This hotel was a decent place to stay for one night. I was stuck in Orkney for an additional night…read moresince the ferry was canceled, and I landed at this hotel. The staff were super friendly and helpful to our group of 25. Some of the rooms are updated, others are not. I ended up in an older room that had a mean draft coming from the window. It was clean, so I did not complain. There also seems to be some shutters that make a lot of noise when it's windy. It was a bit hard to get to sleep because of this. This hotel can use a facelift, but I think it can be good again with some help. 3 Stars

Took refuge in here when the heavens opened. Great old, imposing building with a bar overlooking…read morethe harbour on the first floor. A couple of good local ales, including Scapa Special, with friendly service. The roaring fire was particularly welcome.

Found this little gem as we were driving across Orkney. It's easy to find, park, and has an…read moreinviting dining room with a big bay window. There were but three empty tables when we came in for lunch. The decor is part bar, part restaurant with letter stools and banquettes that are clean, and comfortable. It seems to be a spot for people who like to fish, with a few fine specimens mounted on the wall, and an art piece of tied flies (surprising delicate and beautiful; I would bite on these). The grab-a-menu-from-the-bar menu is large, and offers conventional Scottish cuisine of fish, and meat, tatties (potatoes), and salads/vegetables. You order at the bar. They tell you to give them 30 minutes to prepare each meal to order, but ours was out in 15. And it was some of the best food I've had in Orkney. All three kinds of potatoes (!) were tasty. We both had slow-roasted pork with apple sauce and it was tender and delicious, with a light gravy on top. There were also steamed vegetables, and they were as expected. Each plate cost thirteen pounds, which seemed more than reasonable for the quality. Service was minimal but just right. Loved this find. Pro tip: Kitchen closes at 2:00 pm.

A stunning location especially if you are a fisherman :-)…read more Food is excellent and the resturant is well worth a visit. Accomodation is a little tired but the staff are very helpful and friendly.

Fine pub food, some Scottish dishes and influence, selection of beers and spirits…read more Food is nothing fantastic but far from bad. Large, satisfying portions. Would eat here again.

We didn't do the Hotel part, just stopped here for lunch and it was very good. Service was great…read moreand the food was delicious, local beers on draft, plenty of choices in food or drink.

It's all about the location here. There is nothing to compare with the vista at breakfast looking…read moreout at the megalithic landscape of Maes Howe, Ness of Brodgar, Stones of Stenness and the Ring of Brodgar. Just amazing. As there's nothing else within easy striking distance, we ate in the bar both nights. It was end-of-season so the place was pretty quiet. Staff are very friendly and extremely helpful, and the food was pretty good actually. There was a local pool tournament on our second night, which involved some major reorganisation of the bar furniture to accommodate a second pool table shipped in from another nearby hostelry; however it did provide some pleasant entertainment while we ate our meals. All the players were incredibly polite and well-behaved, and instead of the anticipated raucous shouting match that I expected we were treated to a very gentlemanly evening of civilised competition. My only complaint is about the actual building construction. The walls in my room appeared to be made from cardboard or some other acoustically near-transparent material. They were so thin I could hear the guest in the next room zipping up his trousers in the morning - seriously! The floors were also very creaky when moving about. The loo roll holder in my bathroom was working its way out of the plasterboard fixing, and the shower mount was held together with a bit of string at the top. The room curtains also appeared to be made from a couple of bits of old sacking and some backing material and may as well have been shutters as they were so inflexible. The room was otherwise excellent and the bed was comfortable, but the combination of these small irritants is enough to prevent me giving a higher rating.

We stayed here for 4 nights in August and loved this place. The rooms were clean, the bed was…read morecomfortable, and the hotel was quiet. More importantly, the bathrooms had been updated recently, with a good shower and heated towel rack. My only complaint about the bathroom was that the hot water took a bit to heat up but it got plenty warm and had good water pressure. We also ate in the bar for lunch and at the restaurant for dinner. Both meals were excellent. The staff was very helpful, let us use left luggage when we arrived early and let us settle our bill the night before/gave us instructions for leaving our keys when we checked out very early. Location is convenient to buses at the visitor center and to the city center for shopping, sight seeing, and dining.

The shore provides some lovely rooms, a restaurant, a back bar and a bar open to the public. The…read morefood is always delicious, the staff friendly and everything is spotless. The bar is the only place in town where you can get a proper cocktail, which are always delicious. The interior is stylish, with leather sofas, a tv showing sports and a tempting display of bottles behind the bar. It is right by the harbour and open for lunch and dinner for food.

Sands Hotel provides a perfect, secluded base from which to explore Orkney. While the village of…read moreBurray doesn't offer the amenities of Stromness or Kirkwall, it offers instead quietude and charm. Sands Hotel is prettily situated on Waterside Bay along Burray Harbour. Each of the six ensuite rooms overlooks the water and the folksily painted fishing boats in dock. We were fortunate enough to book the Waterside Suite which provided more than enough space and sleeping accommodations for five, as well as a kitchenette. The rooms were comfortable, modern and clean. Breakfast (ample and delicious) is included with the price the room as well, served in the hotel's ground floor restaurant. Evenings, the restaurant's bar fills with colorful locals enjoying a beer or a game of snooker. It's a convivial place to partake in a dram of Orkney Scapa whisky or a pint of the iconic Dark Island Scottish ale from the Orkney Brewery. Kirkwall may be livelier, but there's something to be said for the peace and solitude provided by Sands.

The Pierowall hotel is famed for serving up the best fish in Orkney. When they say 'fresh' they…read moreliterally mean straight out of the sea. You can't beat it. It is situated on the Island of Westray, one of the bigger Isles off the mainland of Orkney. Fun piece of trivia: the shortest flight in the world (1 and a half minutes) runs from Westray to Papa Westray. Anyway, the hotel. The food is excellent, the service good and it has a great old fashioned feel to it. Definitely worth a visit if you are a foodie type.

Horrible. Horrible. Horrible. They totally scammed me. Ran my card and claimed it didn't work. Then…read moreI paid cash. $330+. Get a notice the next day that my card was charged. Was enjoying a lovely time in Scotland, and Kirkwall in particular...but this will change my outlook entirely. IN addition to the scam, the food was meh. Prawns were DIRTY. No follow up service.

A fantastic find! I don't want to leave. The staff, Malcolm and Paulina, are very warm and…read moreknowledgeable. Their service goes way above any five star hotel I've ever been in. The rooms are exceptional and beautifully decorated in eclectic antiques. The whiskey collection is an envy and the chef's dinner effort was amazing. Best of all, Archie, the adorable black springer poodle was an affable and charming host! Well worth the money and plan to spend some time enjoying the experience.

John o Groats is the furthest north you can go, it has a few touristy shops but the hotel itself is…read morebeing regenerated into a hotel with leisure facilities, you can also take boat trips just around the coast to see the local wildlife including puffins or a slightly longer trip over the water to Orkney

John o Groats is the northern most tip of the Scottish mainland. It is at the same latitude as…read moreJuneau, Alaska. There are several nice local gift stores and the ferry terminal to the outer islands. It is often cold and rainy but it is worth the trip. 5 Stars. By Gregg L. Friedman MD