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The Cottage is in the grounds of Kierfiold House. Kierfiold House was built in 1852 by the eighth laird of Skaill as a house for the Breckness estate. The cottage was originally the coach house and was converted some 15 years ago. It has very thick stone walls and has a good atmosphere.
The main window of the living room faces south east, so you get the early morning sun streaming in as you gaze over Loch Harray; in the foreground there is the smaller loch of the Mill of Rango. In the evening, as the sun sets in the west, it shines in through the window as you sit at the dining table.
Our daughter Fiona and her husband Euan fell in love with the Orkney Islands and decided to work and live there. Kierfiold House is something of a family affair, in 2005 they bought the house and we bought the cottage with old age in mind; somewhere to enjoy whilst we remain fit and able but somewhere to go when we are reliant upon our zimmer frames. We couldn’t keep the cottage just for ourselves; it needs to be shared with others and the income helps to keep it warm and in good repair. In 2006 we fitted a completely new kitchen and undertook further tasteful refurbishment over the winter of 2007/8. This winter (2011/12) we are redecorating and re-carpeting the bedroom with an entirely new colour scheme. We are trying to create a very special experience for two people who enjoy the unique nature of the Orkney Islands.
Here are some of the comments in the visitor’s book for 2011:
Last entry last year (in the visitor's book)and first entry this year - what does that say? We couldn't wait to come back! Had a great week, great weather - the rain seemed to miss us. Visited Hoy, Rousay (v.recommended)and Westray. Saw Hen Harriers, Great Skuas and Fulmars - and lots of Puffins burrows if no Puffins. House as beautiful as ever. We'll be back.
Lovely place to stay, comfortable and welcoming. Visited Old Man of Hoy (a must!). Will come back.
A return for Margaret, but my first experience of the Orkney's. Wonderful cottage - everything that you could possibly need for your stay. Weather has been good - only one really wet day. Had some great walks - visited Hoy which is stunning (even saw two 'cat' men climbing the 'Old Man'). Will be back!
Had four days in South Ronaldsay previous week - well worth the visit. Mull Head walk excellent for flowers and birds. Enjoyed our week here very much. Lovely accommodation in superb setting and convenient to archaeological sites and bird watching areas. Only two days in last fortnight with rain, otherwise brilliant weather. Two good hotels nearby to eat out. Admired the garden with the red hot pokers and alchemillia - very colourful - also the absolute silence! Total number of different birds seen - 71.
Wonderful cottage to stay in. Reg enjoyed himself watching other farmers work (Reg is a farmer). Orkney is a very nice island for a holiday.
A wonderful week of beautiful sun in a beautiful place. We love Kierfiold - it is in a perect location in Orkney which is itself a very special place. We are so thankful that we got the chance to come here to such a comfortable home. Thank You.
We have had the most fantastic week in Orkney - great cottage in superb location. We took advantage of being in walking distance of Skara Brae and had a lovely day swimming in the sea. We also went to the Ring of Brodgar which was just so magical that WE GOT ENGAGED!!!
The reality of our first visit to Orkney has surpassed anything that we had imagined. We knew that we would see some very special ancient sites, but had no idea quite how many there would be - some we had to ourselves in a timeless setting of total peace and seclusion. In fact, its the peace and tranquility of these magical islands we will carry with us when we return home. We plan to return very soon. Kierfiold and is lovely setting was the perfect place to return to after a perfect day. Thank you.
If you are not familiar with the Orkney Islands then you have a treat in store. If you enjoy the sea, the incredible northern light, amazing views, archaeology, an immense variety of bird life and a strong sense of community then this is the place for you.
The islands are well populated with a diverse economy. The total population of all the islands is 20,000; some 17,000 live of the ‘mainland’ and the population of Kirkwall is 7500. In Kirkwall, you must visit St Magnus’s cathedral built in 1137 when the Orkneys were under Nordic rule, they didn’t become part of Scotland until 1468. May 17th is a good day to be in Kirkwall, celebrating Constitution Day with a big parade with lots of flag waving. (Norwegian constitution day and Norwegian flags.)
Unlike many of the western isles, there is a wide variety of local produce available especially fish, beef, lamb and cheese and the supermarkets stock most of the ingredients for serious cuisine. Some produce costs more than on the mainland, but other items are surprisingly less expensive. In addition to well stocked local stores, there is a Tesco, a Co-op and a Lidl in Kirwall. There is an extensive range of craft products, exquisite jewellery for which the islands are famous and many woven products from clothing to tapestry. Follow the ‘craft’ trail.
If you enjoy eating out at the top of the range, there are two excellent restaurants, the Creel at St Margaret’s Hope which has won many awards for a number of years and Foveran House near Kirkwall. In addition, there are many restaurants and eating houses catering for people like me with a more modest income.
