Bus
John O'Groats Ferries operates the Orkney Bus, a direct express coach from Inverness to Kirkwall (via ferry) that runs daily from June to early September, making a day trip to Orkney a definite—if hurried—possibility.
The main bus service on Orkney is operated by Stagecoach and on Shetland by ZetTrans (although buses are run by small operators).
Bus Contacts
John O'Groats Ferries. 01955/611353; www.jogferry.co.uk.
Stagecoach. 01856/878014; www.stagecoachbus.com.
ZetTrans. 01595/744868; www.zettrans.org.uk.