Orkney tide times
Orkney, Scotland
Times shown in UK local time, currently BST.
Friday 31st July, 2026
Jump to today →The moon and tides at Orkney
Waning gibbous
94% illuminated, waning
The moon is a waning gibbous, 94% lit and now shrinking after the full moon. The next last quarter is in 6 days, on Thursday 6 August.
The moon's monthly cycle drives the size of the tides here. Around the new moon and full moon, the sun and moon line up so their gravity adds together, producing the largest swing between low and high. Those are spring tides. Around the first and last quarter, the sun and moon pull at right angles and partly cancel out, producing the smallest swing. Those are neap tides.
The next spring tide peaks in 14 days, on Friday 14 August, at 3.0 metres. The next neap tide bottoms out in 8 days, on Saturday 8 August, at 1.1 metres.
Today at Orkney sits between springs and neaps, with a range of 2.2 metres between low and high water.
Orkney Tide Clock
The rising tide is currently 2.99m
Next High Tide
0hr 4mins
Next Low Tide
6hr 6mins
The hand sweeps once around the dial each tidal cycle, about 12 hours and 25 minutes. Navy numbers mark the next high water. Orange numbers mark the next low. The tide is rising while the hand moves from low towards high, and falling on the way back.
Tides at Orkney run on a twice-daily rhythm, with two highs and two lows most days. The bigger fortnightly cycle that controls how large each swing gets is covered in the spring and neap tides guide.
Orkney Tide Times
Jump to today →- Low 05:58 (0.63m)
- High 12:25 (2.54m)
- Low 17:55 (0.86m)
- High 00:21 (2.91m)
- Low 06:30 (0.58m)
- High 12:54 (2.56m)
- Low 18:26 (0.84m)
- High 00:51 (2.93m)
- Low 07:02 (0.56m)
- High 13:25 (2.57m)
- Low 18:58 (0.85m)
- High 01:23 (2.90m)
- Low 07:36 (0.59m)
- High 13:58 (2.55m)
- Low 19:33 (0.89m)
- High 01:58 (2.83m)
- Low 08:13 (0.68m)
- High 14:35 (2.51m)
- Low 20:13 (0.98m)
- High 02:38 (2.72m)
- Low 08:57 (0.81m)
- High 15:17 (2.43m)
- Low 21:02 (1.09m)
- High 03:25 (2.58m)
- Low 09:53 (0.99m)
- High 16:09 (2.33m)
- Low 22:12 (1.22m)
| 31 Fri | Low 05:58 (0.63m) | High 12:25 (2.54m) | Low 17:55 (0.86m) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 Sat | High 00:21 (2.91m) | Low 06:30 (0.58m) | High 12:54 (2.56m) | Low 18:26 (0.84m) |
| 02 Sun | High 00:51 (2.93m) | Low 07:02 (0.56m) | High 13:25 (2.57m) | Low 18:58 (0.85m) |
| 03 Mon | High 01:23 (2.90m) | Low 07:36 (0.59m) | High 13:58 (2.55m) | Low 19:33 (0.89m) |
| 04 Tue | High 01:58 (2.83m) | Low 08:13 (0.68m) | High 14:35 (2.51m) | Low 20:13 (0.98m) |
| 05 Wed | High 02:38 (2.72m) | Low 08:57 (0.81m) | High 15:17 (2.43m) | Low 21:02 (1.09m) |
