The number 5 Stagecoach bus from Stromness to Houton runs Monday to Friday. It leaves Stromness Travel Centre at 9.40 am and 12.40pm. It arrives at Houton in time for you to catch the ferry over to Hoy and Flotta.
From Houton to Stromness it leaves at 10.17am and 13.17pm again meeting the ferry. There is also Service no. 2 Kirkwall to Houton which runs 7 days a week, also meeting the ferry.
For this journey we were testing out Service 5. This bus starts its life as an 8S transforming to the 5 at Stromness, so if you are travelling from the West Mainland to catch the Hoy/Flotta ferry then it is very useful.
We took the opportunity to catch the ferry to Hoy and visit the Scapa Flow Visitor Centre at Lyness. There was a very high tide, Tuesday 9th of April, and so vehicle drivers had to reverse onto the 10.15am sailing.
The Scapa Flow Visitor Centre is always well worth a visit and entry is free, however, you can make a donation, or buy an item in the shop.
There’s is also an excellent locally run café in the centre where you can get hot and cold food. That’s very necessary if you’ve been stood at a bus stop where there is no shelter on a rainy day.
Click on this link to find out more: Scapa Flow Museum
See also: Travelling by Bus in Orkney : Sandwick to Kirkwall on the 8S
Fiona Grahame