Orkney Grocery Shopping Guide for Self-Catering Stays

Self-catering in Orkney comes with a happy problem: the islands grow, rear and catch some of Scotland's best food, so half the fun is filling your holiday-let fridge with it. There are no giant hypermarkets here, but between a full-size Tesco, a brand-new Lidl, three Co-ops, a clutch of proper delis and butchers, and farm-gate honesty boxes, you can eat very well indeed. Here is exactly where to shop — on the Mainland and out on the isles — with a map to pull it all together.

Key Takeaways: Orkney Grocery Shopping

Supermarkets: Kirkwall & Stromness Hubs

Orkney's two towns, Kirkwall and Stromness, hold all the big shops. Conveniently, Kirkwall's Tesco and Lidl sit side by side on Pickaquoy Road, so you can do a full first-day stock-up in one stop.

Tesco Kirkwall Superstore

On Pickaquoy Road, Tesco Kirkwall is the northernmost large supermarket on an island and the obvious place for a big arrival shop. Expect a full range plus a bakery, pharmacy, fresh produce, a decent local-Orkney aisle, clothing and household goods.

• Range: Full UK supermarket, with Orkney products (cheese, oatcakes, beer) alongside national brands.
• Services: Scan-as-you-Shop, Click+Collect (book ahead in summer), ATMs and recycling.
• Opening hours: Typically Mon–Sat 6am–midnight, Sun 8am–10pm (check the day before).
• Address & phone: 18 Pickaquoy Road, Kirkwall, KW15 1RP · 0345 026 9658.

Co-operative Food (Kirkwall & Stromness)

There are three Co-op Food shops on the Mainland: two in Kirkwall — the town-centre store on Albert Street and a larger one on Pickaquoy Road — and one in Stromness on Ferry Road, near the ferry terminal. They are compact but well stocked, with a strong local-Orkney range and long daily hours. The Pickaquoy Road branch offers on-demand delivery in as little as two hours through the Co-op app, which is handy if you have no car.

Lidl (Kirkwall)

Lidl opened on Pickaquoy Road, right beside Tesco, in June 2024 — the UK's most northerly Lidl. It is the budget option for staples and the usual rotating middle-aisle "special buys", and its arrival genuinely lowered the cost of a self-catering shop on the islands. There is no Aldi in Orkney.

Local Delis, Butchers & Fishmongers

For Orkney's real flavour — and friendly advice on what to cook — head for the independents.

• The Brig Larder (Kirkwall): a harbour-end deli on Albert Street stocking Jollys smoked fish, Craigie's Butcher meat, Orkney cheeses, local beers and gins — perfect for a picnic or edible souvenirs.
• Bayleaf Delicatessen (Stromness): on Victoria Street (the main street), known for Orkney cheeses, fresh sourdough, preserves and ready-to-eat seafood bites.
• Butchers: Donaldsons of Orkney in Kirkwall; E Flett (John Street, Stromness, since 1876), usually the place to find North Ronaldsay mutton in the freezer; and The Dounby Butcher in the West Mainland village of Dounby.
• Orkney Fish (Stromness): the Orkney Fishermen's Society runs a shop by its Stromness factory selling scallops, crab, lobster and fish straight off the boats.

Farm Shops & Honesty Boxes

Some of the best shopping on Orkney has no till at all. Across the countryside you will find farm shops and honesty boxes — leave the right money in the tin and help yourself.

• Jane & Paul's Orkney Produce (Birsay): a self-service honesty box opposite the Earl's Palace selling preserves, chutneys and tablet; they also post gift hampers UK-wide.
• Wheems Organic Farm (South Ronaldsay): a Soil Association–certified farm with a seasonal honesty shop (roughly April–October) selling organic veg, salad, herbs and eggs. Cash only, so bring coins.
• Roadside honesty boxes: dotted along Mainland lanes, selling eggs, tatties and seasonal veg direct from the farm gate.

Shopping on the Outer Isles

Staying on Westray, Sanday, Stronsay, Hoy or one of the smaller isles takes a little planning. Orkney has around twenty inhabited islands, and while the larger ferry-served isles have a community shop, the smallest have none at all.

• Community shops: Westray has J C Tulloch and W I Rendall (groceries, off-licence, Post Office); Stronsay has M A Williamson's Olivebank Shop, with its own butchery, fuel and Post Office. Most stock local produce; opening hours can be short.
• Order ahead: some island shops will make up an order for collection when you arrive — just ask.
• Bring supplies: for a longer isle stay, do a big shop in Kirkwall first and carry non-perishable staples across on the ferry.

Delivery Services

• Tesco: home delivery does reach Orkney Mainland (it launched in 2015), but slots are limited and book up fast in summer — reserve well ahead, and check your accommodation address is covered. Click+Collect from the Kirkwall store is the reliable fallback.
• Co-op: the Pickaquoy Road, Kirkwall store offers on-demand delivery in about two hours via the Co-op app, in covered areas.
• Local producers: several, including JP Orkney, post hampers and non-perishables UK-wide.

Tips for Self-Caterers

• Shop seasonally: look for Orkney tatties (potatoes), neeps (turnips), cabbage and rhubarb.
• Plan ahead: check Sunday and island hours before you travel — many isle shops close early or open part-days.
• Embrace local: try fatty cutties (a Westray biscuit), beremeal bannocks (from bere barley milled at Barony Mill), Orkney cheese, fresh seafood and local ales.
• Bring bags and coins: reusable bags for the supermarket, cash for honesty boxes and island shops.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion: Feast on Orkney's Bounty

Self-catering is one of the best ways to get under the skin of Orkney's food culture. Between the supermarkets in town, the delis, butchers and fish shop, and the honesty boxes scattered across the isles, you will never struggle to fill a kitchen — and with a little planning for Sundays and ferry days, you will eat far better than you would in most restaurants. Try the Orkney cheese, the North Ronaldsay mutton and a beremeal bannock or two while you are here.

Ready to cook up an Orkney feast? Find your perfect self-catering base on Orkney Stays — every one with a well-equipped kitchen to make the most of the islands' larder.

Photographs used under Creative Commons: Tesco, Kirkwall © N Chadwick and Albert Street, Kirkwall © Mike Pennington and J C Tulloch, Westray © Chris Downer, all via geograph.org.uk (CC BY-SA 2.0); clapshot, bannocks & cheese © Lajmmoore via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).