The 1-minute punctuality guarantee
We respect your schedule. Our operations run on a strict punctuality standard. If your driver is not at the agreed pickup location within one minute of the scheduled time due to our own operational fault, your transfer fee is waived up to the first full hour of service. This applies to all Orkney tours, airport transfers, ferry connections, and pre-booked accommodation routes.
Upfront Hourly Pricing
We do not provide generic quotes or estimates that change depending on the weather. We work strictly on a fixed hourly rate agreed in advance for your dedicated calendar slot at £70 per hour based on true operational time.
Direct Communication
Your driver will be in touch the day before your hire to touch base. No call centres, just direct contact with the person behind the wheel.
Extensions
Subject strictly to driver availability. If the driver has another booking immediately after yours, the service ends at the pre-agreed time. Any driver-agreed extra travel time on the road is subject to our standard displayed rates.
Pickup time and scheduling
Pickup time means pickup time. Your driver is scheduled at that exact time. If you are unsure of a time, get in touch before booking.
The cruise-free operational rule
To maintain our unmatched reliability record for core Orkney transport logistics and critical connections, we do not pick up from the cruise docks. For Orkney shore excursions, passengers must take the connection shuttle to the Kirkwall Travel Centre. This policy keeps our vehicles completely out of port congestion, ensuring we are on time for your run and remaining available for the rest of the island’s core infrastructure.
Booking & Deposits
Scheduling Care
All bookings are vetted to ensure the timing is realistic for Orkney roads, weather, and ferry links.
Booking & Payments
Bookings require clear agreement on timing and logistics. Electronic invoicing and cash are both fully accepted for your convenience.
The Late Guarantee
If we are late by more than one minute by our own fault, the trip is on us up to the first full hour of travel.
Orkney Transfers & Private Hire: Terms and Conditions
Orkney Transfers delivers pre-booked private hire transport across the Orkney Islands to a standard well above a typical taxi, operating strictly without street hails or metered runs. We manage services through dedicated operational time slots and can explicitly act as an agency to source trusted external providers when fleet capacity requires it. All company logos and trademarks are strictly proprietary and barred from third-party use.
1. Booking, payment and operational time
Fares are fixed as quoted. Electronic invoices must be settled prior to the scheduled pickup time to guarantee your vehicle unless cash payment has been explicitly agreed in writing. You are purchasing a dedicated time slot on our calendar covering operational time, vehicle positioning, and waiting within the booked window.
Once a driver and vehicle are scheduled, your operational slot is locked, paid for, and non-refundable, meaning the contract is strictly to be present and ready to deliver the exact agreed service at the exact agreed time.
2. Short runs and route allocations
All point-to-point private hire transfers and journeys are subject to a strict 30-minute operational minimum charge of £35. Longer routes are billed based on the full operational hours reserved to secure the vehicle for your window, regardless of whether actual wheels-in-motion transit time is shorter.
3. Standard working hours and surcharges
Standard operations run from 09:00 to 19:00. Early morning airport runs or late ferry arrivals outside these hours depend strictly on fleet availability and incur a £20 unsociable hours surcharge by discretion.
4. Timings, client windows and punctuality
If we are late by 1 minute or more due strictly to our own operational fault, excluding traffic congestion, roadworks, or force majeure, the fee is waived up to the first hour of travel.
Standard pickups operate on a strict 10-minute waiting window before departing to keep our transit grid on schedule, while airport or ferry arrivals include a reasonable grace period from actual landing or docking times.
Drivers will make reasonable attempts to contact and locate the client within this window, and failure to meet the vehicle without prior communication constitutes a non-refundable no-show after which the vehicle must depart to fulfil subsequent scheduled commitments.
5. Route verification and fixed scope
We do not auto-accept every booking, and every enquiry is vetted against island geography, seasonal traffic patterns, and ferry timetables. If an itinerary threatens a critical connection, we will suggest a safer adjustment or decline the booking.
Clients cannot alter the journey path or add unscheduled stops unilaterally, and any attempt to introduce scope changes, route variations, or extra drop-offs on the day automatically invalidates the original quote and remains subject to driver approval and additional manual pricing.
6. Cancellations, illness, weather and deposits
Once a booking is secured, paid, or confirmed on our calendar, all fares, booking fees, and payments are strictly non-refundable from the moment of booking to prevent placeholder blocks, applying to any cancellation reason including personal illness, medical emergencies, or sudden travel alterations.
A deposit of £100 is applicable to all by-the-hour tours, shore excursions, and corporate bookings, which reserves calendar space and is entirely non-refundable. Clients must contact their personal travel insurance provider for reimbursement, and we can issue an official statement of non-attendance or a cancellation invoice upon request.
Please notify us immediately if severe winter weather or high winds disrupt travel plans. We will attempt to reroute or reschedule if capacity allows, but cancellations due to force majeure and extreme weather remain entirely outside our liability.
7. Passenger conduct and vehicle care
We reserve the right to refuse transport to any passenger who is abusive, disruptive, or deemed unsafe to travel by the driver. A minimum £250 valeting and downtime fee will be instantly charged to the booking client for any interior vehicle fouling or damage caused by passengers, at the driver's discretion. Passengers are legally required to wear seatbelts at all times, and parents or guardians are entirely responsible for providing and fitting appropriate child restraints.
8. Fleet standards and compliance
Every Orkney private hire utilises high-specification, modern vehicles maintained to rigorous safety and emissions standards. All services are backed by safety vetting, PVG advanced disclosure clearances, and specialised hire-and-reward commercial insurance, and every driver has been hand-picked, personally vetted, and insurance-verified by us.
9. Cruise ship bookings and capacity boundaries
Unless otherwise agreed, cruise-related transfers commence at the Kirkwall Travel Centre. If your cruise ship fails to dock at Orkney due to weather or itinerary changes, the deposit is retained and any further operational charge is waived.
Standard vehicle capacity is one to four passengers, and large groups, excess baggage, or specialised items such as golf clubs or bikes must be disclosed and arranged in advance to ensure appropriate vehicle allocation.
10. Accountability and liability
We deliver on time without excuses, but we are explicitly not liable for any consequential losses, missed connections, or onward travel costs if third-party events like delayed flights, cancelled ferries, road closures, or severe weather disrupt your schedule, and passengers are strongly advised to hold comprehensive travel insurance.
While we will always assist where capacity allows, issues such as missed alarms or personal travel errors are strictly matters for your travel insurer.
11. Agency services, intermediaries and third-party platforms
Where Orkney Transfers acts as a planning agent, intermediary, or coordinator to source specialist third-party vehicles, sub-contractors, or large-scale logistics, our service is strictly limited to consultation, route vetting, and supplier sourcing. Any coordination or finder's fees are fully earned upon procurement and are strictly non-refundable, and we do not accept liability for the operational delivery, vehicle condition, driver conduct, or safety compliance of third-party suppliers, which must be pursued directly against the ultimate service provider.
These terms constitute the primary agreement and take absolute supremacy, overriding any conflicting policies from third-party booking platforms, online travel agencies, or global distribution systems.
12. Governing law and jurisdiction
These terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with Scots Law, and the Scottish Courts shall have exclusive jurisdiction to settle any dispute or claim arising under these terms.
Effective 12 September 2026.