Tradespeople in Stromness, Orkney

About Stromness

Stromness is Orkney's second town, set on a natural harbour on the south-west coast of the Mainland, facing the island of Hoy across the sheltered waters of Scapa Flow.

Its narrow, winding main street runs parallel to the waterfront, lined with stone buildings whose gable ends and piers jut out over the harbour — a layout that has changed little in 200 years.

The town grew in the 18th century as a provisioning port for Hudson's Bay Company ships heading to Canada, and the Stromness Museum tells the story of that maritime heritage alongside artefacts from Scapa Flow.

NorthLink Ferries operates the main vehicle ferry from Stromness to Scrabster on the Scottish mainland, making the town the first point of arrival for many visitors to Orkney.

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About Orkney

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Orkney is an archipelago of around 70 islands off the north coast of mainland Scotland, separated from Caithness by the Pentland Firth — one of the most powerful tidal races in Europe.

Of those 70 islands, roughly 20 are inhabited, and most of the population of around 22,000 lives on the largest island, known simply as the Mainland, where the towns of Kirkwall and Stromness serve as the administrative and cultural centres.

Orkney's history stretches back over 5,000 years. The Heart of Neolithic Orkney — a UNESCO World Heritage Site comprising Skara Brae, Maeshowe, the Ring of Brodgar, and the Stones of Stenness — represents some of the best-preserved prehistoric sites anywhere in northern Europe. The islands were under Norse rule for around 600 years, and that Scandinavian heritage remains visible in place names, dialect, and culture.

The islands are reached by ferry from Scrabster and Aberdeen, and by air from Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, and Inverness. Orkney's economy is built on agriculture, fishing, renewable energy, whisky, and tourism, and the islands have a quality of life consistently rated among the highest in Scotland.