Bay of Skaill

Sandwick · Scotland · United Kingdom

Today’s forecast: the current surf forecast for Bay of Skaill (wave height, swell, wind, tide and a 0–10 rating for every hour of the next 16 days) are only shown on SurfCams. They change every hour, so this text doesn’t contain them. To check today’s surf, open https://surf-cams.com/spot/bay-of-skaill.

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The Bay of Skaill is a sheltered half-moon of sand on the west coast of Orkney's Mainland, next to the Neolithic village of Skara Brae. It faces straight out into the Atlantic, with waves on the sand and reefs at both ends. Surfers are very rare.

Level
Intermediate
Break
Beach break, sand and rock
Waves
Lefts and rights
Crowd
Quiet
Season
autumn, winter, spring
Boards
A shortboard or fish.

When it works

✓ A 1–2 m west to north-west swell with an easterly to south-south-easterly wind.

When it doesn't

✕ Westerly winds blow straight in, and big swells close out the bay.

Watch out for

  • rocks
  • rips

Best months

September, October, November, December, January, February, March, April, May

Local tips

Surf with someone else: there are no other surfers or lifeguards. The tidal streams around Orkney are very strong, so stay inside the bay. Combine a session with a visit to Skara Brae.

Getting there

From Stromness, follow the B9056 north to the Skara Brae car park at the bay.

Travel notes

How often it works
Fairly consistent through the year on west and north-west swells.
Crowd and vibe
Usually empty.
Camping and vans
Birsay Hostel and Campsite is about 8 km north. Point of Ness Campsite in Stromness is about 11 km south. Nearest campsite about 8 km away.
Facilities
Visitor centre with café and toilets at Skara Brae. Shops in Stromness.
Water quality
Not a designated bathing water, so there is no official water quality result here.

Ideal conditions

Swell
W–NW best, SW–NNW works
Size
1–2 m offshore swell; starts at 0.7 m, holds to 3 m
Period
9 s minimum, best from 12 s
Wind
Offshore E–S; handles onshore up to 12 km/h
Tide
mid best
Faces
WNW (290°)

Live cam

No cam at this spot yet: the forecast and the guide are on the map.

Nearby spots

All spots in Scotland · All spots

Sources