Boasting a rich Neolithic history, Viking heritage, stunning landscapes and a unique culture, the Orkney archipelago, located off the northeastern coast of Scotland, has experienced a tourism boom in recent years. Featuring UNESCO sites like Skara Brae and the Ring of Brodgar and abundant wildlife, including puffin colonies and whales, and dolphins offshore, it is not surprising to hear that visitor spending reached £78million in 2024.

However, this success has come at a cost for Orkney’s residents, who number between 22,000 and 22,500 people across the 20 inhabited islands. While tourism has brought economic benefits, it has also put a strain on infrastructure and services, prompting the Orkney Islands Council to develop a Visitor Management Plan for sustainable tourism, exploring potential solutions to manage the problem.

According to Visit Scotland, nearly 396,000 visitors arrived by boat and air in 2024. While figures were predicted to be lower for 2025, partly due to increased competition from rival destinations, visitors still outnumber locals by almost 20 to one. 

A major concern is the high number of cruise ships. Orkney actually tops the UK’s charts for cruise ship visits, often being dubbed the “cruise capital” of Britain, as American, German and Italian tourists descend on its impressive Neolithic sites and medieval cathedral, St Magnus in Kirkwall, the oldest in Scotland.

According to recent estimates, 2025 saw an incredible 178 calls, with up to 3,000 passengers disembarking daily during July and August, but never staying in Orkney’s hotels or guesthouses.

The influx of tourists has resulted in the narrow roads becoming congested, public transport being overwhelmed, and the Neolithic stones at Brodgar are now fenced off to repair the erosion caused by visitors. The situation is now so dire that some tourists, unable to find toilets, have even been accused of defecating in the open.

A local tour guide told The Telegraph that during the peak summer season, getting a table reservation at a restaurant is impossible: “It really p***** people off. Everywhere is full.”

Struggling to afford the costs to build new toilets, coach parks and paths to accommodate all these visitors, the council and its business leaders are pushing the Scottish Government to introduce a harsh new levy for every tourist who lands on Orkney, by either sea or air through airlines like Loganair.

“The status quo isn’t sustainable right now, and we need more investment, better roads and better toilets to improve our infrastructure,” Christie Hartley, Orkney council’s sustainable tourism team manager, also told The Telegraph, adding that while the industry is a cornerstone of the islands’ economy, it made sense to charge visitors to help its communities thrive.

However, Cruise Scotland said that a cruise ship levy will put off many passengers, “delivering serious consequences for Scotland’s cruise sector, its fragile coastal economies, and the country’s reputation as a globally competitive tourism destination”.

Scotland already has the UK’s first law to allow councils to introduce a “bed tax”, which is a visitor levy on hotels, B&Bs and campsites. The tax came into force in Scotland in July, with tourists now required to pay a 5% surcharge on all rooms booked, capped at five nights. However, in Orkney, this was rejected due to strong local opposition and concerns about economic competitiveness, in favour of sustainable tourism strategies.