The Ferry Inn

About The Ferry Inn

The Ferry Inn sits on John Street in Stromness, opposite the ferry terminal and a few steps from the pierhead. It is an inn in the proper sense: a busy bar and dining room at ground level with straightforward, comfortable en-suite bedrooms above and in an adjacent building. Rooms tend to start around the £100 to £120 mark and the inn takes direct bookings for the best rates.

The appeal is atmosphere as much as accommodation. The bar opens daily from lunchtime and functions as one of the social centres of the town, particularly during the Orkney Folk Festival in late May when Stromness fills with musicians and the sessions spill out into the street. Food is generous pub cooking with a strong local seafood showing, served through the day and evening.

For touring, the position is hard to beat. The Scrabster ferry is directly across the road, the Hoy passenger boat leaves from the same harbour, and the Neolithic sites of the West Mainland are a short drive north and east. Anyone arriving late off the boat or leaving on an early sailing will appreciate being able to walk to and from the terminal in under two minutes.