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The Storehouse

The Storehouse

Orkney, The UK

The Storehouse

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Overflowing with Orcadian heritage, The Storehouse is a popular local restaurant and boutique hotel housed in a painstakingly renovated historic building in Kirkwall, the capital of Orkney. Built in 1880 as a herring and pork curing warehouse, and subsequently used as a print works, the building has always played a central role in Kirkwall’s town history.

Owned by Orkney knitwear designer Judith Glue and her husband David, the hotel resonates with her skill at blending traditional materials into contemporary style. Heritage features salvaged from the original building have been repurposed to bring distinctive character to every room. You’ll see timbers that once served as masts on the herring company’s cargo ships now used as beams and posts in the bedrooms, lettering adorning the wooden internal staircase which was originally burned onto herring barrels to identify their owner, and the original signage hanging in the restaurant.

The hotel is centrally situated just off Kirkwall’s cobblestoned shopping street, and close to the Norse-era Saint Magnus Cathedral, giving you a convenient base for exploring Orkney.

OUR OPINION:

We love the hotel’s central location and the thoughtful way they’ve renovated such an important building. While the restaurant alone is worth a trip, The Storehouse also offers a distinctive Orcadian welcome with its rest-inducing bedrooms.

OUR RATING: Medium

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Photos of The Storehouse

  • Exterior, The Storehouse
    Exterior, The Storehouse
  • Superior room, The Storehouse
    Superior room, The Storehouse
  • Superior room, The Storehouse
    Superior room, The Storehouse
  • Restaurant, The Storehouse
    Restaurant, The Storehouse
  • Exterior, The Storehouse
    Exterior, The Storehouse
  • Bar, The Storehouse
    Bar, The Storehouse

Rooms

Each room is individually decorated using traditional Orcadian materials, bespoke pieces created by local artisans, and repurposed artifacts from the building’s history. All of the bedrooms have names linked to Orkney, and are designed to be warm and inviting, cocooning you away from the unpredictable Scottish weather with king-size beds and underfloor heating in the spacious en suite bathrooms. There is a variety of sizes on offer across the eight bedrooms, including the option to combine two rooms to make a family suite.

Location

The Storehouse sits off the main shopping street of Orkney’s capital, Kirkwall, within easy walking distance of key attractions like Saint Magnus Cathedral, Orkney Museum, and Orkney Distillery. A busy working port and the principal ferry hub for exploring the Orkney archipelago, staying in Kirkwall offers you an insight into the history of Orkney and its rich Viking heritage.

Food and drink

  • Continental and full Scottish breakfast served daily.
  • The main restaurant is locally popular and serves dinner every evening with an open kitchen and buzzy atmosphere.
  • Priority evening table bookings given to hotel guests.
  • Local produce is a priority across the seasonally updated menu.
  • Children and well-behaved dogs welcome in the restaurant.

Families

  • Larger rooms can accommodate an extra bed for children under the age of 12.
  • Some adjacent rooms can be combined privately to create a family suite.
  • Children’s menu available in the restaurant.

Accessibility

  • Well-designed elevator access to all rooms — a notable and rare inclusion in Orkney.

Tour ideas in Orkney

Our itineraries are there to spark ideas for how you could include a stay at The Storehouse as part of your trip. Treat them simply as suggestions, because every aspect of the trip we create for you will be yours to define.

Location & places nearby

Places & hotels on the map

    Alternative places to stay nearby

    Where possible, we like to offer a range of accommodation for each stop of your trip, chosen by our specialists as some of their favorite places to stay. To help you make the right choice, we give each property a rating based on its facilities and service, but we also look for hotels with distinct character or a location that can't be bettered.

    Experiences while staying here

    The following activities are designed to give you the most authentic experiences of the area where you're staying. We work with local guides, who use their knowledge and often a resident's eye to show you the main sights and more out-of-the-way attractions. Our specialists can also suggest outdoor pursuits and activities, such as cooking classes, that will introduce you to the traditions of the area's inhabitants.

    • Behind-the-scenes tour with the Laird of Breckness Estate
      Skaill House, The Orkney Islands (credit: Skaill House)

      Behind-the-scenes tour with the Laird of Breckness Estate

      Behind-the-scenes tour with the Laird of Breckness Estate

      The Laird of Breckness takes you behind the scenes on a private tour of his home and estate in Orkney, where you’ll learn about the history of the 17th-century mansion, discover neolithic ruins, and hear stories of inheritance and royal encounters.

      View details

    Orkney and nearby places