Stromness

By boat

Northlink car ferries sail 2 or 3 times daily between Stromness and Scrabster, taking 90 mins. If you book a cabin on the early morning sailing to Scrabster, you can board between 21:30 and 23:30 the previous evening. The ferry terminal is central in town next to the bus station.
The other ferry routes from the Scottish mainland to Orkney are Aberdeen-Kirkwall-Shetland, Gills Bay to St Margaret's Hope, and John O'Groats to Burwick: see "Orkney Islands: Get in".
Orkney Ferries sail at least twice a day from Stromness to Moaness on Hoy and to Graemsay. The other Hoy ferry (to Lyness its main village, and to Flotta) sails from Houton five miles south of Stromness: bus 5 connects.

By bus

The main bus into town is Stagecoach X1, hourly from Kirkwall via Stenness. This also runs south of Kirkwall but less frequently, past the Italian Chapel to the ferry terminal at St Margaret's Hope.

Stromness town is compact and a walk along the flagged main street is never less than pleasant.
The Stones of Stenness are only four miles away, an hour's hike, but it's a busy main road with intermittent sidewalk. Bike is the ideal way to reach these, Skara Brae, Birsay and Kirkwall, and to potter around Hoy, though for sure the stiff breeze will contrive to be in your face in both directions. Orkney Cycle Hire are based at 54 Dundas St, call +44 1856 850255.

• Stromness Museum

  phone: +44 1856 850025
  address: 52 Alfred Street KW16 3DH
  Covers natural history, sea-going and maritime exploration, and wartime Orkney.

• Pier Arts Centre

  phone: +44 1856 850209
  address: 28 Victoria Street KW16 3AA
  Gallery with permanent collection of work by 20th C artists, some of whom are local to the area. The centre also hosts temporary exhibits and runs a programme of educational and community outreach activities.
• For the must-see neolithic sites, see Stenness for Maeshowe, Stones of Stenness, Ring of Brodgar and Skara Brae. See Birsay for the Earl's Palace and Brough there.

A short easy walk up behind the town brings you atop Brinkies Brae (94m), for views of Hoy. A longer but level walk leads south from town to Point of Ness, with its campsite. Continue west along the coast, by the golf-course, to the gaunt structure of

Ness BatteryYou can tour inside this gun battery. It was built in 1915, in regular service until 1955 and used for training until 2001. You may also drive here along the golf course private road.

Continue further west to the tranquil graveyard, where lies the poet George Mackay Brown (1921-1996), with an unobtrusive sandstone headstone. A public road leads back over the ridge to town.

• Orkney Folk Festival is held annually in May, mostly in Stromness. The next is 21-24 May 2020.

• Stromness Books and Prints

  address: Graham Place, Stromness, KW16 3BY
  Tiny but much-loved bookshop tucked into the corner with Dundas Street.

The main place to stock up on food and other essentials is the Co-op, north end of town.

All the hotels have bars and restaurants, including Ferry Inn, Royal Hotel and Stromness Hotel, see "sleep".

• Julia's Cafe & BistroPopular restaurant.

• Hamnavoe Restaurant

  phone: +441856 850606
  address: 35 Graham Place Stromness Orkney KW16 3BY

• The Flattie Bar is a cosy traditional pub within the Stromness Hotel, see "sleep".

Budget

• Brown's Holiday Hostel

  phone: +44 1856 850661
  address: 47 Victoria St KW16 3BS
  Hostel with single, twin, triple and family room. They also run Harbourlee self-catering house.

• Point of Ness Caravan and Camping Site

  phone: +44 1856 873535
  address: KW16 3AA
  On draughty headland south of town.

• Hamnavoe Hostel

  phone: +44 1856 851202
  address: 10a North End Road, Stromness KW16 3AG
  Hostel with six rooms, the largest sleeps four, one is an en suite twin.

Mid-range

• The Ferry Inn

  phone: +441856 850280
  address: 10 John Street KW16 3AD
  As well as rooms here, the Ferry Inn also run the nearby Royal Hotel, and other properties to let across town. Plus, let it not be doubted, their bars.

• The Stromness Hotel

  phone: +44 1856 850298
  address: 15 Victoria St KW16 1AA
  Straightforward 3-star hotel, with the "Flattie Bar".

Hoy is an easy day trip from Stromness. Kirkwall has several sites and accommodation, and is the transport hub for all of Orkney.