Brodgar Cottage - Stromness

David C. W.

As a historian and keen walker and explorer, Brodgar Cottage was an absolute dream - you can stand outside it and stargaze or catch the Northern Lights, walk a few minutes to multiple stone circles, and feel as though you're truly at the heart of a historic landscape of international importance. The cottage is fantastic either for groups or solo travellers or couples, with everything you need for a fully modernised yet idyllic stay. I loved waking up, making a coffee, and looking out the window to the Ring of Brodgar or walking a few minutes along to it. There's birds aplenty, otters, and two lochs literally on your doorstep. Couldn't hope for more.

Chris M.

Brodgar Cottage near Stenness in Orkney is a wonderful place for a holiday whether you are interested in birdwatching, archaeology, music or just plain relaxing and walking.
It is set between 2 lochs with a great view across Loch Harray (which has good trout fishing) from the sitting room so you can enjoy your breakfast while watching the waterfowl. Binoculars are thoughtfully provided.
The cottage is comfortable with all mod cons, everything you need for a great holiday.
Archaeology is everywhere. You can walk to The Ring of Brodgar or the Stones of Stenness (often with resident sheep). Both are only half a mile away. An evening walk to the RoB is always an uplifting sight especially around sunset. And of course all the famous archaeological sites are only a fairly short drive away.
Birdlife is everywhere. Especially good iare the cliffs at Marwick Head and Birsay which you can cross to on a causeway when the tide is out. Puffins are good fun and best seen end May through to end of July though this season seems to be altering a bit recently with global warming. May/June is also especially good for wildflowers which grow in abundance on the walk from the cottage to the RoB.
If you are lucky you might spot otters near the cottage. Grey seals are always basking on the rocks near the cottage on Stenness Loch next to the cottage.
Lots of good eating places in Orkney. Try Adam's Place in Stromness or the Storehouse in Kirkwall, both serve great food in a relaxed atmosphere.
In short this is a perfect place to stay for nature lovers and walkers. In fact anybody really.
Very highly recommended.

Gillian M.

Brodgar Cottage is absolutely beautiful in a unique place, right next to the Ness of Brodgar (even though it's being filled in at the moment) and between the Stones of Stenness and the Ring of Brodgar, in fact you can see the Ring of Brodgar from the living room window. If you're lucky, as we were, you might get a clear evening and night to witness a beautiful sunset and the Northern Lights, truly magical!
I can't think of anything else we would have needed in the cottage. Shawn has thought of everything and more. He was very helpful in giving us lots of information about where to visit and a huge list of places to eat, he was always available without being intrusive. Right from making our booking up until the time we left Brodgar Cottage the experience was excellent, we will definitely book again.

Claire T.

Stunning location set on a narrow spit of land between two neolithic stone circles and two lochs. A paradise for birdwatching, fishing and spotting wildlife.
The cottage is well equipped and generously stocked with those easily forgotten items.
A very welcoming and knowledgable host helped me fall in love with the area, I'll definitely be returning!

Suzanne W.

Location, location, location! In the center of all the archeological sites. Beautiful views. Standing Stones walking distance. Ring of Brodgar view from the cottage was beautiful and so close I walked it for a scenic sunrise private moment.

Pauline Y.

Excellent! Brodgar Cottage is a real home from home; clean, comfortable and well equipped. Good location and great views from the lounge windows. Just a short stroll to the Ring of Brodgar and the Stones of Stennes - both amazing. The owner is very helpful with advice about places to visit and to eat. Care is needed entering and exiting the property due to the proximity of the road (and cars driving at speed), but we soon got used to that. We felt that we could have stayed longer than the two weeks we'd booked but had to get home so that we'll have the opportunity for a return visit sometime.

Tracy M.

This cottage is in beautiful condition, and in a perfect location for birdwatchers and all nature lovers. We were completely comfortable indoors with everything we needed for our stay. The unique and spectacular Ring of Brodgar and many more remarkable sites are just a short walk from the house, making the combination of accommodation and situation just perfect for our needs. We would definitely book again, also because the owner was attentive to every detail.

Andrew M.

First things first. We will definitely go back to Brodgar cottage!
Arriving at the cottage was overwhelming with the views and the proximity to the ring of Brodgar, The Ness of Brodgar and all the archaeological artefacts which to a person who has no knowledge, had a massive impact on us. The cottage situation was so tranquil, sitting at the breakfast table looking out to a breathtaking view of the standing stones on the hill with the lochs on either side is something we will never forget. The variety of wildlife and birds in the area surrounding the cottage was amazing and not being knowledgable bird watchers, had us googling the names of the many birds we saw and heard on our walks.
The bedroom is very comfortable with ample storage, and a superb, spacious modern en-suite bathroom making life very easy after our walks and long cycles around the many cycle friendly roads.
The living area is very comfortable with easy access to a small but perfectly ample kitchen which included, to our delight, a dishwasher! There is all the comforts of modern living including, usb chargers, binoculars, TV and DVD but to be honest, with those views, we rarely turned the TV on.
The cottage was exceptionally clean and had been well sanitised for our visit during these exceptional times.
Brodgar cottage is very centrally located on the island which means that you can get to pretty much any beach, Kirkwall, Stromness or the vast array of archaeological sites very quickly. The cottage has dedicated parking and a lockable storage facility which we used for our bikes. The cycling on the island is superb and the drivers mostly courteous, the wind however, can be a challenge but so worth it!

The owner of the cottage (Mr Tait) was very helpful and was determined to make sure our stay was as good as it could be - he was a font of local knowledge, knew the many birds by sight, good local fishing spots, and gave clear easy instructions to all of the main tourist locations and in our case the best cycle routes.
A truly amazing week and we hope its not too long until our next visit. Would thoroughly recommend Brodgar Cottage to anyone visiting the beautiful island of Orkney.