| 06 Thu | High 03:25 (2.58m) | Low 09:53 (0.99m) | High 16:09 (2.33m) | Low 22:12 (1.22m) |
| 07 Fri | High 04:28 (2.43m) | Low 11:12 (1.14m) | High 17:20 (2.25m) | Low 23:47 (1.26m) |
| 08 Sat | High 05:59 (2.33m) | Low 12:38 (1.20m) | High 18:58 (2.27m) | |
| 09 Sun | Low 01:16 (1.17m) | High 07:50 (2.37m) | Low 13:54 (1.14m) | High 20:26 (2.43m) |
| 10 Mon | Low 02:29 (0.96m) | High 09:11 (2.52m) | Low 14:56 (1.00m) | High 21:29 (2.67m) |
| 11 Tue | Low 03:30 (0.69m) | High 10:11 (2.67m) | Low 15:48 (0.85m) | High 22:19 (2.91m) |
| 12 Wed | Low 04:21 (0.44m) | High 11:00 (2.79m) | Low 16:32 (0.72m) | High 23:03 (3.10m) |
| 13 Thu | Low 05:07 (0.26m) | High 11:45 (2.85m) | Low 17:14 (0.64m) | High 23:44 (3.22m) |
| 14 Fri | Low 05:50 (0.18m) | High 12:25 (2.85m) | Low 17:53 (0.62m) | |
| 15 Sat | High 00:24 (3.25m) | Low 06:30 (0.22m) | High 13:04 (2.79m) | Low 18:31 (0.67m) |
| 16 Sun | High 01:01 (3.17m) | Low 07:09 (0.36m) | High 13:39 (2.70m) | Low 19:09 (0.76m) |
| 17 Mon | High 01:38 (3.01m) | Low 07:46 (0.57m) | High 14:12 (2.57m) | Low 19:47 (0.90m) |
| 18 Tue | High 02:14 (2.79m) | Low 08:24 (0.82m) | High 14:45 (2.44m) | Low 20:28 (1.06m) |
| 19 Wed | High 02:50 (2.55m) | Low 09:04 (1.07m) | High 15:19 (2.31m) | Low 21:18 (1.23m) |
| 20 Thu | High 03:32 (2.32m) | Low 09:54 (1.30m) | High 16:01 (2.18m) | Low 22:28 (1.38m) |
| 21 Fri | High 04:30 (2.11m) | Low 11:07 (1.46m) | High 17:11 (2.08m) | Low 23:57 (1.45m) |
| 22 Sat | High 06:23 (2.00m) | Low 12:32 (1.51m) | High 19:11 (2.10m) | |
| 23 Sun | Low 01:23 (1.39m) | High 08:17 (2.06m) | Low 13:46 (1.44m) | High 20:32 (2.23m) |
| 24 Mon | Low 02:30 (1.24m) | High 09:17 (2.19m) | Low 14:41 (1.32m) | High 21:21 (2.40m) |
| 25 Tue | Low 03:18 (1.07m) | High 09:57 (2.31m) | Low 15:22 (1.18m) | High 21:57 (2.56m) |
| 26 Wed | Low 03:55 (0.89m) | High 10:31 (2.42m) | Low 15:58 (1.04m) | High 22:28 (2.71m) |
| 27 Thu | Low 04:29 (0.72m) | High 11:01 (2.51m) | Low 16:30 (0.91m) | High 22:56 (2.83m) |
| 28 Fri | Low 05:00 (0.57m) | High 11:29 (2.60m) | Low 17:01 (0.81m) | High 23:24 (2.92m) |
| 29 Sat | Low 05:31 (0.46m) | High 11:57 (2.67m) | Low 17:32 (0.73m) | High 23:53 (2.99m) |
| 01 Wed | Low 05:42 (0.82m) | High 12:13 (2.47m) | Low 17:42 (0.99m) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 02 Thu | High 00:13 (2.77m) | Low 06:17 (0.78m) | High 12:44 (2.45m) | Low 18:13 (0.99m) |
| 03 Fri | High 00:43 (2.80m) | Low 06:52 (0.77m) | High 13:16 (2.42m) | Low 18:44 (0.99m) |
| 04 Sat | High 01:14 (2.81m) | Low 07:29 (0.76m) | High 13:50 (2.40m) | Low 19:17 (1.02m) |
