Where to Stay in Orkney
Map of Where to Stay in Orkney
Information about Orkney
Orkney is an archipelago of extraordinary richness and beauty, a group of seventy islands lying just off the northern tip of the Scottish mainland that punches so far above its weight in terms of history, landscape and visitor experience that it consistently ranks among the most memorable destinations in the entire British Isles. Separated from Caithness by the turbulent waters of the Pentland Firth, Orkney feels from the moment of arrival like a place apart — gentler and greener than Shetland to the north, yet possessed of a wild Atlantic energy and a depth of prehistoric history that is genuinely unmatched anywhere in northern Europe.
The Neolithic monuments of Orkney form a UNESCO World Heritage Site of global significance. The Ring of Brodgar, the Standing Stones of Stenness, the chambered tomb of Maeshowe and the extraordinary settlement of Skara Brae — a complete Neolithic village preserved under sand for four thousand years — together represent the most remarkable concentration of prehistoric monuments in the British Isles, giving Orkney a historical depth that predates the pyramids of Egypt and speaks of a sophisticated and spiritually rich civilisation about which we are still learning.
The landscape is open and elemental, the islands largely treeless and shaped by the wind and the sea into a succession of dramatic clifftops, sandy beaches, fertile farmland and sheltered bays that support an exceptional abundance of wildlife. The cliffs of Hoy, the most dramatic of the Orkney islands, rise to over three hundred metres above the sea at St John’s Head, while the Old Man of Hoy, a spectacular sandstone sea stack, is one of the most iconic natural landmarks in Scotland.
Kirkwall, the island capital, is a compact and characterful town of flagstone streets and Norse influenced architecture, dominated by the magnificent red sandstone cathedral of St Magnus, the most northerly medieval cathedral in the British Isles and a building of remarkable beauty and historical resonance. Stromness, the second town, is a place of singular charm, its winding main street running along the harbour front in a succession of stone piers and narrow closes that gives it an atmosphere unlike any other town in Scotland.
Whether you are drawn by the prehistoric wonders of the World Heritage Site, the dramatic cliffs of Hoy, the wildlife of the Orkney seas or simply the profound pleasure of a island community living at its own unhurried pace, Orkney is a destination that leaves every visitor quietly transformed.
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