Editing Pentland Firth (section)

==Crossing the Firth==
{{Unreferenced section|date=February 2025}} 
In the West the ferry from [[Scrabster]] to [[Stromness]] operated by [[NorthLink Ferries|NorthLink]] is the oldest continuous ferry service across the firth by the ferry [[MV Hamnavoe|MV ''Hamnavoe'']], started in 1856 as a continuation of the railhead at [[Thurso]]. The [[Far North Line]] opened 28 July 1874

Historically the [[Gills Bay]] area has been the main setting off point from the mainland to the islands of Stroma and Swona and [[Orkney]] itself. At present [[Pentland Ferries]] operate on this route from Gills Bay to [[St Margaret's Hope]] on South Ronaldsay.

At the eastern end John o' Groats Ferries sail to Burwick, also on South Ronaldsay. This is a small passenger ferry which ran in the summer months only until recently. It did not run in the 2024 season.

Consideration was also given to construction of a tunnel linking the islands to the mainland. The {{convert|10|mi|km|adj=on}} tunnel was initially projected to have cost £100 million based on preliminary studies carried out in 2005 but as of 2012 no further progress has been made.

The first recorded swim across the Pentland Firth was by Coleen Blair in 2011. It has since been swum by others including Andrea Gellan (2011; fastest swim) Mark Cameron (2018) and Alison Lievesley (2020)