How much time to get ashore at tender ports?

We will have a few tender ports on our British Isles cruise and would like to know how much time it will take to get ashore.

We are not suite or club, but balcony and have rental cars booked at Kirkwall and Portree.

Also, what are the rules on getting back to the ship?

Surprised you need a tender at Kirkwall as this is usually a berth dock as it had a new cruise dock built few years ago.

If you arrive early it should not be too long a wait. It will be busiest between about 9am and 10.30 usually.

Tendering time from ship to Edinburgh (Newhaven Harbour) is around 20 minutes. In keeping with most cruise lines, passengers on early booked tours will be tendered first. As said, usually busiest between 9.30-10.30am. On the way back to the ship, try to avoid the times that most morning / afternoon tours are returning, ie 1pm and 4pm (BST)

You are right majortom10. Upon closer look, Kirkwall is not a tender port. Portree and Guernsey are.

I was concerned that we would have to wait for suite and club passengers, as well as passengers on ship tours, to tender before we would be able to go ashore.