| Fine Orkney |
| Sample the special culinary delights of the area, from Parton Toes to bere bunnocks, ales and whiskies, on our Gastronomic day |
Orcadian produce is internationally renowned, whether beef, seafood, cheeses, ice cream, beer and of course, single malt whisky.
Today's tour provides you with a leisurely taster of some of the islands' finest fare.
1. A big breakfast at Julia's
Walk out of the approach road to Point of Ness Caravan Site (see p85) heading to the right, down Ness Rd, and follow it through the centre of town (where it becomes Alfred, Dundas and finally Victoria St) until you pass the Pier Arts centre on your right. Turn right into the harbourside and continue past the Ferry Inn to Julia's Café and Bistro.
Café society comes to Stromness courtesy of a Yorkshire lass who set up this pleasant eaterie just over three years ago. It does the best cappuccino in Orkney and is a café by day and a bistro on selected evenings throughout the week. The breakfast choice includes Hearty (bacon, sausages, hash browns, toast, egg, beans and tea or coffee) at £5.75, Vegetarian (beans, egg, Glamorgan sausage, mushrooms, homemade walnut patty, and a drink) at £5.25, or our favourite; scrambled eggs with local smoked salmon and toast at £3.75. Evening meals include a variety of homemade delights and locally-caught seafood.
2. Bere at Baroney Mills
Return to Ness Point Caravan Park. Get into your car and zero the trip meter at the end of the approach road. Turn left down Guardhouse Park, then right at the mini roundabout onto Back Rd (0.6 miles). At 1.1 miles turn left into North End Rd and then left onto the A965 (1.3 miles). At 2.1 miles turn left onto the A967 signed to Sandwick and Skara Brae. At 5.2 miles the road bears sharp right towards Twatt and Birsay. At 11.4 miles, turn left at the junction towards Birsay on the A967. At 14.6 miles turn left into Barony Mills.
Despite being a visitor attraction and something of a museum piece, this is also a working mill, which provides the bere meal for the local delicacy, bere bunnock, a soft breadcake 6ins in diameter. Bere is an ancient type of barley, which has been Orkney's main crop ever since the climate became too cold for growing wheat. The mill machinery dates from 1873, as does the water mill which powers it. It processes 12-15 tons of bere a year.
3. The best of local produce
Turn right on to the A967, and at 15.5 miles continue on to the A986. At 19.4 miles, turn left into the parking space in front of Dounby Stores.
Dounby Stores is an award-winning shop which provides the best local produce including fish, meats, beers vegetables, and cheeses. But this is no fancy delicatessen, just a local shop. Make sure you get some Orkney cheese here, to put on your bere bunnocks.
4. Bere bunnocks and fudge
Continue on the A986, turning left onto the A965 to Kirkwall at 25 miles. At 33.3 miles turn right at the second mini roundabout onto Junction Rd, then left (33.4 miles) into the second car park on the left. Walk towards the centre of Kirkwall and turn left down Broad St / Albert St. Cummin and Spence is on your left.
Buy excellent bere bunnocks at the Cummin and Spence bakery then make your way back up the street to Nimms, an old-fashioned sweet shop selling Orkney Fudge and Orkney ice cream, as well as that Caledonian favourite known locally as 'boilings' (i.e. boiled sweets) along with other classic confections - all weighed out from jars.
5. Clooties and Toes for lunch
Continue down Albert St and and turn left down Mounthoolie Lane, towards The Albert Hotel.
The Albert Hotel offers a pleasant pub lunch with reasonable prices to match, with table service, high-backed seating booths and lots of local fare. The starters offer the most local flavour, so we tried two instead of having a main course. Parton Toes (crab) in golden batter went well with lemon and herb mayonnaise; Smoked Burray trout equally so, with a small slice of bere bunnock. Stromness herring with Orkney oatcakes was also on offer. For dessert, Orkney's treat involved 'clootie' dumpling and mint choc chip ice cream. Very pleasant, but the clootie was very Christmas
pudding-like - we preferred the lighter, fruitier pud served at the Ferry Inn, in Stromness.
6. Highland Park Distillery
Continue down Mounthoolie Lane, then turn left onto Junction Rd, following it for about a mile as it becomes New Scapa Rd, goes past Balfour Hospital on the left and the Catholic church on the right. Bear left and the road becomes Holm Branch Rd. Then bear sharp right onto the A961 towards South Ronaldsay. The pagoda chimneys of Highland Park will soon become visible.
If you didn't previously care for single malt whiskies, you will after a visit here, to the home of one of the finest single malts. By the time you've taken in the sights and smells of the distillery, including toasting malt over a peat furnace, you'll feel imbued with a flavour for the stuff before you even taste your end-of-tour dram - pure ambrosia! Meanwhile, the coffee shop serves a nice cuppa but you'll inevitably be drawn to the gift shop - just don't expect a taste of the (£999.99) 40-year-old malt!
• At this point, depending on the time, you can either return to the site or continue to the final stop of our tour on foot. Or, you could head to a pub to try some award-winning Orkney ales.
7. Dinner at Royal Hotel, Kirkwall
From the car park, walk up Broad St/Albert St and take a left. Walk straight down Victoria St as the road bears left, to The Royal Hotel half way down on your left. (We recommend you book your table in advance).
Winner of the 'Taste of Orkney' food festival's Best Hotel/Restaurant award. Here, we enjoyed candle-lit dining, excellent service and fine food at reasonable prices. Starters were mainly £3.95 and included the Royal's own coarse paté, served with local sweet tomato and onion chutney. Main courses included fillet of Orkney salmon baked with a bere bannock and orange crust, set on saffron mash with ginger and lime butter sauce. For meat lovers there was saddle of venison and steaks ranging from rump (£9.95) to T-bone (£14.95). We tried the fillet of Westray haddock grilled with limes and served on Cullen Skink risotto (£7.50) which was delicious. Dessert consisted of a wonderfully light, Highland Park whisky and strawberry soufflé with a fine selection of local cheeses. All in all we enjoyed a fine spread of local fare at this excellent restaurant.
• Return to the campsite Exit the car park onto Castle Street, then turn left on to Junction Rd. Turn right at the mini roundabout at 33.8 miles onto Pickaquoy Rd. At 34.3 miles, turn left on to the A965 for Stromness.
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Distance 50.1 miles driving (plus 33 miles if you return to the site before dinner). Optional four miles walking to Julia's Café and Highland Park, and back.
Time Three hours (plus dinner). Or most of the day, depending on your start time.
Start/finish Point of Ness Caravan Site
Suitable for Those not on a diet.
Refreshments
Albert Hotel, Kirkwall
Tel 01856 876000
Highland Park Coffee Shop
Tel 01856 874619
Julia's Café and Bistro
Tel 01856 850904
Royal Hotel, Kirkwall
Tel 01856 873477
Attractions
Barony Mills
Tel 01856 721439
Cummin and Spence
Tel 01856 872034
Dounby Stores
Tel 01856 771204
Highland Park Distillery
Tel 01856 874679
Tourist Information
Stromness
Tel 01856 850716
Kirkwall
Tel 01856 872856
Tip
Try the local ale brewed by the Orkney Brewery (pictured, below); tel 01856 841802. Try it on tap in the cosy Flattie Bar of the Stromness Hotel on Victoria St, or if you prefer 'carry-outs' buy your bottles from almost any grocery store in Orkney.
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