List of Orkney islands

Orkney, an archipelago located north of mainland Scotland, comprises more than 70 islands and skerries, of which 20 are permanently inhabited. In addition to the Mainland, the largest island in Orkney, there are three groups of islands. The North and South Isles lie respectively north and south of the Mainland, and the Pentland Skerries are a group of small islands in the Pentland Firth, a dangerous stretch of water between mainland Scotland and the larger islands of Orkney, through which run the strongest tidal streams in Britain.Lawrence, Martin (2003) The Yachtsman's Pilot: North and East Scotland. St Ives. Imray, Laurie, Norie and Wilson, p. 108. The island of Stroma may be mistakenly included in Orkney, but is in fact part of Caithness.

The definition of an island used in this list is that it is "land that is surrounded by seawater on a daily basis, but not necessarily at all stages of the tide, excluding human devices such as bridges and causeways".Various other definitions are used in the Scottish context. For example the General Register Office for Scotland defined an island as 'a mass of land surrounded by water, separate from the Scottish mainland' but although they included islands linked by bridges etc. this is not clear from this definition. Haswell-Smith (2004) uses "an Island is a piece of land or group of pieces of land which is entirely surrounded by water at Lowest Astronomical Tide and to which there is no permanent means of dry access". This is widely agreed to be unhelpful as it consciously excludes bridged islands. Four islands are joined to the Mainland by a series of causeways known as the Churchill Barriers. They are South Ronaldsay, Burray, Lamb Holm and Glimps Holm. In addition, Hunda is connected to Burray by a causeway.Lamb Holm and Glimps Holm are also occasionally referred to as 'Lambholm' and 'Glimsholm'. See for example Wenham, Sheena "The South Isles", in Omand (2003) p. 210. The barriers were constructed by Italian prisoners of war as a means of preventing enemy submarine access to the vast natural harbour of Scapa Flow after the sinking of HMS Royal Oak by a German U-boat in 1939 with the loss of 883 lives. The Italian prisoners constructed a small Catholic chapel on Lamb Holm during their incarceration.Wenham, Sheena "Modern Times" in Omand (2003) pp. 108–9.

Most of the islands have a bedrock formed from Old Red Sandstone, which is about 400 million years old, and was laid down in the Devonian period.McKirdy, Alan Gordon, John & Crofts, Roger (2007) Land of Mountain and Flood: The Geology and Landforms of Scotland. Edinburgh. Birlinn. The islands have good agricultural qualities and have been continuously inhabited for thousands of years,"Walk in Scotland: Orkney and Shetland" Visit Scotland. Retrieved 15 July 2007. as evidenced by the World Heritage Site of the Heart of Neolithic Orkney. The archipelago is exposed to wind and tide, and there are numerous lighthouses as navigation aids."Lighthouse Library" Northern Lighthouse Board. Retrieved 1 May 2012. The European Marine Energy Centre, which is located at Stromness, is currently testing various wave- and tidal-energy devices from Billia Croo on the Mainland and Eday."EMEC Orkney" European Marine Energy Centre. Retrieved 3 February 2007. The islands all fall within the Orkney Islands Council area. Most of the larger islands have development trusts that support the local economy."Directory of Members' DTA Scotland. Retrieved 1 May 2012."Orkney Communities are doing it for themselves" (23 August 2007 et seq) Orkney Today. Retrieved 15 September 2007.

The total population of Orkney increased from 19,245 in 2001 to 21,349 at the time of the 2011 censusNational Records of Scotland (2013) and was 21,958 in 2022.“Local Authority: Orkney Islands”. Scotland’s Census. Scottish Government. Retrieved 31 May 2025.

Main list This is a list of islands with an area greater than 15 hectares (approximately 37 acres) or which are inhabited. Records for the last date of settlement for the smaller uninhabited islands are incomplete, but all of the islands listed here would have been inhabited at some point during the Neolithic, Pictish or Norse periods.

'Ward Hill' or a variant thereof is very common as the name of the highest point on the island. These locations are named after those high places used for the lighting of warning beacons."Orkney Placenames – natural elements" Orkneyjar. Retrieved 15 July 2007.

