Luxury Cottages in Orkney: Hot Tubs, Sea Views and Private Hideaways

No chain hotel in Britain can match the experience of opening a stone-cottage door on Orkney and finding the Atlantic outside the window. The archipelago is small enough that even a midweek booking puts you within walking distance of cliffs, neolithic ground and the simmer dim — the long blue twilight that doesn't end in midsummer. Below are the eight luxury self-catering cottages we keep returning to: a hot tub or a sea view or a restored steading, often all three. Every property links to its full Orkney Stays page where you can check live rates and book direct.

What Makes an Orkney Luxury Cottage

"Luxury" on a Scottish island is not the same metric as in central Edinburgh. We measured four things, in order of importance to the kind of traveller who searches for a luxury cottage on Orkney in the first place:

• A genuine private hot tub. Not a shared sauna at the lodge entrance — a tub on the terrace, ideally wood-fired, fenced for privacy. Orkney's weather makes a hot tub a year-round feature, not a summer one. Half the year sees daylight past ten in the evening; the other half sees dark skies good enough for aurora.
• A sea view or cliff view from the principal living space. Orkney is 70 islands across 990 square kilometres — almost everywhere here is within a mile of saltwater. But "sea view" on Booking can mean a distant strip across a field. We picked cottages where the view is the room.
• Sleeps four or more in real comfort. A double bed and a put-up sofa is not luxury. We wanted proper second bedrooms, walk-in showers, dishwashers and washing machines — the things that make a week's stay civilised.
• A private driveway or unshared entrance. The opposite of a hotel corridor. Most of the cottages below sit on their own plot, usually with off-road parking for two cars and a working farm or empty field for a neighbour.

The eight properties in this guide all clear at least three of the four criteria, and the top half clear all four. They sit across three of the four bases of mainland Orkney — Stromness, Kirkwall and the West Mainland villages between them — with one outlier on the South Isles. Ratings on Booking.com run from 9.6 to 9.9 in this list. None scores below 9.6.

8 Best Luxury Cottages in Orkney, Ranked

Aurora Self-Catering is the all-round answer. Three spacious bedrooms set on the southern slope of Upper Crantit Road above Kirkwall, a fully fitted kitchen with dishwasher and washing machine, and the headline act — a covered luxury hot tub on the private terrace, big enough for four and out of the wind. It scores 9.8 on Booking from 32 verified stays and sits four kilometres from Kirkwall airport and two from Scapa Beach. The location is rare on this list: properly rural in feel but five minutes by car (or a fifteen-minute walk) from the cathedral, Highland Park distillery and the main bus station. Pick this one if you want a hot tub property that doesn't sacrifice access to the town.

The Stromness harbour pick is Orkney Lux Lodges Hamnavoe, a contemporary villa on the Carlynya rise just above the town. The aesthetic is full-glass on the harbour-facing side, with mountain views west toward Hoy and the Hamnavoe inner bay below. A terrace hot tub, free private parking, free WiFi, and a kitchenette geared for a couple rather than a family. It scores 9.6 from 28 reviews; the romance sub-score from couples is the highest on this list. Set aside the late evening for the view — the simmer dim above Hoy seen from this terrace is the single best image you will take home from a trip to Orkney. The Stromness restaurants (Hamnavoe Restaurant, Ferry Inn, the new bistros along the flagstones) are a five-minute walk downhill.

If the trip is a small family or two couples and a baby, Loanside Lodge is the pick. A contemporary self-catering apartment in Holm, a quiet hamlet on the A961 ten minutes south of Kirkwall on the way to the South Isles and the Italian Chapel. Open-plan living, modern kitchen, flat-screen with streaming, a private terrace and patio with garden views, and free private parking. Exceptional 9.9 rating from 54 reviews — the highest score in this list. The location is the secret: most luxury Orkney cottages are out west in Stromness or up north in Evie, which is fine for grown-ups but a long drive home with a tired toddler. Holm puts you closer to the supermarkets and the airport without the central Kirkwall pricing.

Cottiscarth Cottages at Settiscarth above Finstown is the photographer's pick. A converted farm steading high on the hill, looking south-east down the Bay of Firth and west across the moor toward the Atlantic. The light off this hillside in late September and early October is the best on Orkney. The cottages are independent units with their own entrances, dishwashers, walk-in showers and free WiFi; the cluster shares a paved courtyard. It scores 9.9 on Booking from 62 reviews. The dark-sky positioning matters from late August through April — far enough from Kirkwall's light dome to genuinely catch the aurora when it shows. Eleven kilometres to Maeshowe, thirteen to the Ring of Brodgar; ideal night-shoot base.

