The Sands Hotel, Orkney

Lots of choice on the menu. Food was amazing and staff were so friendly and attentive. Lovely setting overlooking a working harbour. Would be lovely to sit out on a sunny day but equally as stunnig from inside (it was raining for us). Would highly recommend a visit!

The Sands Hotel provides a truly wonderful stay. The accommodation is of a high standard, very comfortable and the staff are exceptional. The staff go out of their way to make you welcome and chat away with the Guests. The food is delicious and cooked to perfection! 5 star in every area 😀 Would highly recommend.

Went out for the Winter Deal of £70 for bed and breakfast. Decided to have dinner as well. The food was delicious, the rooms so clean and comfortable with a stunning view of the pier in Burray. The staff were so lovely and kind. If you're looking for a one night get away. I highly recommend the Sands Hotel. We are booked to go back again in March.

Without doubt the best we have eaten on Orkney in the last decade. The skerries on south ronaldsay was very good but this was better. Nice setting, nice staff ok prices and really lovely food. Fresh scallops in a lovely sauce and Cullen skink to die for. Well done the Sands.

Stopped here for lunch. Excellent service & the most wonderful rice pudding & raisins. Staff were very friendly, great location, great service. Well worth the visit. Will definitely go back there on our next visit to Orkney

We stayed here for a week to celebrate my 70th birthday and travelled from Ireland by ferry with our car. We had booked it nearly 2 years ago and selected one of the suites which are over 2 floors and have 2 bedrooms, bathroom, kitchenette and sitting room and dining area. The suite and indeed hotel were spotlessly clean and very tastefully furnished and during our weeks stay the room was serviced every day by very friendly and efficient ladies. The beds were very comfy and the shower was great and also the bath. The food was superb from breakfasts to bar meals to restaurant and served by really nice staff who we got to know quite well. The cost of our stay included breakfast every day and was really reasonable. The location was idyllic looking out at the little pier with fishing boats and with no through rod and the hotel right on the shorefront there was no noisy traffic either. We didn't have brilliant weather but thoroughly enjoyed our stay and would 100% recommend The Sands and should we ever return to Orkney we will be staying there again! We had had a few hiccups a week before we travelled due to unforseen cancelling of our ferry from Gills Bay but Emma at the Sands was able to suggest ways of alternate travel which led to us getting sorted without too much hassle.

Review of both the Hotel and Restaurant facility I had the pleasure of staying at The Sands Hotel for 7 nights in August 2023 - 1 night on my own and 6 with a small group tour. I thought the hotel rooms were excellent, staff warm and welcoming and food in the restaurant delicious. I had breakfast, lunch and dinner at various times over my stay. They rotate their menu so my favorite item is off right now but it was a Prawn Marie Rose sandwich from the bar menu. It was delicious and I find myself thinking of it with a watering mouth, lol!! I’m particularly grateful to Kath, Andrew, Emma, Sallianne and Tracey for helping to make my stay memorable! Their local advice and their friendly manner were exceptional. The only difficult thing about this location by one of the Churchill Barriers on Burray is that it would work better if you have a car. I walked over to the beach on my free day before my tour started to see the Viking totem pole and to look for Groatie Buckies (local name for cowrie shells) as directed by the amazing Emma, lol!! No, I did not find one BUT apparently the silver bracelet designed by a local jeweler with groatie buckies attached itself to my arm!

Excellent hotel, incredibly clean and well managed. Friendly staff and extremely helpful in recommending good places to visit. Food is freshly prepared and the shortbread and coffee in the morning is exceptional. Highly recommend this hotel, incredible views and scenery

Our small-group tour of Orkney with Seymour Travel stayed in the Sands Hotel for 6 nights. The room and bed were comfortable and quiet, and the breakfasts and dinners were good, as were the lunches prepared. Owner and staff were very accommodating and efficient -- and one staff member gave us a tour of her croft! The hotel is on the south coast of the island of Burray, near the main road south from Kirkwall, about 20 minutes from the town and airport and over 3 of the 4 Churchill Barriers. Not centrally located, but less than an hour from the farthest site (archaeological, historical, or natural) on Orkney's Mainland island. The pub/bar was small but sufficiently supplied, and a comfortable place to relax with fellow tour members after a day of Orkney sights (and weather).