estimated price
- £13–19
- Website
- NorthLink Ferries
- Low
- £13–17
- Peak
- £16–19
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