| 05 Sun | High 01:47 (2.78m) | Low 08:07 (0.78m) | High 14:28 (2.38m) | Low 19:55 (1.08m) |
| 06 Mon | High 02:24 (2.72m) | Low 08:49 (0.81m) | High 15:10 (2.35m) | Low 20:41 (1.15m) |
| 07 Tue | High 03:06 (2.63m) | Low 09:39 (0.86m) | High 15:59 (2.32m) | Low 21:40 (1.23m) |
| 08 Wed | High 03:56 (2.54m) | Low 10:40 (0.92m) | High 16:56 (2.30m) | Low 22:56 (1.28m) |
| 09 Thu | High 04:57 (2.46m) | Low 11:49 (0.98m) | High 18:04 (2.30m) | |
| 10 Fri | Low 00:16 (1.26m) | High 06:15 (2.43m) | Low 12:59 (0.99m) | High 19:20 (2.36m) |
| 11 Sat | Low 01:29 (1.15m) | High 07:43 (2.48m) | Low 14:05 (0.96m) | High 20:32 (2.49m) |
| 12 Sun | Low 02:34 (0.97m) | High 09:03 (2.60m) | Low 15:04 (0.88m) | High 21:34 (2.66m) |
| 13 Mon | Low 03:33 (0.75m) | High 10:10 (2.73m) | Low 15:58 (0.80m) | High 22:28 (2.85m) |
| 14 Tue | Low 04:28 (0.54m) | High 11:07 (2.83m) | Low 16:46 (0.72m) | High 23:17 (3.02m) |
| 15 Wed | Low 05:19 (0.36m) | High 11:58 (2.87m) | Low 17:31 (0.69m) | |
| 16 Thu | High 00:03 (3.15m) | Low 06:07 (0.27m) | High 12:46 (2.84m) | Low 18:14 (0.70m) |
| 17 Fri | High 00:46 (3.20m) | Low 06:55 (0.27m) | High 13:31 (2.76m) | Low 18:57 (0.76m) |
| 18 Sat | High 01:28 (3.17m) | Low 07:41 (0.36m) | High 14:14 (2.64m) | Low 19:39 (0.87m) |
| 19 Sun | High 02:09 (3.04m) | Low 08:27 (0.53m) | High 14:55 (2.50m) | Low 20:24 (1.01m) |
| 20 Mon | High 02:50 (2.85m) | Low 09:14 (0.74m) | High 15:37 (2.37m) | Low 21:13 (1.16m) |
| 21 Tue | High 03:32 (2.62m) | Low 10:03 (0.96m) | High 16:22 (2.26m) | Low 22:12 (1.29m) |
| 22 Wed | High 04:21 (2.40m) | Low 10:59 (1.15m) | High 17:18 (2.17m) | Low 23:23 (1.38m) |
| 23 Thu | High 05:28 (2.21m) | Low 12:02 (1.29m) | High 18:34 (2.15m) | |
| 24 Fri | Low 00:38 (1.39m) | High 07:06 (2.13m) | Low 13:09 (1.34m) | High 19:55 (2.20m) |
| 25 Sat | Low 01:49 (1.33m) | High 08:32 (2.17m) | Low 14:11 (1.32m) | High 20:58 (2.31m) |
| 26 Sun | Low 02:48 (1.22m) | High 09:32 (2.26m) | Low 15:02 (1.25m) | High 21:45 (2.44m) |
| 27 Mon | Low 03:35 (1.09m) | High 10:16 (2.36m) | Low 15:43 (1.16m) | High 22:23 (2.57m) |
| 28 Tue | Low 04:15 (0.95m) | High 10:53 (2.43m) | Low 16:20 (1.06m) | High 22:56 (2.68m) |
| 29 Wed | Low 04:51 (0.83m) | High 11:26 (2.47m) | Low 16:53 (0.98m) | High 23:25 (2.78m) |
| 30 Thu | Low 05:25 (0.72m) | High 11:56 (2.51m) | Low 17:24 (0.91m) | High 23:53 (2.86m) |
| 31 Fri | Low 05:58 (0.63m) | High 12:25 (2.54m) | Low 17:55 (0.86m) |
The panel at the top of the page shows the next four turns of the tide for whichever date is selected in the calendar. Each row is one extreme: a "High" or "Low", the time it happens in local time, and the predicted height in metres above chart datum.
