Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Stromness
POP 1609
This appealing grey-stone port has a narrow, elongated, flagstone-paved main street and
tiny alleys leading down to the waterfront between tall stone houses. It lacks Kirkwall's
size but makes up for that with bucketloads of character, having changed little since its
heyday in the 18th century, when it was a busy staging post for ships avoiding the trouble-
some English Channel during European wars. Stromness is ideally located for trips to
Orkney's major prehistoric sites.
Sights
The main recreation in Stromness is simply strolling up and down the narrow, atmospher-
ic main street, where cars and pedestrians move at the same pace. You can download an
audioguide to the town (
www.visitorkney.com/stromness
), or pick up a portable player
from the tourist office.
Stromness Museum
(
01856-850025;
www.orkneycommunities.co.uk/stromnessmuseum
;
52 Alfred St; adult/
child £4.50/1; 10am-5pm Apr-Sep, 11am-3.30pm Mon-Sat Oct-Mar)
A superb museum
full of knick-knacks from maritime and natural-history exhibitions covering whaling, the
Hudsons Bay Company and the sunk German fleet. You can happily nose around for a
couple of hours. Across the street is the house where local poet and novelist George
Mackay Brown lived.
MUSEUM
GALLERY
Pier Arts Centre
(
01856-850209;
www.pierartscentre.com
; 30 Victoria St; 10.30am-5pm Tue-Sat)
Resplendently redesigned, this gallery has really rejuvenated the Orkney modern-art scene
with its sleek lines and upbeat attitude. It's worth a look as much for the architecture as its
high-quality collection of 20th-century British art and the changing exhibitions.
Festivals & Events
Orkney Folk Festival
MUSIC