Hikers tend to discount the cottage market because most luxury self-catering sits too far from a trailhead. Lindisfarne Self-Catering is the exception — a ground-floor two-bedroom apartment at Navershaw, set into open country between Stromness and the Loch of Stenness. The Yesnaby cliff path, the Brough of Birsay tidal causeway and the Skara Brae coastal walk are all under twenty minutes' drive. The property itself has a fully equipped kitchen, an outdoor dining area facing the bay, and free WiFi and parking. Couples score it 9.8; overall 9.7 from 30 stays. The hill walk into Stromness itself is fifteen to twenty minutes on foot, useful for evenings at the Ferry Inn or Hamnavoe Restaurant without having to drive home.

If the trip is shaped around food and the new Stromness restaurant scene, Algarth is the right address. A two-bedroom self-catering holiday home in central Stromness, with garden views downhill and upper-floor windows over Hamnavoe harbour. Free WiFi, fitted kitchen with washing machine, fully equipped for proper home-cooked dinners alongside the eating out. It scores 9.8 on Booking. The selling point is the walk-in distance: the Hamnavoe Restaurant, the Ferry Inn, the Royal Hotel and the Stromness Hotel restaurant are all inside five minutes on foot, and the Saturday morning fishmonger and the smokehouse delivery point at the pier are inside three. A car is optional rather than essential from this base — rare on this list.

For a week, take Woodwick Mill in Evie. A restored stone watermill on the North Mainland of Orkney, the property splits into two apartments — the Kiln and the Sheafy — each with its own entrance, washing machine, fully equipped kitchen and private bathroom. Some units have sea views, all have river and garden views, and the surrounding fifteen-acre estate includes a private wooded valley with the original mill leat. It scores 9.6 from 12 reviews; the slow-travel sub-score (length-of-stay rebookings) is the highest on this list. Sixteen kilometres to Maeshowe, eighteen to Stenness, twenty-one to Skara Brae — close to the headline sites but far enough north for the silence of the Evie peninsula to be the actual draw. Dog-friendly.

The anniversary and milestone-birthday pick is Berstane Lodges on the Berstane shore east of Kirkwall. A small cluster of contemporary timber lodges, each with its own private terrace and hot tub, set on a quiet stretch of coastal road five kilometres from St Magnus Cathedral. The sea-view is the room: floor-to-ceiling glass facing east, the islands of Shapinsay and Helliar Holm in the middle distance, the long Atlantic horizon beyond. Equipped kitchenettes (not full kitchens, fair warning), free WiFi, free private parking. It scores 9.8 on Booking from 35 reviews. The property handles late check-ins well — useful if you are coming in on the late Loganair from Aberdeen or Edinburgh. The romance sub-score from couples is the highest of any sea-view lodge on the list.

Where the Luxury Cottages Cluster

Orkney's luxury self-catering inventory is not evenly spread. Three pockets carry most of the high-rated cottages, with a fourth pocket emerging on the south side:

• Stromness and the Hamnavoe rise. Hamnavoe villa, Algarth, Lindisfarne, the Stromness flagstones — the harbour-side cluster has the densest restaurant access on the islands and the most photogenic light. Best for couples and food-led trips.
• West Mainland (Finstown to Evie). Cottiscarth and Woodwick Mill anchor a strip of converted farm-steading properties running north along the A966. Dark skies, long walks to the cliffs, quietest of the four pockets. Best for photographers and week-long stays.
• Kirkwall edge (Upper Crantit, Berstane Road, Old Scapa). Aurora and Berstane sit in the rural-but-near-town zone three to five kilometres out of central Kirkwall. Best for hot tub properties with airport access — the late northbound Loganair lands and you can be in the tub forty minutes later.
• Holm and South Mainland. Loanside Lodge, Maydene, the Rockworks Chalets cluster at St Marys. Quietest pocket, closest to the South Isles ferry and the Italian Chapel. Best for small families who want short-drive convenience without paying central-Kirkwall rates.