+Islands with an area greater than Island Group Area (ha)Haswell-Smith (2004) Scottish Islands save those indicated with a separate footnote. Population Last inhabitedFor uninhabited islands indicates the last known date of permanent, year round settlement. Information is from Haswell-Smith (2004) Scottish Islands save those indicated with a separate footnote. Highest pointHaswell-Smith (2004) Scottish Islands and Ordnance Survey maps. Height (m)Ordnance Survey maps. Note that the maps mark the height above sea level of a high point on most islands, but in a small number of cases, this may not be the highest point. Auskerry North Isles 85 2 West Hill 18 Brough of Birsay Mainland 16 0 unknown Brough Head 42 Burray South Isles 903 445 80 Calf of Eday North Isles 243 0 unknown 54 Calf of Flotta South Isles 16 0 unknown 16 Cava South Isles 107 0 1993 38 Copinsay South Isles 73 0 1970s Broad Lee 70 Damsay North Isles 18An estimate based on Ordnance Survey maps. 0 unknown 11 Eday North Isles 2,745 102 Ward Hill 101 Egilsay North Isles 650 17 35 Eynhallow North Isles 75 0 1842–90 30 Fara South Isles 295 0 1960s Thomson's Hill 43 Faray North Isles 180 0 1940s 32 Flotta South Isles 876 77 West Hill 58 Gairsay North Isles 240 6 102 Glimps Holm South Isles 55 0 unknown 32 Graemsay South Isles 409 21 West Hill 62Helliar Holm North Isles 35 0 1967 28Holm of Faray North Isles 27 0 unknown 19Holm of Grimbister North Isles 16Rick Livingstone’s Tables of the Islands of Scotland (pdf) Argyll Yacht Charters. Retrieved 12 Dec 2011. 2 8Holm of Huip North Isles 24 0 unknown 18Holm of Papa North Isles 21 0 unknown 15 Holm of Scockness North Isles 22 0 unknown 18 Hoy South Isles 13,468 392Neither the 2001, 2011 nor 2022 censuses list South Walls as an island, but include the population total in Hoy. Ward Hill 479 Hunda South Isles 100 0 unknown 41 Lamb Holm South Isles 40 See below 1945 20 Linga Holm North Isles 57 0 1842–90 18 Muckle Green Holm North Isles 28 0 unknown 28 Muckle Skerry Pentland Skerries 34 0 1994 20 North Ronaldsay North Isles 690 59 23 Orkney Mainland Mainland 52,325 17,779 Mid Hill 271 Papa Stronsay North Isles 74 9 13 Papa Westray North Isles 918 95 North Hill 48 Rousay North Isles 4,860 236 Blotchnie Fiold 250 Rysa Little South Isles 33 0 19th centuryWenham, Sheena "The South Isles" in Omand (2003) p. 208. 20 Sanday North Isles 5,043 491 The Wart 65 Shapinsay North Isles 2,948 299 Ward Hill 64 South Ronaldsay South Isles 4,980 984 Ward Hill 118 South Walls South Isles 1,100 See Hoy Gallow Tuag 57 Start Point North Isles 24 0 unknownMount Misery 8 Stronsay North Isles 3,275 321 Burgh Hill 44 Switha South Isles 41 0 20th century?Haswell-Smith (2004) maintains there is no written record of any post-Neolithic habitation, although Sheena Wenham ("The South Isles" in Omand (2003) p. 208) states the island supported a community "into the 20th century". 29 Sweyn Holm North Isles 17 0 unknown 15 Swona South Isles 92 0 1974 Warbister Hill 41 Westray North Isles 4,713 566 Fitty Hill 169 Wyre North Isles 311 8 32

The population of the tidal islet of Holm of Grimbister was not recorded by the 2001 census,General Register Office for Scotland (2003) although it was inhabited in 2010 and probably earlier.Ross, Calum (3 Mar 2010) "Tory candidate pulls out of race for city seat at general election". Press and Journal. Aberdeen. Retrieved 26 Feb 2012. It did appear in the 2011 tables and again in 2022.

The population of Inner Holm in 2011 was one but it was not recorded as inhabited in 2022.

Lamb Holm was "included in the NRS statistical geography for inhabited islands but had no usual residents at the time of either the 2001 or 2011 censuses".

Papa Stronsay had usually resident population of 10 in 2001 but was apparently not permanently inhabited in 2011.

Smaller islets and skerries

This is a continuing list of uninhabited smaller Orkney islands (many of which are called "Holm" from the Old Norse holmr, meaning a small and rounded islet),Waugh, Doreen J., "Orkney Place-names" in Omand, (2003) p. 119. tidal islets only separated at higher stages of the tide, or skerries which are only exposed at lower stages of the tide.

In the vicinity of: Auskerry: Lunga Skerries, Oessen Skerry, The Clett. Calf of Eday: Lashy Skerries, The Bow. Cava: Barrel of Butter. Copinsay: Black Holm, Corn Holm, Horse of Copinsay, Scarf Skerry, Sow Skerry, Ward Holm. Eday: Green Holm, Red Holm, Rusk Holm. Egilsay: Kili Holm. Eynhallow: Sheep Skerry. Gairsay: Holm of Boray, Holm of Rendall, Little Seal Skerry, Skertours, Taing Skerry. Glimps Holm: Dulse Skerry, Glimpsholm Skerry. Graemsay: Middle Skerry, Skerry of Cletts, Sour Skerry, Sow Skerry. Hoy: Grassy Cletts, Inner Skerry, Middle Skerry, Old Man of Hoy, Outer Skerry, The Needle. Mainland: Bo Skerry, Bow Skerries, Braga, Brough of Bigging, Holm of Houton, Holm of Rendall, Iceland Skerry, Inner Holm, Kirk Rocks, Little Skerry, Mirkady Point, Nevi Skerry, Outer Holm, Oyster Skerries, Puldrite Skerry, Quanterness Skerry, Scare Gun, Seal Skerry, Skaill Skerries, Skerries of Clestrain, Skerries of Coubister, Skerries of Lakequoy, Skerry of Work, Skerry of Yinstay, Smoogro Skerry, Thieves Holm, Whyabatten, Yesnaby Castle. Muckle Skerry: Clettack Skerry, Little Skerry, Louther Skerry. North Ronaldsay: Altars of Linnay, Green Skerry, Hoe Skerries, Reefdyke, Seal Skerry. Papa Stronsay: Jack's Hole, Jack's Reef. Papa Westray: Cairn Head, Muckle Quoy. Rousay: Little Brig, Muckle Brig. Sanday: Baa Gruna, Inner Holm of Ire, Outer Holm of Ire, Tresness Shapinsay: Broad Shoal, Grass Holm, Skerry of Vasa. Stronsay: Holms of Spurness, Ingale Skerry, Little Linga, The Bow. Swona: Selki Skerry, South Clett, The Tails of the Tarff, West Wini Skerry. Westray: Holm of Aikerness, Shell Holm, Skea Skerries, Wart Holm. Wyre: Wyre Skerries.

The remote islets of Sule Skerry and Sule Stack, which lie west of the archipelago form part of Orkney for local government purposes.

List of Orkney islands

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