BEAUTIFUL PLACES. TIME TO EXPLORE. Discover your next base
county · Scotland
Places to stay in Orkney
Orkney accommodation is a choice between island bases, not simply hotels around Kirkwall. Kirkwall supports a town-centred Mainland stay, Stromness gives the western side a harbour-town anchor, and Pierowall on Westray offers a real outer-island holiday. The first two are connected by road on Orkney Mainland; Westray requires its own ferry or flight and onward transfer. Choose the island experience you want, then coordinate the room and transport before adding individual archaeological or wildlife visits.
Kirkwall gives the stay a town setting with the cathedral, harbour and local streets forming part of the visit. Kirkwall Hotel is the accommodation comparison here, with room categories that should be checked for the outlook and layout you want. Give the town an arrival afternoon before setting out for a separately planned archaeological or coastal day.
Good for: A Mainland stay with town facilities and flexible day outings.
Before you choose: A Kirkwall harbour address does not mean every external or inter-island ferry departs beside the room. Confirm the actual terminal, check-in and transfer for each sailing.
Stromness provides another Mainland rhythm, with its harbour and streets worth enjoying beyond the ferry arrival. Ferry Inn rooms are divided between the main inn and Harbourside House across the road. Choose this base when the town and west-Mainland visits fit the itinerary, leaving time for a meal rather than treating Stromness only as a port.
Good for: A harbour-town stay with a western Mainland focus.
Before you choose: Main-inn rooms require stairs; only some annexe rooms are ground-floor. Ask for the specific building, bathroom and beds. A bedroom reservation does not secure a dinner table.
Pierowall on Westray: stay on an outer island
Pierowall Hotel makes Westray a genuine overnight option. Staying here gives the island’s village, coast and history room in the itinerary without watching an immediate return deadline all day. Plan the outward and return travel with the actual ferry terminal or airfield in mind, then arrange the onward journey to Pierowall.
Good for: Visitors who want an outer-island experience as part of the holiday.
Before you choose: Westray is not joined to Mainland by road. The hotel has both en-suite and Standard rooms, so confirm the bathroom and meal arrangements before coordinating the island crossing.
Compare Kirkwall harbour, cathedral-side streets and Hatston arrival logistics, with room-view choices and realistic Orkney planning.
Make it your kind of break
ROMANTIC BREAKS
Choose a harbour evening or an island pause
Kirkwall and Stromness offer two different town evenings, while Westray rewards staying long enough to slow down. Pick the room and meal that matter, and allow spare time around sea travel. A second local morning can be more valuable than another hurried island change.
FAMILY BREAKS
Keep archaeology and travel in proportion
Choose one principal site or island outing each day and check its current access, booking and conditions. Confirm every child bed and bathroom before booking the hotel. A transfer day already asks something of the group, so avoid attaching several timed visits to the same arrival.
A LITTLE ROOM TO EXPLORE
A stay with time for the place
Build the trip around the base you choose, with a realistic arrival and return.
Coordinate the room and island arrival
Decide whether the stay is on Mainland or Westray. Check the correct external and inter-island services, then match the hotel arrival and any onward transport.
Give the chosen island a full day
Explore Kirkwall’s town setting, Stromness and western Mainland, or Westray itself. Select a specific site or route and verify its current visitor arrangements.
Add another base only with spare time
A longer trip can combine Mainland and Westray with separate nights. Keep transfer time distinct from sightseeing, and protect the final departure rather than relying on a tight sequence of last sailings.
Less time? For two or three nights, choose one island base. A longer stay can add Westray as a separate stage. With one night, prioritise the arrival port and a manageable local visit.
ROOM FOR YOUR NEXT TRIP
Stays in Orkney
Researched accommodation shortlist
Kirkwall Hotel and Ferry Inn offer contrasting Mainland towns; Pierowall Hotel supplies a real Westray option. Choose the island and transfer plan before comparing room categories.
Hotel · Kirkwall
The Kirkwall Hotel
Harbour Street, Kirkwall, KW15 1LE
A harbour-front hotel for a Kirkwall town stay, with sea-view and inland-facing room choices. Hatston ferry arrivals still need a separate transfer.
Why compare it: A Kirkwall town base for a Mainland Orkney visit.
Thirty-seven en-suite bedrooms are advertised.
Sea View and Junior Suite categories offer harbour outlooks.
Classic rooms look towards rooftops and hills.
Before you book: Confirm twin conversion, room access and check-in after your actual ferry arrival. Do not assume a harbour photograph means every room has that view.
A Stromness harbour inn for a west-Mainland Orkney stay. Rooms are divided between the inn and a separate building across the street, so the building choice matters.
Why compare it: A Stromness harbour stay with main-inn or annexe room choices.
Single, twin, double and family en-suite accommodation is advertised.
Main-inn rooms are on the first and second floors with stair access.
Harbourside House has three ground-floor rooms.
Before you book: Confirm the building, exact family beds and bathroom route. Ground-floor does not by itself establish fully adapted access. Reserve dinner separately and match your arrival to the correct ferry terminal.
A village hotel on Westray for visitors choosing a genuine outer-island stay. It requires a separate island journey from Orkney Mainland and onward travel to Pierowall.
Why compare it: A Pierowall hotel for a separate Westray island stay.
The operator lists six rooms, four en-suite and two Standard.
Double and twin en-suite categories are identified.
A restaurant, car park and Z-bed by arrangement are advertised.
Before you book: Confirm whether the selected room has its own bathroom, especially the Standard and King Suite listings. Ask about the Z-bed, stairs and meals. Arrange the ferry or flight and transfer from the arrival point.
It means Orkney’s largest island, containing Kirkwall and Stromness. It does not mean mainland Scotland, so an external sea or air journey is still part of reaching it.
Can I drive from Kirkwall to Westray?
Not without an inter-island crossing. Check Orkney Ferries or the current air service, and arrange the onward journey from the arrival point to Pierowall.
Is Pierowall the arrival point for every Westray ferry?
No. Check the terminal on the actual service, including Rapness where relevant. A Pierowall hotel address does not establish that the ferry leaves you at the hotel’s village.
Are Ferry Inn rooms all in one building?
No. The main inn has upper-floor rooms reached by stairs, while Harbourside House is across the street and has some ground-floor rooms. Confirm the selected building and complete route.
Are all Pierowall Hotel rooms en-suite?
No. The operator distinguishes four en-suite and two Standard rooms. Confirm the exact bathroom arrangement, including the selected suite category, before booking.
These comparisons are editorial suggestions based on official visitor information. Property details come from the linked operators. We have not stayed at or inspected these properties; inclusion is not a rating or paid placement.
Sources checked 2026-09-17. Check current arrangements before travelling.
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