Quick Navigation
- The Orkney Brewery, Quoyloo
- Swannay Brewery, Evie
- Which Orkney beer to try first
- The best pubs for Orkney ale: Helgi's and the Ferry Inn
- How to visit both breweries
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Who owns the Orkney Brewery?
- Where is the Orkney Brewery?
- What is Red MacGregor at Orkney Brewery?
- What is Dark Island Reserve?
- Who owns Swannay Brewery?
- Where is Swannay Brewery?
Orkney brewing has two addresses, a farmhouse schoolroom and an old creamery, and one shared habit of winning more national awards than a beer scene this size has any right to. The Orkney Brewery at Quoyloo has been turning out Orkney Gold and the CAMRA-garlanded Dark Island since 1988; sixteen years later, a former head brewer struck out on his own at Swannay Brewery in Evie and built an equally decorated second brand. Here's where to visit both, which Orkney beer to try first, and where to drink them once you're back in town.
The Orkney Brewery, Quoyloo
The Orkney Brewery has brewed at Quoyloo, a hamlet on the west Mainland a mile from Skara Brae, since 1988, in a converted Victorian schoolhouse dating to 1878. It became part of Highland & Islands Breweries in 2002 after a merger with the mainland's Atlas Brewery, before Orcadian businessman Norman Sinclair bought the operation in 2006 through Sinclair Breweries Ltd and consolidated all production back at Quoyloo. It's still a family business: Norman and Christine Sinclair run it today, and their son Arran, a Heriot-Watt brewing and distilling graduate, now brews alongside them.
The visitor centre holds VisitScotland Five Star status, with a shop and a café (the Tasting Hall) serving hot food, cakes and coffee alongside the beer. A second retail outlet, the Peedie Bottle Shop, sits on Albert Street in Kirkwall town centre for anyone who doesn't make it out to Quoyloo itself.
Swannay Brewery, Evie
Sixteen years after Quoyloo started brewing, Rob Hill, who had previously been head brewer at both the Orkney Brewery and Moorhouse's in Lancashire, set up on his own in the old creamery buildings at Swannay Farm, Evie, on the north-west tip of the Mainland. Founded in late 2004 (initially trading as the Highland Brewing Company before the Swannay name took over), it's now a two-generation operation: Rob's son Lewis joined around 2010 as the brewery scaled up production.
Swannay is smaller and more seasonal than Quoyloo. The shop and Tap Room (serving beer, coffee and soft drinks) keep limited hours (Monday, Thursday and Friday 11:00–15:00, weekends 12:00–16:00, closed Tuesday and Wednesday), and the guided tour only runs on Saturdays and Sundays at 1pm between 18 April and 30 September, for a minimum of four adults, booked at least seven days ahead.
Which Orkney beer to try first
Between the two breweries there's a genuinely wide range on offer, from session-strength golden ales to an 8.5% "wrecker" built to keep out the North Sea cold. A few are worth seeking out specifically.
| Beer | Brewery | ABV | Style & note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orkney Gold | Orkney Brewery | 4.5% | Golden ale; the brewery's best-known session beer |
| Dark Island | Orkney Brewery | 4.6% | Dark ale; twice CAMRA Champion Beer of Scotland (2000, 2003); category silver at CAMRA's Champion Winter Beer of Britain, Feb 2025 |
| Skull Splitter | Orkney Brewery | 8.5% | Strong ale named for a Viking earl; Supreme Champion Winter Beer of Britain, 2001 |
| Dark Island Reserve | Orkney Brewery | 10% | Dark Island matured 3 months in single malt whisky casks; hand-bottled, SIBA Cask Champion |
| Red MacGregor | Orkney Brewery | 4.0% | Ruby ale; one of the first UK beers built around American Cascade hops |
| Orkney IPA | Swannay Brewery | 4.8% | CAMRA Champion Beer of Scotland, 2018 |
| Scapa Special | Swannay Brewery | 4.2% | Amber session ale; CAMRA Champion Beer of Scotland, 2008 |
| Island Hopping | Swannay Brewery | 3.9% | Light, approachable golden session ale |
The best pubs for Orkney ale: Helgi's and the Ferry Inn
You don't have to drive out to either brewery to try the beer: Orkney's two best-regarded pubs for cask ale both keep a rotating line-up from Quoyloo and Evie. Helgi's in Kirkwall pours around five Orkney beers on draught alongside a bottled range, and was named Northern Isles CAMRA Pub of the Year in both 2022 and 2023. In Stromness, the Ferry Inn is well known among CAMRA members for some of the best-conditioned cask ale in the north, typically stocking Dark Island, Skull Splitter, Red MacGregor, Raven Ale and Corncrake from the Orkney Brewery alongside Scapa Special, Orkney Blast and Island Hopping from Swannay. Both are an easy stop after a day out, and both sit close to some of the destinations covered in our guide to Orkney's best restaurants and pubs.
How to visit both breweries
Quoyloo and Evie both sit on the west Mainland, within easy striking distance of the island's other big single-site attractions: Skara Brae is a mile from the Orkney Brewery, and the Broch of Gurness is a short drive from Swannay. Because Swannay's tours only run on summer weekends, check the calendar before you plan a midweek visit; Quoyloo, by contrast, runs tours most days and is the easier drop-in of the two. If you're building out a full drinks-focused itinerary, Orkney's beer scene pairs naturally with the Highland Park and Scapa whisky trail around Kirkwall, and a long weekend covers both comfortably.
Basing yourself centrally makes both breweries an easy half-day trip rather than a full-day expedition: Orkney's accommodation options in and around Kirkwall and Stromness put you within 20–30 minutes of Quoyloo, Evie, or both.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who owns the Orkney Brewery?
Sinclair Breweries Ltd, run by Orcadian businessman Norman Sinclair with his wife Christine and son Arran. Norman Sinclair bought the brewery in 2006 and consolidated production at the original Quoyloo site after the earlier Highland & Islands Breweries merger wound down.
Where is the Orkney Brewery?
At Quoyloo, near Stromness on Orkney's west Mainland (KW16 3LT), in a converted Victorian schoolhouse about a mile from Skara Brae. The visitor centre, shop and Tasting Hall café are open Monday to Saturday, 10:00–17:00.
What is Red MacGregor at Orkney Brewery?
A 4.0% ruby ale and one of the first UK beers built around the citrusy American Cascade hop, making it an early forerunner of Britain's modern craft-beer wave. It's a regular pour at the Ferry Inn in Stromness.
What is Dark Island Reserve?
A 10% limited-edition version of the Orkney Brewery's Dark Island, matured for three months in casks that previously held single malt Scotch whisky. Each hand-labelled bottle carries its own gyle (batch) number, and it has won SIBA's Cask Champion award in its category.
Who owns Swannay Brewery?
The Hill family. Rob Hill, formerly head brewer at the Orkney Brewery and at Moorhouse's in Lancashire, founded it in 2004; his son Lewis joined the business around 2010 as it grew.
Where is Swannay Brewery?
At Swannay, by Evie, on Orkney's north-west Mainland (KW17 2NP), around 30 minutes' drive from Kirkwall, in the former creamery buildings on Swannay Farm. The shop keeps limited hours (closed Tuesday and Wednesday), and guided tours run only on summer weekends.
Two breweries, a shared taste for strong dark ales, and barely 30 minutes of Mainland road between them. Orkney's beer scene rewards the kind of unhurried visit the islands do best, and the pubs of Kirkwall and Stromness are the place to finish the job.
