Orkney Image Library

passengers being landed from a Cruise ship possibly British India's Dunera or Devonia due to Indian crewman in the bow. These former troopships did cruises for mainly school groups though they carried adults as well on certain cruises and were fairly regular callers at Kirkwall in the 60s. They were later replaced by the larger "Nevasa" and possibly better known "Uganda" which acted as a hospital ship and transport to the Falklands in 1982.

I came ashore in similar manner from Devonia in 1966 and I'm sure you're right Cap'n Willie.
(I was on a birdwatching cruise around Scotland. Elsewhere on OIL I've described how a fellow-passenger's broken Pentax camera was immediately repaired by Sandy Wylie before our coach left Kirkwall to visit some of the famous bird sites. I may use this post as an excuse for submitting a photo from that visit if I can find an appropriate one.)

Since my previous comment I've had a go at enhancing the inscription on the dark oblong panel above the figure 8. I can't make it readable but there seem to be too many characters for 'Dunera' and the last two could be IA. So I'd guess it's a Devonia lifeboat (though I'd hope there's a bigger name somewhere else on her for identification in a shipwreck situation). Not enough passengers are wearing the birders' badge of office - neck-slung binoculars - for it to be the cruise I was on, but the dark line below the gunwale does suggest a BI ship.
I found a couple of shots from my 1966 Devonia cruise and will upload them now.

Hatston slip!!!

I think that is the "St Ninian" departing (top right) so a fair chance that was a Wednesday or Friday afternoon about 1700 and the passengers were possibly returning to their ship and that also narrows the date down to pre 1970 when the "Ninian" was sold to Canada. I would also agree it was probably at Hatston though I do know the Corn Slip was sometimes used.