Orkney is a place where you can experience all kinds of weathers in a single day.
So, if you’re planning a visit to the islands, it’s always handy to have some indoor options to hand, just in-case things get a little too ‘invigorating’ in the great outdoors. Don’t worry though, there is still so much to see and do here with a roof over your head, whether it’s in a coffee shop, distillery, or a Neolithic cairn.
Here are some of our favourite indoor activities in Orkney.
Window into the past
History is all around you in Orkney. Our fascinating museums offer incredible displays and exhibitions, giving you the perfect chance to explore the story of our islands.
Both the Orkney Museum and the Stromness Museum have extensive collections, from the Neolithic right up to the recent past. The Orkney Fossil & Heritage Centre in Burray goes back even further, featuring fossils millions of years old.
If you want to find out more about Orkney’s wartime heritage then a trip the Scapa Flow Museum is a must, and the Orkney Wireless Museum features some local wartime stories too. And no trip to the islands would be complete without a stop at the Kirbuster Museum, where you can experience life on an Orkney farm in years gone by.
Fantastic food and drink
If the weather is wild, there are worse places to be than a local distillery, sampling some of the finest whiskies, gins, and vodka to be found anywhere.
Many of Orkney’s drink producers offer tours and tastings, including Highland Park Distillery (please note, Highland Park Distillery will be closed from April 2024 for essential renovation works. Tasting experiences are available at the Highland Park Whisky Store on Albert Street in Kirkwall) and Scapa Distillery for whisky fans, the Orkney Distillery and the Deerness Distillery for gin lovers, and the Orkney Brewery for beer drinkers. You can even pop past J. Gow Rum for a sample or two.
And if alcohol isn’t on your agenda, a tour at Orkney’s last remaining working water mill, the Barony Mills, is a real trip back in time.
Take a tour
St Magnus Cathedral is a beautiful place to visit at any time of year, but make sure you take the chance to explore its upper levels with a special guided tour. They offer a fantastic behind-the-scenes look at the building, including the clock mechanism, the cathedral bells, and stunning views from the base of the spire.
The tours are popular so book your space as early as possible. You can also find out more about the cathedral with an excellent short film at the nearby St Magnus Centre.
If you’re looking for even more ancient history, you can visit the Maeshowe Chambered Cairn throughout the year, with Neolithic and Norse heritage to discover in an incredibly atmospheric setting.
Explore your family tree
Many folk travel to Orkney each year to trace their family history.
Visitors from as far afield as Canada, the United States, Australia and New Zealand regularly arrive in the islands to search through archives and visit old ancestral homes. Our island heritage centres are treasure troves of information, with census information and details about life in the isles spanning hundreds of years.
You can also contact the Orkney Family History Society before you visit to ask for help and advice on researching your Orcadian roots.
Creative community
The Creative Orkney Trail is the best way to see some of our incredibly talented craftspeople in their workshops.
You can drop in past furniture makers, jewellers, artists, potters and knitwear designers to watch them in action, and discover some of their handcrafted products too. The trail is also a great way to see parts of the islands that otherwise might pass you by.
Take a look at our interactive Creative Trail to find out who you can visit.
Get crafty
As well as visiting our talented makers, you can also try your hand at many of the different creative disciplines on show across Orkney.
Many Creative Orkney members offer workshops and classes where you can learn from the very best, and head home with your own unique piece of art too. Whether you're interested in jewellery, fused glass art, textiles, ceramics, or painting, there could be a creative workshop for you in Orkney.
Visit our dedicated page to find out what's on offer.
Coffee and cake
If the weather is wild, perhaps all you need is a good cup of coffee (and maybe a peedie bit of cake to go with it).
If that’s the case, then Orkney has you well covered. There are fantastic coffee shops all around the islands, including Robertson’s Coffee Hoose in St Margaret’s Hope, Sheila Fleet’s Kirk Café & Gallery, and the Barrier View Cafe in the east mainland, Archive Coffee in Kirkwall, the Birsay Bay Tearoom in Birsay, and much more.
Many of our hotels will offer warming hot drinks and bites to eat, too. You’ll never go hungry – or cold – in Orkney.
Gallery space
Orkney has a fantastic collection of artists, and there are so many galleries that should definitely be on your island itineraries.
The Pier Arts Centre in Stromness offers a stunning permanent collection as well as an ever-changing series of temporary exhibitions. Stromness also has the Waterfront Gallery, the Northlight Gallery and ArtWorks of the Earth on the main street. The Toumal Art Studio in Orphir showcases artist Ingrid Grieve’s latest works, and over the Churchill Barriers you can pop past the Workshop and Loft Gallery in St Margaret’s Hope. Kirkwall’s Ship of Fools gallery has a busy schedule of exhibitions too.
In the isles, you should definitely pencil in a stop at Sanday’s Gallery in the Nortwa’, Westray’s Wheeling Steen Gallery, and the Beach Gallery in South Walls.
Get up close with wildlife
Orkney is famous for its wildlife attractions, but you are very much at the mercy of the weather if you’re planning to go seal spotting or orca watching.
The Fernvalley Wildlife Centre offers something completely different though, including the chance to see exotic animals including geckos, snakes, mice and meerkats. The centre specialises in caring for animals that have been abused or abandoned, or have been surplus to requirements at other zoos.
It’s a wonderful experience, and you can even enjoy a slice of homemade cake in the tearoom too.
Make a splash
The Pickaquoy Centre in Kirkwall is a one-stop-shop of activities for all ages.
For young ones there is the leisure pool, soft play area, climbing wall, bouldering room and the main arena, with options for badminton, football and much more. Add in the main pool, spa and sauna, squash courts, gym, cinema and a café, and you won’t be short of options.
There’s also a fantastic soft play at the Wellpark Garden Centre in Kirkwall, with a coffee shop next door for waiting mums and dads.
Get more ideas and information about visiting Orkney on our Inspiration page.