Deer Sound: High water is 10 minutes before high water at Wick. Streams within the sound are weak.
Kirkwall: High water is 40 minutes before high water at Wick
Shapinsay: High water is 3 hours and 30 minutes before high water at Aberdeen
Tingwall: High water is 1 hours and 40 minutes before high water at Wick
Gairsay Sound: Between Gairsay and Wyre: The east north-east going stream begins at 3 hours and 20 minutes after high water at Aberdeen. The west south-west going stream begins at 3 hours and 10 minutes before high water at Aberdeen. The east north-east going stream reaches a speed of 1.4 knots at springs. The west south-west going stream reaches a speed of 1.6 knots at springs.
Between Gairsay and Mainland: The south-east going stream begins at 4 hours and 35 minutes after high water at Aberdeen. The north-west going stream begins at 1 hours and 50 minutes before high water at Aberdeen. The flow reaches a speed of 4 knots at springs. The channel is turbulent when the tide runs strongly.
Tor Ness, Wide Firth: The tide flows north and south. The flow reaches a speed of 1.5 knots at springs.
Broad Taing, Crookness, Wide Firth: The tide flows north north-east and south south-west. The flow reaches a speed of 1 knots at springs.
Bay of Firth: Streams with the Bay are weak.
Bay of Kirkwall: Flows within the Bay are weak.
The String, western part: Between Twi Ness and Thieves Holm: The east south-east going stream begins at 4 hours and 5 minutes after high water at Aberdeen. The west north-west going stream begins at 1 hours and 45 minutes before high water at Aberdeen. The east south-east going stream reaches a speed of 3.6 knots at springs. The west north-west going stream reaches a speed of 3.9 knots at springs. The area around Thieves Holm and Car Ness can be rough in windy conditions - the seabed is shallow an uneven here.
The String, Shapinsay Sound: The east south-east going stream begins at 4 hours and 50 minutes after high water at Aberdeen. The west north-west going stream begins at 1 hours and 35 minutes before high water at Aberdeen. The east south-east going stream reaches a speed of 4 knots at springs. The west north-west going stream reaches a speed of 3.5 knots at springs. The north side of the narrows can be turbulent when the tide is flowing. The east-going stream runs out of The String in a narrow strip through Shapinsay Sound. Flows are weak in the nearby Bay of Carness.
Eddies on south side of Shapinsay Sound: When the flow is eastwards through The String, eddies form on the south side of Shapinsay Sound, but not to the same extent as those on the north side. Flows are weak in the Bay of Meil.
Shapinsay Sound: Between Dead Wife's Geo and Rerwick Head: The east going stream begins at 3 hours and 40 minutes after high water at Aberdeen. The west going stream begins at 50 minutes before high water at Aberdeen. The east going stream reaches a speed of 2.8 knots at springs. The west going stream reaches a speed of 1.4 knots at springs. The west-going flow gradually narrows and speeds up towards The String. However, the east-going flow emerges as a narrow strip from The String, without becoming wider or losing speed. A small overfall, with attendant eddy lines, may form at Rerwick head, but this can be avoided by staying close to the shore. There may also be overfalls at the south-east tip of Shapinsay.
Eddy north side of Shapinsay Sound: An eddy forms behind Helliar Holm when the flow is eastward through The String.
West of Shapinsay: Between Skerry of Vasa and Puldrite Skerry: The north going stream begins at 2 hours and 20 minutes before high water at Aberdeen. The south going stream begins at 3 hours and 50 minutes after high water at Aberdeen. The flow reaches a speed of 1.9 knots at springs.
Near Skerry of Vasa, west of Shapinsay: The north going stream begins at 2 hours and 30 minutes before high water at Aberdeen. The south going stream begins at 4 hours and 5 minutes after high water at Aberdeen. The flow reaches a speed of 4 knots at springs. To the east of Skerry of Vasa, flows reach 5 knots. The area is turbulent when the streams are running. There are eddies in the bays on the west side of Shapinsay.
Off the Hen of Gairsay: The north-east going stream begins at 2 hours before high water at Aberdeen. The south-west going stream begins at 4 hours after high water at Aberdeen. The north-east going stream reaches a speed of 2.9 knots at springs. The south-west going stream reaches a speed of 2.4 knots at springs. Tide races form south-east of the Holm of Boray, especially around shallow reefs. These extend across the channel to Grass Holm. There can also be rough water to the west and south of the Hen of Gairsay.
