Best Anchorages in the Hebrides & Orkney

3–7m · Alarm: 85m

Loch Maddy (Loch nam Madadh — 'Loch of the Dogs') is the principal port of North Uist and the main ferry terminal connecting to Skye (Uig) and Harris. The loch is extraordinarily complex — a labyrinth of islets, headlands and narrow channels that make for fascinating exploration but require careful chart work on approach. Once inside, the shelter is excellent from all but NW winds. Lochmaddy village has a hotel, small supermarket, petrol station and the remarkable Taigh Chearsabhagh Museum and Arts Centre. This is a genuine outpost — the pace of life is unhurried and the landscape of the Uists is unlike anywhere else in Britain.

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4–8m · Alarm: 90m

Castlebay is the main settlement on Barra and offers one of the most visually spectacular anchorages in the British Isles — lying directly in front of Kisimul Castle, a medieval stronghold of the MacNeil clan that rises from a tiny rocky islet in the centre of the bay. The castle is occasionally open for visits by arrangement with Historic Environment Scotland. The village has a hotel, shop and ferry terminal. Barra is one of the most hospitable and characterful of the Outer Hebrides islands — Gaelic is widely spoken and the community has a strong sense of identity. The island is also famous for its beach runway at Traigh Mhòr (Cockle Strand) where scheduled flights land on the beach at low tide.

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4–9m · Alarm: 80m

Stornoway is the capital of the Western Isles (Comhairle nan Eilean Siar) and by far the largest town in the Outer Hebrides — a genuine small city with full provisioning, chandlery, fuel, a marina and all yacht services. As the principal reprovisioning and waypoint port for cruising the Outer Hebrides, Stornoway is almost obligatory for yachts on this passage. The town has a good range of restaurants, pubs and shops. Stornoway Castle grounds (now a country park) are beautiful. The famous Callanish Stones (4,000-year-old standing stone circle, 15nm west) are among the finest prehistoric monuments in Europe and well worth the bus/taxi trip.

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5–12m · Alarm: 100m

Scapa Flow is one of the world's great natural anchorages — a 120 square mile sheltered bay enclosed by the Orkney island chain, used by the British Grand Fleet in both World Wars. In June 1919, the German High Seas Fleet (74 ships) was scuttled here by its commander Rear-Admiral Ludwig von Reuter — the largest mass scuttling in naval history. Seven wrecks (5 battleships/battlecruisers and 2 destroyers) still lie on the seabed and are among the world's best wreck dive sites. The scale, history and dramatic Orcadian landscape make Scapa Flow an unforgettable destination. Stromness (5nm) provides full facilities. Approach via Hoy Sound requires careful tidal planning.

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4–8m · Alarm: 90m

Kirkwall is the capital and main town of Orkney — a remarkable Norse-influenced town centred on the magnificent St Magnus Cathedral (founded 1137), one of the finest Romanesque cathedrals in northern Europe. The bay provides reasonable shelter except in northerlies, and the town offers full reprovisioning, chandlery, fuel and restaurants. The Orkney Museum (free entry) is exceptional. Kirkwall is also the gateway to the Orkney North Isles (Westray, Papa Westray, Sanday, Stronsay) for those continuing north. The famous Highland Park Distillery (Scotland's most northerly single malt) is a short walk from the harbour.

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5–12m · Alarm: 90m

Lerwick is the capital and principal port of Shetland — the northernmost town in the British Isles, situated at 60°09'N on the sheltered Bressay Sound. For cruising yachts, Lerwick is the essential gateway to Shetland and the last significant provisioning stop before Norway (200nm east) or the Faroe Islands (170nm NW). The town is vibrant and surprisingly cosmopolitan — the Shetland Museum and Archives is one of the finest regional museums in Britain, the waterfront is lively, and the town has full facilities including chandlery, fuel, water and excellent provisioning. The Shetland island landscape — dramatic cliff scenery, treeless moorland, Norse place names and extraordinary wildlife (puffins at Sumburgh Head, orcas and minke whales offshore) — is unlike anywhere else in Britain. The famous Up Helly Aa fire festival in January marks the end of Yule and involves 1,000 costumed guizers carrying blazing torches to burn a replica Viking longship.

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3–7m · Alarm: 85m

Vatersay Sound is the sheltered waterway between Barra and Vatersay (now connected by a causeway built in 1991, ending the isolation of Vatersay's small community). The anchorage provides outstanding shelter compared to the more exposed Castlebay, particularly in SW conditions, and is correspondingly quieter. Vatersay itself is the southernmost inhabited island in the Outer Hebrides — a beautiful, quiet island with fine Atlantic beaches on its west side. The Annie Jane memorial (to the 1853 emigrant ship disaster in which 350 drowned off Vatersay) stands on the western shore.

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4–9m · Alarm: 90m

Loch Roag is one of the finest and most complex sea lochs on the west coast of Lewis — a vast, island-dotted waterway with the Callanish Standing Stones visible just 2nm from the loch head. The stones (4,000 years old, one of the most important prehistoric monuments in Europe) give Loch Roag an almost mystical quality as an anchorage destination. Great Bernera (the largest island in the loch, connected to Lewis by a bridge) has a small community museum. The loch is a significant salmon and sea trout fishing area — numerous fish farms operate throughout. A remote and rewarding destination for those who have provisioned at Stornoway.

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4–8m · Alarm: 80m

Stromness is the western gateway to Orkney — the terminal for the NorthLink ferry from Scrabster (Caithness) and the principal provisioning port for yachts transiting Hoy Sound and exploring Scapa Flow. The town is remarkable — a long winding main street that runs along the waterfront with no through-road for traffic (all vehicular access is from the landward side). Stromness Museum has an outstanding collection related to the Hudson's Bay Company (many Orcadians served as factors and voyageurs in Canada) and the Arctic expeditions. The Stromness Hotel (with its famous Old Man of Hoy Bar) is the hub of the Orkney sailing community. The approach via Hoy Sound requires careful tidal timing — 6 knots at springs; transit at slack water (approximately HW and LW Scrabster).

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