There are masses of things to see and do on the islands. My favourite sites are Skara Brae and Skaill Bay, Maes Howe, St Magnus’s cathedral, the Ring of Brodgar, the Brough of Birsay, Marwick Head, the Italian Chapel, the Churchill Barriers, the Fossil Museum at Burray, Balfour Castle on Shapinsay, the Tomb of the Eagles and Rackwick Bay on Hoy. This is just a limited list, there are lots more wonderful places to visit.
If you would like to see some more pictures of the area, go to Google Earth and enter our postcode KW16 3JE, then double click on any of the little blue squares. There are some great pictures of Skara Brae and the beach.
Prospective guests occasionally ask how big is the cottage. The ground area is just over ten metres by five metres and with two floors that gives a total floor area of 100 square metres. The dimensions of the living room are 5.73 by 4.75 metres (19ft x 16ft), the main bedroom 4.75 by 3.95 metres (16ft x 13ft) and the spare/dressing room is small. The spare/dressing room is very much the 'spare room'for an occasional additional guest or to escape from a snoring partner.
From North America?
If you are from North America and planning to the visit the Orkney Islands, I hope that you will find the following information to be useful.
The Orkneys are a group of islands located some 50 miles off the north coast of Scotland. They lie at latitude of 59 degrees north which is roughly the same as Juneau, Alaska. Fortunately they are not as cold as Alaska due to the presence of the North Atlantic Drift, a relatively warm ocean current that flows from the Gulf of Mexico to the Arctic in the region of Greenland. Summer temperatures are around 65 degrees F and it rarely drops below freezing in the winter (Not true for the winters of 2009/10 and 2010/11!).
However, like Alaska, the Orkneys experience very long nights in the winter and short ones in the summer, not quite the land of the midnight sun, but getting on that way. As a consequence, there is very much an Orkney tourist season, this extends from May through to the end of September. You are, of course, very welcome in the islands out of season during the winter but you may find it to be wet and cold, not to mention the Orkney winds which blow at that time of year. Out of season, you will also find that much of the tourist infrastructure has closed down.
The cottage (a small house) is what we call ‘self catering’, that is to say that you buy and prepare your own food. The cottage is not part of a hotel complex. I understand that the term in North America for this type of accommodation is called ‘vacation home rental’. We provide bedding linen, which is sheets, duvet covers, pillow cases and towels as well as washing up liquid, dishwasher tablets and toilet paper. The house is fully equipped for self catering with a full range of kitchen utensils, plates, mugs, pans and skillets etc. etc. The cottage will have been serviced prior to your arrival and will be serviced after you leave. However, cleaning materials are provided and we would appreciate it, if you would leave the cottage in a reasonable state of cleanliness.
Getting to the Orkney Islands.
By Sea. Car and passenger ferries go from Aberdeen to Kirkwall, Scrabster (near Thurso) to Stromness and Gill’s Bay (near John O’Groats) to St Margaret’s Hope. The first two routes are operated by Northlink Ferries and the route to St Margaret’s Hope by Pentland Ferries. In addition, there is a passenger-only ferry from John O’Groats to South Ronaldsay.
The most convenient car ferry for the cottage is the Scrabster to Stromness route simply because we are located only 7 miles from Stromness. Northlink operate three crossings per day each way in the normal season (weather permitting) and the crossing time is 1½ hours. Some of our guests prefer the Gill’s Bay to St Margaret’s Hope route because the crossing is shorter and some of the route is more protected from the rougher storms. The disadvantage is that St Margaret’s Hope to the cottage is some 40 miles, but there is lots to see on the way including the Churchill Barriers and you may want to do a big shop in Tesco, Lidl or the Co-op in Kirkwall. Due to the shorter crossing time, Pentland Ferries run four crossings each day during July and August. The Aberdeen to Kirkwall route cuts out a lot of the driving to the North coast of Scotland and can save you a night in a hotel, the disadvantage is that the Saturday boat leaves at 5pm and arrives at Kirkwall at 11pm, so you get to the cottage very late. The return boat on the Aberdeen route leaves at 11.45pm on Fridays arriving at Aberdeen at 7am on the following morning, it can be a bit miserable if you don’t book a cabin. For those of you like me, who suffer from seasickness, the Aberdeen route is best done in good weather only; otherwise the six hours at sea can seem like a lifetime of misery. Interestingly, there is no price advantage in booking return journeys with any of the operators, so you can mix and match your routes without any financial disadvantage. If you choose to travel with Northlink, please be aware that you will need photo ID.