The 7 days tab lays the next week out as columns, one per day, with each day's tides stacked top to bottom in the order they happen. The 30 days tab switches to a calendar-row layout for planning further ahead. Both pick up from whatever date the calendar is on.
Tides at most UK ports are semidiurnal: two highs and two lows roughly twelve hours and twenty-five minutes apart. A few stations have a double high water (Poole and Southampton are the well-known ones) or a much smaller secondary peak. If a day in the table only shows three turns instead of four, it's because one of them sat just outside midnight at one end of the day.
The size of the swing between low and high changes through the month, following the spring and neap cycle. The Orkney page flags spring and neap days automatically when one is selected in the calendar.
Tide Curve for Orkney
Next 7 days, segmented by day
The chart plots the predicted water level at Orkney as a smooth curve over the next seven days. Each peak is a high water; each trough is a low water. The shaded bands separate days, and a faint "now" marker shows where the current time falls along the curve.
Hover the chart and a tracker line snaps to the nearest hour, with a tooltip giving the exact time and height. The numbers on the left axis are the height in metres above chart datum, on the same scale as the values in the tide table.
Weeks where the peaks are tall and the troughs deep are spring tides. Weeks where the curve bunches towards the middle are neaps. Predictions are computed from astronomical constituents, so the same shape carries forward as far as the data allows.
Orkney Location
58.9847, -2.9595
Orkney sits at 58.9847°N, 2.9595°W, on the coast of Scotland. The marker comes from the tide station coordinates rather than the town centre, so the prediction lines up with the bit of coastline the data is for.
Nearest tide stations to Orkney
- Kirkwall, 0.4 km W
- Deer Sound, 9.4 km E
- St. Mary's, 9.7 km S
- Scapa Flow, 11 km SW
- St Mary's Bay, 11 km S
- Burray Ness, 16 km SE
For a same-day comparison, look at tide times for Kirkwall, Deer Sound, or St. Mary's. The shape of the cycle is usually similar to Orkney, but the time of high water and the tidal range can shift noticeably along even short stretches of coast.
Browse the full list at UK tide locations for another port, harbour, or beach.
About tides at Orkney
Orkney sits on the coast of Scotland. Tide times here follow two highs and two lows on most days, roughly twelve hours and twenty-five minutes apart. All heights on this page are measured from chart datum, the lowest the water normally falls.
Across the year the typical day-to-day range here is around 1.9 metres between low and high water. Spring tides push the swing up to about 3.0 metres at peak. Neap tides drop it to around 0.6 metres.
Common questions about Orkney tide times
- When is the next high tide at Orkney?
- The next high tide is shown in the panel at the top of the page, with the exact time and predicted height in metres above chart datum. Today's full set of tide times is in the table below the calendar.
- How big is the tidal range at Orkney?
- The mean range here is around 1.9 metres between consecutive low and high water. Peak spring tides push that up to roughly 3.0 metres. Neap tides bring it down by about half.
- What time zone are these tide times in?
- Times follow UK local time, so they are GMT in winter and BST through the summer.
- Why does high tide happen at a different time each day?
- Tides follow the moon, not the sun. The moon takes about 24 hours and 50 minutes to come back to the same point overhead, so each high water happens roughly 50 minutes later than the day before.
- Can I use these tide times for sailing or coastal planning?
- No. These are astronomical predictions for general reference and educational use only. Don't rely on this site, or any tide table, for sailing, navigation, swimming, fishing, or any decision where the water level matters for safety. Use official sources and a current marine forecast instead.