I'll not say anything that the previous reviewer already said, but will add that you no longer need…read moreto pay to see the gallery of tapestries. In fact, there's an extension being built right now to house even more, plus art from Leila's daughter. The gallery now sells a huge selection of prints, as is, mounted or framed, plus 'hand tufted' rugs with designs from some of the tapestries. Definitely worth a visit if in the South Isles, though only really possible by car unless you want to spend the best part of a day walking there & back from St. Margarets Hope.

This is a lovely well gallery. It's a bit 'off the beaten track' but is signposted from the village…read moreof St Margaret's Hope. The views from the gallery are stunning - and you can continue on to Hoxa Head and see the remians of wartime buildings. Inside the gallery you can watch Leila Thomson working creating one of her huge tapestries. If you pay to go into the gallery you can see more examples of her work hanging - it's stunning. She sells postcards and prints of some of her tapestries so you can take a memento home - if you want to but a tapestry I believe you have to commission one and ther's a waiting list - yes, she is that good.

The Pier Arts Centre is quite simply an amazing place to have somewhere as small as Orkney. It has…read morea world renowned collection, including works from the likes of Barbara Hepworth. There's the 'permanent collection' and it also hosts visiting exhibitions and exhibitions of local work throughout the year. There's lots of different rooms in the gallery - and a small courtyard outside right on the Stromness waterfront. There's a small shop - and the staff are knowledgeable, friendly and helpful. The extension to the gallery - built on reclaimed land - is also important architecturally and has won awards. The Pier Arts Centre hosts workshops at various times of the year - such as children's workshops in the school holidays. It is also often used as a venue during the Orkney Folk Festival.

From the owner: The Pier Arts Centre in Stromness, Orkney was established in 1979 to provide a home for an…read moreimportant collection of British fine art donated by the author, peace activist and philanthropist Margaret Gardiner. The Collection includes works by major 20th Century artists Barbara Hepworth, Ben Nicholson and Alfred Wallis amongst others, as well as contemporary art and local artists. Although small, it is regarded as one of the finest collections of the period in the UK. The Pier is also a partner of Tate, and exchanges programmes, ideas and skills with the Plus Tate network of visual arts organisations across the UK. The Centre also curates a year round programme of changing exhibitions and events for the education and enjoyment of the general public.The Pier Arts Centre acts as a focal point for the local artistic community. It has a valuable library and archive which is accessible to the public, and runs a programme of education and outreach activities for groups of all ages.

Okrney and wine? I'll wait until you finish chuckling…read more Now that we've gotten that out of the way, Orkney Wine Company doesn't actually make wine, per se. That is, their "wines" are not made from "grapes." Because "grapes" don't stand a snowball's chance of growing in the Orkney terroir, lovely as it is. Rather, Orkney wine is made from native plants like elderberry, blackcurrant, bramble, cranberries, wild sloe, rhubarb, gooseberries and root ginger. I'll wait until you finish chuckling. Because they're really not as bad as they sound. I was afraid all the wines we sampled would be cloyingly sweet and lack any sort of depth when we pulled in to parking lot, lured by the promise of a "wine tasting." We were certainly treated to possibly the most *unique* tasting I've had the privilege of undertaking. We were told, basically, we could sample whatever we wanted, we just had to ask; the Wine Company doesn't do organized tastings exactly. So husband and I sampled away, trying the Orkney White (interesting, dry and herbaceous) and the Orkney Red (dry and jammy) blends; the Gooseberry (floral nose, smooth finish); and the Taak Hid Sloe (the sweetest we sampled). We ended up purchasing a bottle of the Gooseberry, just for the novelty of it. The "wines" themselves were fine. But what set Orkney Wine Company apart, for me, was the boutique attached, stocked entirely with Orkney merch: Westray pottery; sheepskins, hats, scarves and cushions made from North Ronaldsay wool; Orkney cheeses and game charcuterie; jewelry from local artisans. Everything is superb quality, making Orkney Wine Company the ideal place to pick up a one-of-a-kind souvenir. All five of us did.