If you wish to stay in a hotel or other accommodation en route, there are low cost providers in Perth and Inverness (Travelodge and Premier Inns etc). If you book early these can be as little as £25 per night. The low cost hotel options run out North of Inverness but there are many good small hotels and B & Bs on the way. If you want to splash out, then my favourite is the Portland Arms at Lybster (dinner, bed and breakfast for two at around £100). Some people think that the place is getting a bit tired but I find it to be very comfortable in a traditional sort of way. If you want to overnight near the Scrabster Ferry terminal then the Weigh Inn and the Park Hotel at Thurso are the ones that I have tried. The Weigh Inn provides a good Scottish breakfast early enough to catch the first sailing without rushing, the Park also does so but not on Saturday and Sunday mornings. In place the Park offers a continental breakfast at 7am or a picnic to take with you. Both hotels have plenty of on-site parking. My favourite is the Park Hotel, if you choose the Weigh Inn avoid the 'lodges' unless you are on a low budget). My suggestion for an overnight stop near Gill’s Bay is the Castle Arms Hotel at Mey. A good stop for food on the A9 25 miles north of Inverness is the Skiach Services. It's an up-market transport cafe and offers good food at affordable prices. Best price for fuel is the Tesco store at Inverness(choice of two).
By Air. You can fly to Kirkwall from Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness and Wick. The schedules can be found on the Loganair website but you will be re-directed to the Fly-Be website. Hire cars are available in Orkney and can be delivered to the airport for you. Try Orkney Car Hire. As a matter of idle chatter, in 1939 you could fly from Stromness to Croydon Airport (London’s major airport of the day) leaving Stromness in the early morning and arriving at Croydon just after lunch courtesy of Allied Airlines.
Please do come and enjoy the Orkney Islands.
The Cottage at Kierfiold House – Terms and Conditions for Holiday Lets.
It is our aim to make your visit to our cottage an experience that you will very much enjoy and that you will wish to come again in the future. However we must ask that you accept the following terms and conditions which enable us to maintain our standards, to assist in proper management and ensure your safety as well as establishing a clear legal contract for cancellation, damage and exceptional circumstances.
Arrival
Contractually the cottage will be available from 4pm on day of arrival and should be left in a clean condition not later than 10am on the Saturday of your departure. In practice we can usually accommodate earlier entry into the cottage and we normally contact our guests regarding their travel arrangements so that we may agree a time at which our staff can meet you at the cottage. The cottage will have been serviced prior to your arrival and will be serviced after you leave. However, cleaning materials are provided and it would be appreciated if you would leave the cottage in a reasonable state of cleanliness.
Departure
We do have to be able to undertake the changeover between guests and it would be appreciated, if you could leave the cottage by 10am, otherwise we cannot prepare it for the guests that follow you.
Booking
When you make a booking and payment a letter or email confirming the dates and times of your holiday will be sent to you. Booking and payment is considered to be the establishment of a legal contract. We do not accept bookings from third parties including agencies. If you sign a contract with us, you must be staying at the cottage for each night booked (unless all members of your party are staying overnight on, for instance, another island, and for ensuring and accepting responsibility for all members of your party additionally ensuring that they comply with these terms and conditions. Your booking is valid for the period that you have booked and you agree to vacate the cottage at the end of the period booked. We cannot accept bookings from anyone under the age of 18.
Cancellation by You
We understand that circumstances change and emergencies occur. If you are unable to come and have to cancel, we will do our best to let the cottage for the week of your booking. If you cancel more than 30 days from the start date of your holiday, we will not bill you for the balance of your payment, but you will forfeit your deposit unless we can re-let. If you cancel within 30 days, you will be liable for the full amount of the holiday; we will, however attempt to re-let. If we are successful, we will make a full refund.
Cancellation by Us
For conditions beyond our control, we reserve the right to cancel a booking in the event of extreme weather conditions, fire damage, repossession, terrorism, war or any other extenuating circumstance, or if we cannot provide safe accommodation for you for any reason. In any of these very unlikely circumstances your full payment will be returned to you. We cannot accept liability or responsibility for any form of loss, including consequential loss, caused by our cancellation.
Breakages and Damage
You must agree to make good and breakages or damage that you incur during your stay at the cottage.
Pets
We cannot accommodate pets
Smoking
The cottage is a strictly ‘No Smoking’ area
Occupancy
When you book the cottage, it is for an agreed number of people.
Electricity
£25 worth per week of electricity is included in the rental charge at the prevailing rate at the time. The current rate is 7.48p per unit for white meter and 14.53p for standard meter plus VAT at 5%. You must agree to pay for any electricity that is used in excess of this amount. (No one has done yet!)
What we provide
We provide bed linen and towels in the standard rental price for two guests, if we agree to any additional guests there is a charge of £10 per guest to cover the cost of the additional laundry. Please bring your own beach towels if you wish to swim in the sea (Brrrrh!)
In addition, we provide electricity as detailed above and one 25kg sack of coal per week and adequate kindling for the stove, should you wish to supplement the heating.
We provide toilet paper and dishwasher tablets.
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