Booking Timing, Price Expectations and Getting Here

A few practical notes that save real money and avoid the most common Orkney self-catering mistakes:

• Six to nine months out for July and August. The St Magnus International Festival in late June and the Orkney Folk Festival in late May fill the higher-end Stromness properties first; Hamnavoe and Aurora are typically gone six months out for any peak summer week. Shoulder months — early May, late September, October half-term — book three months ahead without difficulty.
• Expect £180 to £350 a night in peak summer. Two-bedroom luxury self-catering runs £150 to £280 in shoulder season and £200 to £400 in July and August. Premium hot-tub villas like Hamnavoe and Brinkies Retreat top out around £450 a night in high summer. Seven-night minimums apply at most properties between mid-June and late August.
• Winter is the bargain — and the aurora season. November through March halves most rates and lifts the three-night minimum to a much more accessible threshold. Hot tub properties become the strongest value here: the contrast of a snowstorm outside and 38°C water on a private terrace is the actual reason these properties exist.
• NorthLink ferry from Aberdeen vs Loganair from Edinburgh, Glasgow or Inverness. The cheapest arrival for two people with a car is the Pentland Ferries crossing from Gills Bay to St Margaret's Hope — 75 minutes, £90-ish return with car. The fastest is the Loganair from Edinburgh into Kirkwall — 80 minutes, no car needed if your cottage delivers a hire car. The MV Hamnavoe overnight from Aberdeen suits a slow approach and works particularly well if you are landing into Stromness for a Hamnavoe or Algarth booking.
• Hot tub policy varies. Some hot tubs are wood-fired (Cottiscarth and certain Lilly's Lodges units), most are electric. Wood-fired needs a half-hour heat-up but the experience is markedly better; electric tubs are warm in fifteen minutes. Check on the property page before booking.
• Use the property page for the live rate. Every cottage in this guide has a full Orkney Stays page with live Booking rates. The "Book Now" button is the cheapest available route — we are paid an affiliate fee by Booking, not by the property, so we have no incentive to push you toward one cottage over another.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best luxury cottage in Orkney?

For most travellers the all-round pick is Aurora Self-Catering in Kirkwall — a 9.8-rated three-bedroom holiday home with a luxury hot tub, a fully fitted kitchen, four kilometres from Kirkwall airport and two kilometres from Scapa Beach. For pure sea-view drama, Berstane Lodges or Cottiscarth Cottages take the win; for a Stromness harbour base with a private hot tub, Orkney Lux Lodges Hamnavoe is the pick.

Are there hot tub cottages in Orkney?

Yes. Three of our eight ranked picks have a private hot tub on the terrace: Aurora Self-Catering, Orkney Lux Lodges Hamnavoe, and Berstane Lodges. Beyond the eight, other strong Orkney hot tub cottages worth checking include Lilly's Lodges in Finstown, Taylor's Rest in Toab, and Brinkies Retreat (Hamnavoe's sister villa in Stromness). Wood-fired and electric tubs both feature — wood-fired is the more characterful experience and worth the half-hour heat-up time. Hot tub cottages typically run 20 to 40 percent above the equivalent non-tub property, especially in winter when demand is highest.

Which Orkney cottages have sea views?

Sea views are easier to find in Orkney than in most of Scotland — the archipelago is small enough that most West Mainland and South Isles properties sit within a kilometre of saltwater. Our four strongest sea-view picks are Cottiscarth Cottages above the Bay of Firth, Lindisfarne Self-Catering near Stromness, Berstane Lodges on the Berstane shore east of Kirkwall, and Algarth in Stromness with rooftop views over Hamnavoe harbour.

How far in advance should I book a luxury cottage in Orkney?

For peak July and August dates, six to nine months in advance. The St Magnus International Festival in late June and the Orkney Folk Festival in late May fill the higher-end Stromness and Kirkwall properties first. Hot tub properties book the fastest — Aurora and Hamnavoe are typically gone six months out for July. Shoulder months (early May, late September) are bookable three months out without difficulty; winter weeks are usually available three to four weeks out.

Are luxury cottages in Orkney dog-friendly?

Many are. Cottiscarth Cottages, Berstane Lodges, Woodwick Mill, Loanside Lodge and Algarth all accept dogs at the time of writing — usually a small surcharge per dog per stay rather than per night. Aurora Self-Catering and Hamnavoe lodge are not dog-friendly. Always confirm policy on the property's booking page before paying; Orkney is one of the most dog-friendly walking destinations in Scotland and most owners welcome well-behaved dogs.

What is the price range for a luxury cottage in Orkney?

Expect £150 to £280 a night for a two-bedroom luxury self-catering cottage in shoulder season; £200 to £400 a night in peak July and August. Premium hot tub villas like Hamnavoe run £250 to £450 a night in high summer. Three-bedroom family-sized properties (Aurora, Loanside, Cottiscarth) usually require a four to seven night minimum stay in peak season. Winter and shoulder weeks halve the rate but most properties impose a three-night minimum.

If the eight ranked picks above are booked for your dates, the full filtered list of Stromness holiday homes on Orkney Stays gives the live-rate alternative across the rest of the harbour and West Mainland inventory.