Skip to content
Geonivora
Island

Hoy

Located in Orkney Islands, Scotland Coordinates: 58°51′00″ N 3°18′00″ W

Hoy
Srvban · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Elevation
351 m
above sea level
Nearest town
Rackwick
5.6 km NW
Local time
UTC+00:00
Europe/London · UTC+00:00
Population
419
419
Airports
KOI Kirkwall Airport26 km
WIC Wick John O'Groats Airport45 km

About Hoy

Hoy is an island. Location: Orkney Islands, Scotland. Population: 419.

From Wikipedia

Hoy (from Old Norse Háey, meaning "high island") is an island in Orkney, Scotland, measuring 143 square kilometres (55 sq mi) – the second largest in the archipelago, after Mainland. A natural causeway, the Ayre, links the island to the smaller South Walls; the two islands are treated as one entity by the UK census. Hoy is also the name of a hamlet in the northwest of the island.

Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

At a glance

Heritage designation
Site of Special Scientific Interest
Length
20 km
Area
143 km²
Official website
hoyorkney.com

Source: Wikidata

Travel notes for Hoy

From Wikivoyage

Hoy is the second largest of the Orkney Islands, extending 14 miles north-south by 6 miles east-west, but with a population of only 419 in 2011. The name means "high" and it's hilly and sparsely populated; its hills draw the clouds, drizzle and midges, and Hoy feels much more like the bleak Hebrides than the green, pastoral Orkneys. Its northern part is an important breeding ground for birds, and RSPB reserve. Together with nearby Mainland, Hoy encloses Scapa Flow, a wartime naval anchorage, so it has military heritage.

South Walls was a tidal island joined by a shingle strand. In the late 19th century a firm road causeway was built, passable at all tides, so Hoy and South Walls are now a single island.

Graemsay is a small farmland island a mile off Hoy. Flotta island is best known for its oil terminal, but beyond is farmland.

Hoy Orkney has online visitor information, including job vacancies.

Get in+

There is no air service to Hoy. There are two ferry routes from Mainland Orkney: until April 2025 the return fare for either is adult £6.10, child £3, car £19.40.

1 Lyness to the south has a ro-ro car ferry from Houton near Stromness via Flotta. It sails 5-6 times a day M-F, 2-3 times Sa Su, taking 45 min. The ferry passes by the uninhabited little islands of Holm of Houton, Cava and Fara. The first and last ferry of the day extends to Longhope on South Walls. Lyness pier has a waiting room with toilets.

2 Moaness in the north has a ferry from Stromness via Graemsay, for foot passengers and bicycles only. (Vehicles may be carried between Stromness and Graemsay, but there's no car ramp at Moaness.) May-Sep it sails 4 or 5 times M-F, twice Sa Su, taking 20 min. Moaness pier has a waiting room with toilets.

Kayakers should heed local advice on safe crossing times from Mainland. There are fierce rip tides as Scapa Flow floods then drains, and the ebb might carry you off to the Faeroes.

Source: Wikivoyage · CC BY-SA 4.0 · abridged

Climate of Hoy

This month · November

A wet month

Day 6° · Night 2° · Rain 136 mm

Hottest month
August (day 13°)
Coldest month
February (night 0°)
Wettest month
November (136 mm)
Driest month
May (57 mm)

Bars: average monthly low and high temperature. Below: precipitation. Monthly averages for 1970–2000 at about 18 km resolution, adjusted for elevation. Highlighted months are mild and relatively dry. Source: WorldClim 2.1 (CC BY 4.0).

Show values as a table
Climate of Hoy
Month JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Average high (°C)4°4°5°7°9°11°13°13°12°9°6°5°
Average low (°C)0°0°0°1°4°6°8°8°7°5°2°1°
Precipitation (mm)118901056957596679108126136124

How to get to Hoy

The nearest airport is Kirkwall Airport (KOI), 26 km to the northeast as the crow flies. The nearest large city is Aberdeen, 203 km to the south.

Airports

  • Kirkwall Airport (KOI) Kirkwall, Orkney Islands 26 kmnortheast
  • Wick John O'Groats Airport (WIC) Wick 45 kmsouth
  • Eday Airport (EOI) Eday 49 kmnortheast

Nearby large cities

  • Aberdeen Population: 198.6K 203 kmsouth
  • Dundee Population: 148.2K 266 kmsouth
  • Edinburgh Population: 515K 323 kmsouth
  • Glasgow Population: 626.4K 337 kmsouth

Straight-line distances; road distances are longer. Airport data: OurAirports.

Day trips from Hoy

Within 100 km: 38 historic and cultural sites, 849 natural sites, 306 lakes, rivers and coasts.

0–25 km233 places

  • Flotta Island 11 kmE
  • Hesta Head Natural site 23 kmE
  • Switha Island 13 kmSE
  • Island of Stroma Island 22 kmSE

25–60 km439 places

  • Shapinsay Island 33 kmNE
  • Rousay Island 38 kmNE
  • Eday Island 48 kmNE
  • Wyre Island 35 kmNE

60–100 km521 places

  • Papa Westray Island Island 60 kmN
  • Sanday Island Island 61 kmNE
  • Eilean nan Ron Island 69 kmSW
  • Rabbit Islands Island 72 kmSW

Straight-line distances.

Nearest towns and villages

  • Rackwick Village, Orkney Islands
    5.6 km NW
  • Lyness Village, Orkney Islands
    6.1 km E
  • Quoyness Village, Orkney Islands
    6.2 km N
  • Stromness Village, Orkney Islands
    13 km N
  • Rinnigill Village, Orkney Islands
    7.2 km E
  • Little Ayre Village, Orkney Islands
    7.4 km SE

Nearby attractions & nature

Everything nearby

Sources & licences

Data last updated: · 2 independent sources