Where to stay in Orkney

Neolithic villages and stone circles, St Magnus Cathedral, Scapa Flow and the North Isles. Our Orkney guide covers 4 areas; the table below is built from the counts and text in those area guides. It is a rule of thumb from our own data, not a ranking of hotels. We hold no prices and no live availability: each stay links to its own site where we have one.

By type, the stays we list are: 17hotels; 11B&Bs and guest houses; 4inns and pubs with rooms; 11hostels and bunkhouses; 8apartments and holiday lets.¹ All 51 have a website link in our data.

Which area suits whom

Editorial reasoning, stated plainly: we count what our guide holds for each area and pick the area with the highest weighted share of the largest count in Orkney, then show the numbers. Where two areas score within 15% of each other we show both. An area with few listed places can still be a good base; the count reflects our coverage, not the quality of the area. The weights are in How we worked this out.

Areas compared

Stops are the railway, tram or Tube entries in each area’s transport list. Step-free flags are reports from OpenStreetMap contributors or the venue, across things to do, eating and drinking, and stays. Zero means no report held, not “not accessible”. See access at a glance.

Stays in our guide, by area

These are the places to stay in our area guides. Listing is not a recommendation and we have not checked availability, rooms or prices. “Official site” is the link held in our data. Open an area’s stay page for the map and filters.

How we worked this out

For each traveller type we score every area from 0 to 1 using the weights below, each count divided by the largest count in Orkney. We then show the top area, plus the second if it is within 15%. The words found in the area text are listed in the table so you can see what the walking cue is based on.

• First-timers. Most things to do in the area guide, a rail or Tube stop, and a choice of places to stay (weights 40%, 30%, 30%).
• Families. Places flagged family-friendly in our data, plus a walkable cue in the area text and things to do (weights 50%, 20%, 30%). Flags are patchy, so treat this as a start.
• Nightlife. Pubs, bars and places tagged open late, as counted in the eat and drink data (weight 70%), plus choice of stays (30%).
• Quiet. A low share of pubs, bars and late-night places among the area’s places to eat and drink (60%), a quiet word in the area text such as “peaceful” or “residential” (20%), and no busy word such as “lively” or “nightlife” (20%). Needs at least five places to eat and drink and one stay.
• Walkers (on foot in town). This is about getting around on foot, not hill walking. Walking cues in the area text (“compact”, “on foot”) net of hill cues (“steep”, “hilly”) (50%), and the number of things to do close together (50%). Not a hiking rating: see our walks for routes.
• Car-free. Rail, tram or Tube stops named for the area (60%) and choice of stays (40%). Only areas with at least one named stop qualify.
• Theatre-goers. Theatre venues in our theatre data that sit in the area (70%) and choice of stays (30%). Only for places with a theatre directory.
• Budget. Hostels, bunkhouses, B&Bs and guest houses (and, in London, stays we file under value) as a share of choice (70%), plus number of stays (30%). We hold no prices, so this is about type, not cost.
• Step-free needs. Places carrying a reported step-free flag in our data (OpenStreetMap contributors or the venue), with extra weight for stays (70% / 30%). A flag is a report, not a guarantee.

Limits: our counts follow what we have listed, and a quiet area may simply be one we have covered less. Text cues come from our own area descriptions, not from a survey. Always check the property’s own page for its location, access and policies.

Plan the rest

• Where to stay in Britain: types of accommodation and booking tips
• Types of accommodation: hostels, cottages, glamping and more · High-demand dates to book early
• Orkney guide
• Accessible travel in Britain
• Travelling with children · Travelling with pets
• Getting between regions · First time in Britain