Holiday rentals in Orkney

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Top-rated holiday rentals in Orkney

Guests agree: these stays are highly rated for location, cleanliness, and more.

Guest favourite
Guest suite in Orkney
Close to town, restaurants and the bus route.
Situated in a quiet residential area overlooking Kirkwall, the capital city of Orkney and boasting a cathedral view, this wheelchair accessible one bedroom apartment has been recently finished to a high standard. Adjoining the main residence with its own separate entrance the apartment comprises a combined living room kitchen, spacious double bedroom and en-suite shower room with hand basin and toilet. This home from home offers an attractive bright interior and is centrally heated throughout.
19–26 DecIndividual Host,
£84 per night
4.97 out of 5 average rating, 118 reviews
Guest favourite
Flat in Orkney
Quiet, Secluded Flat, Kirkwall, Orkney
10-15min. walk from the centre of Kirkwall Town Centre on a quiet residential street. The Flat is joined to our family home but has its own private entrance with parking space. We aim to make your stay in Orkney as enjoyable and comfortable as possible giving advice on where to go and how to get there. We can be contacted in advance to help you get the most from your visit to Orkney. Basic provisions are included for your first night/morning, there are numerous local shops and supermarkets.
28 Nov – 5 DecProfessional Host,
£66 per night
4.94 out of 5 average rating, 125 reviews
Guest favourite
Guest suite in Orkney
Self-contained, Small Self catering Studio by Sea
A beautiful small studio apartment awaits you. Accommodation comprises own door from the main house lobby leading to the one-roomed studio with double bed, sofa, table, chairs & tv. The apartment is a small, well equipped space, 13.3m2 with kitchen and showerroom off, ideally located a few minutes flat walk from Kirkwall town centre and Orkney College with sea views across Kirkwall Bay. Ample FREE parking. Late (even midnight) arrival is fine, just let yourself in. Rigorous cleaning always.
5–12 JanIndividual Host,
£71 per night
4.82 out of 5 average rating, 141 reviews

Popular amenities for Orkney holiday rentals

Other great holiday rentals in Orkney

Guest favourite
Holiday home in Orkney
Puffin Cottage, Kirkwall, Orkney. Self-catering.
16–23 DecIndividual Host,
£102 per night
4.93 out of 5 average rating, 57 reviews
Guest favourite
Cottage in Orkney
The Pilot Berth
23–30 JulProfessional Host,
£142 per night
5.0 out of 5 average rating, 18 reviews
Guest favourite
Holiday home in Orkney
The Smiddy Kirkwall
2–9 NovIndividual Host,
£211 per night
5.0 out of 5 average rating, 35 reviews
Guest favourite
Holiday home in Orkney
Orkney Staycations - Orcadale
28 Oct – 4 NovProfessional Host,
£144 per night
4.97 out of 5 average rating, 38 reviews
Guest favourite
Home in Orkney
No 5 Central Stromness Self Catering with Seaview
18–25 AprIndividual Host,
£115 per night
5.0 out of 5 average rating, 58 reviews
Guest favourite
Apartment in Orkney
Lovely 1 bedroom first floor flat in town centre
17–24 OctIndividual Host,
£85 per night
4.96 out of 5 average rating, 57 reviews
Guest favourite
Bungalow in Orkney
Stromness Home with a View
9–16 FebIndividual Host,
£190 per night
5.0 out of 5 average rating, 43 reviews
Guest favourite
Flat in Orkney
Anchor View Apartment
10–17 AprIndividual Host,
£108 per night
4.97 out of 5 average rating, 95 reviews
Guest favourite
Cottage in Orkney
The Auld Kitchen
26 Sept – 3 OctIndividual Host,
£123 per night
5.0 out of 5 average rating, 30 reviews
Guest favourite
Place to stay in Dounby
Your suite with breakfast in the heart of Orkney
25 Nov – 2 DecIndividual Host,
£115 per night
5.0 out of 5 average rating, 60 reviews
Guest favourite
Holiday home in Orkney
Apartment in the Heart of Kirkwall ~ Free Parking
12–19 OctIndividual Host,
£115 per night
4.93 out of 5 average rating, 70 reviews
Guest favourite
Home in Kirkwall
The Farmhouse, Kingsdale Apartments
1–8 NovIndividual Host,
£239 per night
4.98 out of 5 average rating, 64 reviews

Your guide to Orkney

Welcome to Orkney

Orkney, an archipelago of 70 islands above Scotland’s North Coast, is one of the most enchanting and otherworldly parts of the country, with gorgeous beaches and incredible history. It can be hard to comprehend that it’s part of the United Kingdom, so distinct is its culture, so far-flung its geography. Closer to Scandinavia than London in distance — and perhaps in spirit too — the islands’ Norse heritage lives on in place names and traditions, and in the magnificence of St Magnus Cathedral. Orkney comprises 15 major islands and regions; the largest, Mainland, is home to the capital, Kirkwall, and Stromness, a focal point for culture. Even before the foundation stones of Ancient Egypt’s pyramids were laid, thriving villages and complex temples existed here, and remain some of the world’s most impressive Neolithic sites.

The past feels always at hand here, yet it doesn’t hold the islands back. Orkney thunders ahead in the realms of food localism, arts, and sustainability. Craft distilleries, smart field-to-fork dining, vintage tearooms, and artisanal producers of cheese and vinegar add to the joy of a visit.


The best time to stay in a holiday rental in Orkney

You might expect Nordic weather in Orkney, but the Gulf Stream keeps the islands relatively temperate, though frequently windy, wet, and foggy. Winters are mild, but with short days and strong gales. Summer is chilly, but days so long the sun never properly sets. In autumn and winter there’s a chance of seeing the Northern Lights, while summer brings the spectacle of nesting seabirds. Standout events include games of Kirkwall Ba’, when two teams (Uppies and Doonies) compete to kick a football to either end of Kirkwall’s main street, every Christmas and New Year’s Day.

Orkney Folk Festival in May features superlative live music, including pub gigs, in Stromness, while the St Magnus International Festival in June is a major cultural event across all the islands, featuring arts, dance, and folk music. Orkney International Science Festival in September has a wide-ranging programme of activities, themed walks, and workshops.


Top things to do in Orkney

Neolithic ruins

Among the extraordinary ruins constituting the Heart of Neolithic Orkney UNESCO World Heritage Site are the 5,000-year-old village of Skara Brae, the incomparable Ness of Brodgar temple complex, Maeshowe’s ancient burial chamber with carved Viking runes, and the evocative megalithic stones of the Ring of Brodgar and Standing Stones of Stenness. All are absolute must-sees.

Creative Orkney Trail

Get to know some of the islands’ finest artistic talents by touring the shops, studios, and workshops of local painters, furniture makers, potters, jewellers, and textile designers on the Creative Orkney Trail. These art forms are touchstones of Orcadian, and indeed British, cultural history (the first grooved pottery in Britain was developed here 5,000 years ago). Don’t miss the Pier Arts Centre in Stromness, which houses a highly regarded collection of 20th-century modern art.

Puffins

West Mainland is not only renowned for its ancient sites, but for the incredible bird-watching for migrating seabirds around its sea stacks and beaches. The Brough of Birsay, a tidal island, is one of the best places to see puffins in summer, alongside Pictish settlements and Viking ruins.

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