Papa Westray, Orkney tide times

Predictions: Open-Meteo Marine (MeteoFrance SMOC, 0.08° grid) — heights relative to MSL (not chart datum / LAT). Model-derived.

Model-derived from a global ocean grid. Useful indication; expect about ±45 minutes on average vs. a local harmonic gauge, individual stations vary widely. See /methodology for per-region detail. Not for navigation.

Conditions as of 23:00 local time. Refreshes daily.

Predictions: Open-Meteo Marine (MeteoFrance SMOC, 0.08° grid) — heights relative to MSL (not chart datum / LAT). Model-derived. · Not for navigation.

The angler tradition for major/minor fishing windows: major ≈3-hour windows around moon transit and opposition; minor ≈2-hour windows around moonrise and moonset. Times are Europe/London local. Folk tradition, not a scientific forecast.

Last spring tide on Wed 20 May (range 2.8m / 9.0ft). Next neap on Mon 25 May.

Spring tides cluster around new and full moons (biggest swings). Neap tides land on quarter moons (smallest swings). See the spring tide and neap tide glossary entries for the why.

Papa Westray — Papay to everyone who lives there — is a small island off the north tip of Westray, accessible by the world's shortest scheduled flight (1.7 km from Westray, under 2 minutes air time in a Britten-Norman Islander) or by ferry from Kirkwall via Westray. About 90 people live here year-round. The Knap of Howar on the west coast above the tidal foreshore is a Neolithic farmstead dating to around 3600 BCE — the oldest standing stone house in northwest Europe, predating Skara Brae by several hundred years. The island sits fully exposed to the North Atlantic and Westray Firth, and the tidal environment reflects that. Mean spring range is approximately 3.5 m at Papa Westray, semidiurnal, and the tidal streams in the North Sound — between Papa Westray and North Ronaldsay to the northeast — run at 2–3 knots at springs, southeast on the flood and northwest on the ebb. The Holm of Papay, a small tidal island just off the east coast connected to the main island at low water, holds a Neolithic chambered cairn inside its eastern mound. Access to the holm is on foot across the tidal flat — the crossing takes about 10 minutes and is possible for roughly 3 hours either side of low water at springs. A key to the cairn entrance is available from the island's heritage contact. The foreshore at Papa Westray supports a diversity of birdlife that draws ornithologists as reliably as the archaeology draws prehistory enthusiasts. The RSPB North Hill reserve on the northern tip of the island contains one of the last significant breeding populations of Arctic terns in Orkney, along with great skuas and several thousand seabirds using the tidal zone for feeding during summer months. The terns nest on ground close to the path — wardens are present June to August. Great skuas (bonxies) are territorial at their nests and will fly low over anyone who walks too close; keep moving and don't linger. For rock anglers, the exposed reef edges on the west and north coasts produce pollack and coalfish, with the last two hours of the ebb the most reliable window as the tide drops off the rocky skerries. The west side of the island faces the full Atlantic swell — even on calm days, a ground swell from the northwest makes the base of the cliffs untenable for anyone on foot. The east coast is more sheltered and gives more consistent shore access throughout the tidal cycle. Sea kayakers use Papay as a staging point for the North Isles route, but the exposed crossings to North Ronaldsay and the Holms require careful tidal planning. The North Sound current is not technically difficult for a fit paddler, but it runs against a northwest swell on most days and the water is cold year-round — a dry suit is the sensible call even in July. The paddle from Westray to Papay is around 2.5 km across Pierowall Bay and can be done near high water when the worst of the reef teeth are submerged. The ferry from Kirkwall to Westray takes approximately 1 hour 20 minutes; the onward ferry to Papay a further 25 minutes. The Loganair flight from Westray operates once or twice daily depending on season. Accommodation is limited to a small number of self-catering properties and the Beltane House guest house — book ahead in summer, as the island's capacity is very small. Tide predictions here use Open-Meteo Marine, a global gridded model. Timing accuracy is typically ±45 minutes; height accuracy typically ±0.2–0.3 m. For the Holm of Papay tidal crossing and North Sound passage planning, cross-reference with Admiralty tide tables for Kirkwall.