Orkney - The Rough Guide to Scottish Highlands and Islands - page 333

Miller's House 13 John St T 01856 851969, W millers
houseorkney.com. Modern pine furnishings predominate
in this B&B, housed in the town's oldest property (and a
nearby anne xe) in the heart of Stromness - great home-
cooking, too. £65

Point of Ness Campsite T 01856 873535. Busy camp-
site in a superb (though extremely exposed) setting a
mile south of the ferry terminal at Point of Ness, with great
views over to Hoy; facilities include a TV lounge and a
washing machine. May to mid-Sept. £7 /pitch

EATING AND DRINKING
Ferry Inn 10 John St T 01856 850280, W ferryinn.com.
Situated opposite the ferry terminal, this is the most
popular and welcoming pub in town, serving up classic pub
grub as well as local scallops, Grimbister cheese and spicy
Orkney crab cakes, all for under £10. Daily 9am-midnight;
food served until 9.30pm.
Hamnavoe Restaurant 35 Graham Place T 01856
850606. Offers the town's most ambitious cooking, concen-
trating on local produce, such as grilled sole or peppered

monkfish - main courses start at around £15 and booking is
essential. May-Sept Tues-Sun only.
Julia's Café and Bistro 20 Ferry Rd T 01856 850904.
Daytime café right opposite the ferry terminal, with a
sunny conservatory and tables outside if the weather's
good enough. It's comfort food for the most part, but you
can get a decent fish pie, all for under £10. Mon-Sat
9am-5pm, Sun 10am-5pm.

7

West Mainland
The great bulk of the West Mainland - west of Kirkwall, that is - is fertile farmland,
fenced of into a patchwork of fields used either to produce crops or for cattle-grazing.
Fringed by a spectacular western coastline, West Mainland is littered with some of the
island's most impressive prehistoric sites, such as the village of Skara Brae , the standing
Stones of Stenness , the chambered tomb of Maes Howe and the Broch of Gurness , as
well as one of Orkney's best-preserved medieval castles at Birsay . Despite the intensive
farming, some areas are too barren to cultivate, and the high ground and wild coastline
include several interesting wildlife reserves .

Stenness
The parish of Stenness , northeast of Stromness along the main road to Kirkwall,
slopes down from Ward Hill (881ft) to the lochs of Stenness and Harray; the first is
tidal, the second is a freshwater trout loch. The two lochs are joined by a short
causeway that may well have been a narrow isthmus around 3000 BC, when it stood
at the heart of Orkney's most important Neolithic ceremonial complex, centred on
the burial chamber of Maes Howe .

Stones of Stenness
Guided tours June-Aug Mon, Wed & Fri 10am • Free; HS • T 01856 841732
The most visible part of the complex between lochs Stenness and Harray is the Stones
of Stenness , originally a circle of twelve rock slabs, now just four, the tallest of which is
a real monster at over 16ft, and remarkably slender. A broken table-top lies within the
circle, surrounded by a much-diminished henge (a circular bank of earth and a ditch)
with a couple of entrances.

Ring of Brodgar
Guided tours June-Aug daily 1pm • Free; HS • T 01856 841732
Less than a mile to the northwest of the Stones of Stenness, past the huge Watch Stone
which stands beside the road, at over 18ft in height, the Ring of Brodgar is a much
wider circle dramatically sited on raised ground. There were originally sixty stones,
27 of which now stand; of the henge, only the ditch survives. At the height of summer,
it's best to go early (or late), so as to avoid the coach parties - or arrive in time for one
of the guided tours.