Salt Ness, Shapinsay: The north north-east going stream begins at 2 hours and 20 minutes before high water at Aberdeen. The south south-west going stream begins at 3 hours and 20 minutes after high water at Aberdeen. The north north-east going stream reaches a speed of 1.7 knots at springs. The south south-west going stream reaches a speed of 1.5 knots at springs. Overfalls can form to the north and west of Galt Skerry. There are eddies in the bays on the west side of Shapinsay.
Stornsay Firth, halfway between Galt Skerry (Shapinsay) and Little Green Holm (Eday): The south-east going stream begins at 3 hours and 10 minutes after high water at Aberdeen. The north-west going stream begins at 3 hours before high water at Aberdeen. The flow reaches a speed of 1.6 knots at springs.
Eddy west of Ness of Ork: An eddy forms to the west of Ness of Ork during the north-west going tidal stream.
East coast of Shapinsay: The flow is almost continuously northwards.
Stronsay Firth, off Ness of Ork: The south south-east going stream begins at 4 hours and 45 minutes after high water at Aberdeen. The north north-west going stream begins at 1 hours and 55 minutes before high water at Aberdeen. The south south-east going stream reaches a speed of 4.3 knots at springs. The north north-west going stream reaches a speed of 3.4 knots at springs. Overfalls may form at Ness of Oak on Shapinsay and to the south-east of the Ness, where the south south-east going stream runs closer to south-east.
Stronsay Firth, east of south Shapinsay: The south south-east going stream begins at 4 hours and 50 minutes after high water at Aberdeen. The north north-west going stream begins at 1 hours and 50 minutes before high water at Aberdeen. The flow reaches a speed of 2.2 knots at springs.
Mull Head, Deerness: The south-east going stream begins at 5 hours and 20 minutes after high water at Aberdeen. The north-west going stream begins at 45 minutes before high water at Aberdeen. The flow reaches a speed of 3 knots at springs. During the south-east going stream, a race forms east and south-east of the Head.
Tingwall: (HY 403 229) g Parking by ferry terminal and slipway. Public toilets. Worth checking the ferry timetable to ensure you don't get in the way!
Hall of Rendall: (HY 424 207) g Small parking area at end of public road from which it is a 150m carry to the sea.
Bay of Puldrite: (HY 420 186) g May be possible to leave a vehicle in a small gravel pull off at the south end of the bay. Not ideal.
Finstown: (HY 362 137) g Town car park by a slipway. Public toilets.
Grimbister: (HY 376 128) g Picnic area signed off main road. Carry across main road to sea. Better at high water.
Hatson Pier: (HY 436 130) g Car park on the right just before the ferry pier. Public toilets. Access to foreshore to the north may be steep, perhaps better to the west. Slipway to the south is likely easier.
Hatston Slipway: (HY 444 118) g Very large slipway. Parking either just above the slipway or across the road in lay-bys. Keep the slipway, which is used by ferries, clear.
Kirkwall Lifeboat Station: (HY 449 113) g Slipway, with long stay car park 100m to the west.
Kirkwall Bay of Weyland: (HY 458 121) g Small lay by and parking place. 50m carry across the grass to a rocky foreshore.
Bay of Carness: (HY 473 137) g May be possible to park in a tarmac area off the road with a ramp down to the shoreline.
Inganess Bay, Sand of Wideford: (HY 475 087) g Small car park at end of road by the beach.
Rerwick Head: (HY 538 118) g Car park at end of road. Carry 200 m north-north-west to a shingle beach and spit.
Mill Sand: (HY 514 077) g May be possible to leave a vehicle in one or two pull offs from the road. May be long carry at low tide.
Sandi Sand west: (HY 541 036) g Small parking area, space fro 2 or 3 cars, by the foreshore. Long walk to the sea at low tide, but perhaps a bit shorter from here than from the car park to the east.
Sandi Sand east: (HY 549 034) g Car park with public toilets, access to foreshore to both north and south (see Taracliff Bay). Long walk to sea at low tide, may be slightly shorter from small parking area to the west.
Northquoy Point: (HY 554 074) g Space to park a vehicle on grass verge at a corner in the road. A short track nearby leads down to the beach.
Balfour, Shapinsay: (HY 479 164) g Car park by pier and slipway.
Vasa Loch, Shapinsay: (HY 473 186) g May be space to leave a vehicle on the verge where the road meets the sea. Be aware that a large number of terns nest along this shoreline.
Sandy Geo, Shapinsay: (HY 536 224) g Parking area near the end of a road down to to the sea.