B&B run by a very nice lady and her daughter. Comfortable, well appointed rooms, beautiful views…read moreof the bay, the hills, the sheep, and the horses, terrific WiFi. Excellent breakfast - cereal, fruit, bread, meat and cheese plate served at your table with seconds if you wish. All for a reasonable price. About a mile walk uphill from the ferry terminal. (A half mile by shortcut for the surefooted. She'll show you the path). Yvonne will give you directions when you book. Just don't chicken out -- keep heading up the last road until you see the sign.

There's a pub attached to the St Ola Hotel and if you walk through the bar area it takes you to a…read moresmall dining area (there's also an outside side entrance). Very straightforward, just a couple of booths and tables. We weren't terribly hungry so we got the soup of the day (Basil and Tomato), cajun fries and a very good Steak and Orkney Ale Pie. (Steak & Orkney Ale Pie £14.95 Orkney Ale Braised Beef Pie served with Mash Potato and Buttered Greens). The pie came with a massive but tasteless puff pastry topping and a delicious beef interior. My only complaint was there wasn't enough sauce, it was a little dry. I'd have asked for more sauce but the dining area wasn't really staffed well that night. The beef was memorable and delicious though. Quiet, even though the bar was busy, it was great for a quick, casual bite.

This review is for the restaurant at St. Ola Hotel. I came here for dinner with my husband and…read moreanother couple and our experience was not so great. My first impressions of the environment and ambiance were good. It was a pretty standard-looking pub. It looked like a chill environment. There were tvs and it was very relaxed. We sat down at a table and it took quite awhile before our server asked us if we wanted any drinks. My husband and I shared the "Orkney Farmhouse Crispy Cheese" as a starter. It was alright. It was nice that the cheese was local from the island, but other than that it wasn't too special. I tried to order the "Beef, Bacon, & Grimbister Cheese" specialty stuffed burger, but they were all out of it so I was bummed about that. I ended up ordering the "Ola Burger with Chili" and again, this was nothing special. I was starving but only finished half of my burger. It was just sort of bland and didn't taste very fresh. Our server never came by our table once to see how we were doing. We all had no water in our glasses for a long time. I kept trying to track down a server and no one was coming over. I was so thirsty that I eventually just walked all the way to the bar and asked if we could get a pitcher of water. She said yes, but then she continued to talk with her co-worker for awhile before she even thought about getting the pitcher of water. The prices were not bad. Overall, I was not impressed. We were all very chill about this because we were on vacation and just going with the flow, but I was pretty disappointed. I'm giving it 2 stars because the food was not the most terrible that I have ever had and the restaurant was clean, but the service was severely lacking.

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.

Nearest accommodation to the Pentland (Orkney Islands) Ferry terminal in Gills Bay. Beautiful open…read morelocation, comfortable building, large rooms, panoramic views, very friendly proprietors. What's not to like? We picked this randomly from the roadside and were delighted with our choice. The price of GBP 60 with breakfast for a double in May was very reasonable. They probably could charge more because there are very few choices in the area.

The airport building was done up a few years ago, and is very nice inside. There's beautiful lino…read moreprints on the walls which are done by a local artist - and it's worth popping in just to see these even if you're not flying from the airport. There's a small shop which sells newspapers, magazines and some items of local jewellery and knitwear. There's also a cafe and bar, which do a variety of teas, coffees, cake, meals and snacks - great while you're waiting to depart or waiting for someone to arrive at the airport. There's disabled access and a bus service to the airport from Kirkwall. Parking can be a problem - but the car park was recently extended so it's likely to only be a problem at certain times of year now.

The Kirkwall pier is a place where you really get a sense of the rural life in Orkney. It's…read morebustling with fishermen coming and going and getting on with their work. There are also ferry links to the smaller Isles here and often in the summer time plays host to cruise liners. The yacht marina is a short walk from here, so if you are interested in boats of any sort then this is the place to visit.

My first stay with Arcondel BnB. excellent location, off the main street area, easy to pay and…read morereserve. adhered to covid protocols. absolutely fabulous host !! the family always makes or breaks a BNB stay and i felt warmly welcomed and comfortable. Great room, well appointed (tea and coffee hot pot, snack to recharge you) bathroom ensuite was super clean and well appointed. i stayed two nights and had an incredible breakfast each morning !!! food was delicious and the fab host was very observant of my dietary restrictions ! (so appreciative) I had two great evening walks along the cow pasture to the dock area and absolutely thrilled with the quiet and bliss of Kirkwall. Thank you for letting me stay in your lovely BnB - I hope to return to the Ardconnel again !

I had a lovely stay in the Ardconnel B&B this past spring. The B&B is under new ownership, and…read moreTheresa was incredibly welcoming. When there was a slight mixup with the room, she gave us a free bottle of wine, which was completely unnecessary! The complimentary breakfast was delicious. The breakfast room has a lovely view of the harbor. Our room looked out onto wide open fields. You felt like you were really alone in the country even though the town is about a mile away. It was beautiful and peaceful. The one downside is that the B&B is about a mile outside of town. It's walkable but takes about 25-30min. If you have a car it isn't an issue. The remoteness also contributes to the tranquility of the place. Thank you to Ardconnel for a wonderful few days in the beautiful town of Kirkwall.

A part of my heart will always be in Kirkwall and the Orkney Hotel…read more I was there under unusual circumstances, and the kindness and professionalism these people showed me were simply unbelievable; I will always be grateful. The hotel is quirky because it is an old and extremely charming place. The food, the pub, and the room were outstanding. The location couldn't be better. Please book a room there only if you want to be surrounded by kind, friendly folks, sleep well in your comfy bed, wake up to a lovely breakfast in the bright and beautiful room looking out onto the garden, and enjoy all this amazing town has to offer. I will definitely be back, I wouln't miss it if I were you!

An unfriendly, unhelpful front desk person. My room (assigned by a tour) was created from 2…read morewalled-off closets. The furniture in the room looked like it was rescued from a trash bin. When you turn the water on in the bathroom, it hits the edge of the sink and splashes all over your clothing. No light by the bed. Two new large TVs in this very small space (go figure). If you must stay here, do NOT accept room 204A. I did get a different room for my second night, but the shower curtain in the bathroom had disgusting mildew that ran up about 6 inches of its length.Truly gross!! I think this hotel likely has its 4-star rating because it has invested a lot of money in its whisky bar (which is very nice). But stay elsewhere.