Papa Westray Airport- New Terminal Building

Oh, that’s interesting. Thanks, Stuart. I look forward to checking it out.

ETA: I actually just got finished watching a YouTube video by Ruth Aisling who took the flight from Westray to Papa Westray and was touring around the airport terminal. It will be interesting to see the difference between the old building and the new one.

Stuart, speaking of Papa Westray Airport, I'm having a conundrum right now. My plan is to spend 2 nights on Papa Westray, and I will be taking the ferry from Kirkwall to Westray Friday morning, then flying to Papa Westray. When I come back on Sunday, I will take the morning ferry from Papa Westray to Westray, and then from Westray to Kirkwall.

However, I'm trying to figure out what to do about my rental car. At first, I thought maybe I could get over there without a car, but now I'm wondering how I will get to the airport on Westray. I know there's a minibus that gets you from Rapness ferry terminal to Pierowall, but I can't figure out how I can get from Pierowall to Westray Airport. At first, I thought about walking, but it's about 3.5 miles, and I won't have enough time to make my way there (I am NOT a fast walker).

So then I thought about just bringing a rental car over and leaving it on Westray while I spend my two nights on Papa Westray, and then coming back and picking it up again. But I don't know if there's any place I could park it for two days.

Do you know anything about that or have any ideas? Thanks for any help you can give me!

Mardee,

All the Orkney airfields have parking right outside the terminal building. Unless it has changed very recently the parking is free. I've seen parked cars with the keys left in the ignition on various of the islands, because there is no crime. So I would have no qualms about parking at the airfield.

The last I knew Westray has a taxi service, provided by Rendalls Shop 01856 677389, or maybe message them through facebook- https://www.facebook.com/wirendallshop/

You will note they also have an e-mail -

[email protected]

In the summer the Westray bus extends to Gill Pier (for Papa), and is supposed to be able to serve anywhere on the island upon request, subject to the main timetable. I've actually been on it when it's had a pre booked request to extend to the airfield- someone arriving off the boat from Kirkwall and going direct to the flight. They were doing the ultimate mad day trip later coming back over from Papa on the boat, then the evening boat back from Westray to Kirkwall.

I'll admit I walked the distance, so don't have experience of that.

So my first option would be contact Rendalls to see if they still run the taxi (and specifically on a Sunday), then if needs be whats app/text the Westray bus on 07789 034289 (in their time!!).

The other option I see is on the Friday -ferry to Westray, then bus (or taxi) to the airfield then on Sunday bus from Gill Pier to Rapness Pier.

I'm thinking about having the flexibility of having a Plan B to fly Papa to Westray on the Sunday if the Friday flight couldn't run, and doing the ferry over on the Friday.

It's sitting down and putting a spreadsheet together, of the various combinations.

I'm not saying don't take the car over, but if you don't then you have the ultimate fallback/flexibility of a Papa to Westray to direct Kirkwall flight.

Stuart, thanks so much. That's good to know about parking at the airfields.

It would be nice not to have to take a car there, though. It gives me more options with the ferry and would definitely be less expensive than having to pay for a rental car to sit there for two days. But I see that Sunday is the sticking point. I'm so used to scheduling Sunday as a travel day, since so many places are closed, that I didn't think about the fact that the schedules would be much lighter.

But with the ferry, I guess I'm a little confused about the various ferry ports. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the ferry from Kirkwall takes passengers to Rapness Pier. Then there is a minibus that picks up passengers there and takes them to Pierowall and drops them off in front of the hotel there (and possibly on to Gill Pier). And then the ferry to Papa Westray leaves from Gill Pier? And in reverse, of course, when I come back on Sunday. So that wouldn't be a problem on Sunday if I'm taking the ferry, because the minibus would pick up passengers at Gill Pier.

Of course, if I'm heading to the airport, it's an issue but in that case, hopefully I could get the taxi to take me, or even request that the bus make an additional stop there. I will contact them both about that, but then coming back, I don't think it will be a problem. Unless, of course, I'm not able to get the 2-minute flight on Friday and have to wait until Sunday. In that case, it might be an issue getting from the airport into Pierowall.

If that were the case and I miss the flight on Friday, I may just skip the flight and take the ferry both ways on Sunday. I would really like to take that flight, but at the same time, it might be even more difficult because the flight on Sunday from Papay doesn't leave until 4:22 pm. I'd still be able to make the 6 pm ferry from Westray to Kirkwall, but then I don't get back till almost 7:30 pm. Sure, I could find plenty to do on Papa Westray, but I sort of like the idea of getting back a little earlier. But I don't have to decide that until I'm actually there, and that's only if the Friday flight doesn't go for some reason.

I'm staying at the hostel there, and while I may not be able to check in if I get there early, she said I can definitely drop off my luggage.

Anyway, yes, I have spreadsheets galore right now (color-coded!!!), and I'm going back over them and changing some of them because I realize a few places are incorrect in there. Thank you so much for this information! It is really, really helpful. For some reason, my brain is just not functioning when it comes to coordinating all these different ferries and buses and so on, I really appreciate your help!

On the Friday only the big ship/vehicle ferry extends direct from Rapness to Papa Westray on the 2nd sailing of the day at 1040, as the weekly island supply ship.

So you don't HAVE to cross the island by bus- thus 5 options-
0700 ferry from Kirkwall, bus direct to Gill Pier, arrive 0850, passenger ferry at 0900 (or request sailing at 0940);
or 1040 ferry from Kirkwall to Rapness, bus to Pierowall arrive 1225 (walk round or request an extension to Gill Pier), then the 1510 request or 1600 scheduled sailing on the passenger ferry .
or 1040 ferry from Kirkwall, staying on all the way to Papa Westray, arrive 1255.
or option 1 above then taxi/bus to the airfield for the flight to Papa at 1002.
(or if the ferry is cancelled by heavy weather fly from Kirkwall at 0940 to Papa via Westray)

What makes it confusing is that Orkney Ferries talk about the passenger only ferry leaving from Pierowall, which it sort of does and doesn't. Gill Pier being the pier for Pierowall (and just round the bay from the hotel, very walkable).

Then the Sunday is the 1622 flight to either Westray or Kirkwall,

OR the passenger ferry to Gill Pier at 0955, 1135, 1530 or 1700

The 0955 connects at Gill Pier with the 1020 bus to Rapness for the 1055 ferry and the 1530 & 1700 ferries connects at Gill Pier with the 1720 bus to Rapness for the 1800 sailing to Kirkwall.

If you take the Sunday flight over to Westray then you need either the 1720 bus from Gill Pier to start back on request from the airfield, or the taxi to take you either to Gill/Pierowall or Rapness direct.

As an irrelevant aside Pierowall Bay and Gill Pier were a big seaplane base in WW1, in connection with RAF Houton (the main ferry port for Hoy).

Thanks again for all this great information! I will sit down and go through it more slowly when I’m home. I’m sitting here waiting for my Covid and flu vaccine.

I did hear back from Stewart Groat He said that many times the bus will take someone up to the airport if they have time. But he said if they don’t, just have them drop me off in front of his place and he would run me up there. He was extremely nice. So it’s good to know I have options that way. Thanks so much for giving me his email.