Stromness
Find a Perfect Place to Stay in Stromness UK
Are you looking for accommodation in the second-most populous town in Orkney? Payman Club provides the perfect room for you as a great destination for a short or long visit to a town that takes you to prehistory and back.
Payman club has made booking easy by providing an online system that ensures the reservations are definitely made, and payment is safe and secure. Scrolling down, you will find the room of your preferences with the amenities that they offer.
Book a Room Near Stromness’s Best Tourist Attractions
Located on the northernmost part of the United Kingdom as part of the Mainland Orkney, Stromness is a small town of pre-historical significance. In fact, it is part of the ancient Orkney, with iconic Neolithic monuments.
Because of its location and closeness to the north pole, Stromness boasts long days during the summer, and indeed, the nightless summers are a major fascination for tourists from around the world. The coastal cliffs, ranging between 30 and 150 meters high, are real eye-catching sights to behold. The modern history of Stromness starts with the 17th-century war of France and Britain when the town would host British ships that had to avoid the English Channel.
Some of the most fascinating sites in Stromness are:
Skara Brae
This well-preserved Neolithic settlement is a must-see for anyone coming to Stromness to behold historic places. This stone-built site, dating back to about 3000 BC, was first discovered in 1850 and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A tour of the site will give you a precious insight into the life of Neolithic inhabitants.
In Skara Brae, you will be able to walk around some of the most well-kept prehistoric houses throughout Europe. Moreover, you will observe significant artefacts that archaeologists have uncovered, including gaming dice, 9.8-inch ivory pins, and a number of other pieces of jewellery.
Next to Skara Brae is Skaill House, another historically significant site that was built around the 1620s. This mansion was first built for Bishop George Graham, and in the house, you can see Bishop’s bedroom, and several old paintings and antique items.
Ring of Brodgar
Stromness is also home to the Ring of Brodgar, another significant ancient site, with World Heritage Status. With its date of construction uncertain, it is widely assumed to be one of the last Neolithic monuments built on the Ness. It is the only Stonehenge in the UK which forms a perfect circle.
The two sites mentioned are not the only Neolithic monuments in Orkney. In fact, Skara Brae, and Ring of Brodgar are only two of the sites in what is called ‘Heart of Neolithic Orkney’. The other sites of importance are Standing Stones of Stenness and Maes Howe. The whole, they are of archaeological significance and have a whole history buried in them, and if you are interested in prehistory, it is certainly a breathtaking experience.
Stromness Museum
Finally, don’t forget to check out Stromness Museum. This small independent museum, founded in 1837, and re-opened in 1931, boasts several collections of items and artefacts telling the history of the social and maritime life of the town.
The maritime history collection contains models, paintings and crafts that reflect the exceptional connection of the people of Orkney to the sea. The ethnography collection contains objects and souvenirs that were brought to the island by old mariners, thereby reflecting the history of Orkney as a crossroad of maritime civilization.
The highlights of this collection are an African Chief’s Throne and Adze, a blade made from a distinctive stone in New Zealand. The other collections in the museum are archaeology collection, including stones and hammers of the old age; natural history collection, containing the Homostius milleri fossil; and social history, house to artefacts used for food production and other commercial matters.
Transportation in Stromness, Orkney
One way of getting around Orkney is by using your own vehicle. The roads are comparably quiet, and there are gas stations available. For those without vehicles, there are plenty of car-hire firms and taxi companies. You are able to hire a bicycle to get around too. The local bus service covers most of the area, and also passes through the Ring of Brodgar and the Standing Stones of Stenness.
From Stromness, there are also buses which take to other towns in Orkney like Finstown and Kirkwall. However, to travel to and from the mainland, you can use a ferry from the North of Scotland, or fly to Kirkwall Airport as there is no train or train station in Orkney.