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Geonivora
Island

Rousay

Located in Orkney Islands, Scotland Coordinates: 59°10′00″ N 3°02′00″ W

Rousay
Bob Jones · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Elevation
156 m
above sea level
Nearest town
Sourin
2.4 km E
Local time
UTC+00:00
Europe/London · UTC+00:00
Population
216
216
Airports
EOI Eday Airport15 km
KOI Kirkwall Airport24 km

About Rousay

Rousay is an island. Location: Orkney Islands, Scotland. Population: 216.

From Wikipedia

Rousay (, Scots: Rousee; Old Norse: Hrólfsey meaning Rolf's Island) is a small, hilly island about three kilometres (1+1⁄2 nautical miles) north of Mainland, the largest island in the Orkney Islands of Scotland. It has been nicknamed "Egypt of the north", due to its archaeological diversity and importance. Like its neighbours Egilsay and Wyre, it can be reached by ro-ro ferry MV Eynhallow from Tingwall.

Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

At a glance

Heritage designation
Site of Special Scientific Interest
Length
10 km
Area
48.6 km²

Source: Wikidata

Travel notes for Rousay

From Wikivoyage

Rousay is one of the Orkney Islands, separated by a mile-wide strait from Orkney Mainland. Its name is Norse, Hrólfsey meaning Rolf's Island, and it's small and hilly, only 5 by 3 miles, with a population of 219 in 2011. Its terrain and land-use are in some ways more Hebridean than Orcadian, including a sad history of Clearances. The reason to visit is for its remarkable collection of prehistoric sites, and it's also a Site of Special Scientific Interest because of its geology, wildflowers and bird life.

You also come via Rousay to reach the islands of Wyre (population 5) and Egilsay (population 14) which are green, low-lying and look more typically Orcadian.

Get in+

1 Trumland Pier is the landing point for Orkney Ferries ro-ro from Tingwall on Mainland. This takes 30 min, with six M-Sa and four on Sunday; most sailings continue to Egilsay and Wyre (usually in that order) then back to Rousay before returning to Tingwall. Until April 2025, the return fare is adult £6.10, conc £4.60, child £3, car £19.40. Cars reverse onto the ferry, so you park in the marshalling area facing away from the slipway.

Bus 6 runs every couple of hours from Kirkwall via Finstown to meet the ferries at Tingwall, 20 min. In summer the first and last buses of the day continue round the Mainland coast to Birsay.

Source: Wikivoyage · CC BY-SA 4.0 · abridged

Climate of Rousay

This month · November

A wet month

Day 8° · Night 4° · Rain 138 mm

Hottest month
August (day 14°)
Coldest month
February (night 2°)
Wettest month
November (138 mm)
Driest month
May (53 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 Rousay
Month JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Average high (°C)6°6°6°8°10°12°14°14°13°11°8°7°
Average low (°C)2°2°2°3°5°7°9°9°8°6°4°3°
Precipitation (mm)119921056853566377109127138127

How to get to Rousay

The nearest airport is Eday Airport (EOI), 15 km to the east as the crow flies. The nearest large city is Aberdeen, 232 km to the south.

Airports

  • Eday Airport (EOI) Eday 15 kmeast
  • Kirkwall Airport (KOI) Kirkwall, Orkney Islands 24 kmsouth
  • Wick John O'Groats Airport (WIC) Wick 79 kmsouth

Nearby large cities

  • Aberdeen Population: 198.6K 232 kmsouth
  • Dundee Population: 148.2K 300 kmsouth
  • Edinburgh Population: 515K 358 kmsouth
  • Glasgow Population: 626.4K 375 kmsouth

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

Day trips from Rousay

Within 100 km: 38 historic and cultural sites, 540 natural sites, 210 lakes, rivers and coasts.

0–25 km269 places

  • Shapinsay Island 16 kmSE
  • Eday Island 14 kmE
  • Papa Westray Island Island 22 kmN
  • Wyre Island 7 kmSE

25–60 km293 places

  • Hoy Island 38 kmSW
  • Flotta Island 37 kmS
  • Auskerry Island 31 kmSE
  • Hesta Head Natural site 43 kmS

60–100 km226 places

  • Clett Island 67 kmSW
  • Glass Islands Island 87 kmSW
  • Garbh-eilean Island 85 kmSW
  • Fair Isle Island 90 kmNE

Straight-line distances.

Nearest towns and villages

  • Sourin Village, Orkney Islands
    2.4 km E
  • Wasbister Village, Orkney Islands
    2.6 km NW
  • Frotoft Village, Orkney Islands
    4.1 km S
  • Brinian Village, Orkney Islands
    4.5 km SE
  • Redland Village, Orkney Islands
    7.7 km S
  • Georth Village, Orkney Islands
    8 km S

Nearby attractions & nature

Everything nearby

Sources & licences

Data last updated: · 2 independent sources