Wet flagstone street in Kirkwall old town with stone-built guest houses

Budget stays

Cheap Stays in Orkney

Hostels, family-run guest houses and proper B&Bs — the islands' affordable tier, ranked by what guests actually scored them.

12 budget-friendly stays

What budget actually costs

Cheap stays in Orkney, without cutting the wrong corners

Orkney has no chain accommodation. Across the 198places to stay we track on the islands there is not one Premier Inn, Travelodge or budget-brand equivalent — so the affordable end here isn't a standardised product, it's independent guest houses, family-run B&Bs and a small number of hostels. That has one practical consequence worth planning around: quality varies far more than it would at a chain, so the guest score and the number of reviews behind it are the two things worth reading before anything else.

The cheapest stays cluster heavily in Kirkwall — more than halfof the guest houses, B&Bs and hostels on the islands are in the town. The two established hostels, Kirkwall Youth Hostel on Old Scapa Road and Orcades Hostel on Muddisdale Road, are both walkable from the centre and both have kitchens and lounges. The guest houses and B&Bs sit on the residential streets above the harbour, within walking distance of St Magnus Cathedral, and most serve the genuine Orkney breakfast — porridge, local sausage, eggs, oatcakes. For travellers arriving without a hire car, Kirkwall is the obvious base.

Outside Kirkwall the budget options are scattered and you will want a car. Burray, Sanday, Westray, Holm and St Margaret's Hope each hold a B&B or farmhouse stay or two, and several of them outscore the Mainland hotels comfortably on guest ratings. Stromness is the notable gap — the harbour town has plenty of self-catering but almost nothing at the true budget end, and no hostel at all.

One Orkney-specific quirk worth knowing: the islands lean heavily on the shoulder season. Winter is materially cheaper, but daylight is short and a number of B&Bs simply close for the season. May and September are where most repeat visitors land — long days, every heritage site open, and demand well off the July peak. We don't publish nightly rates on this site: with a small, seasonal pool of independently owned beds, the only rate worth acting on is the live one, so open a property page and compare a few dates.

The shortlist

Guest house

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Common questions

Budget Orkney accommodation FAQ

What's the cheapest place to stay in Orkney?

A hostel bed. Kirkwall Youth Hostel on Old Scapa Road and Orcades Hostel on Muddisdale Road are the two largest, both a short walk from the town centre and both with kitchens and lounges you can use. Peedie Sea Accommodation, also in Kirkwall, and The Anchorage on Front Road in St Margaret's Hope are the smaller alternatives. After hostels, the cheapest private rooms are guest houses on the residential streets above Kirkwall harbour. We don't publish nightly rates — they move with the season and with how far ahead you book — so check the live rate on any property page before you decide.

Are there hostels in Orkney?

Yes, though not many, and they are concentrated in Kirkwall. Kirkwall Youth Hostel and Orcades Hostel are the two established ones, both with self-catering kitchens and communal lounges, and both carrying several hundred guest reviews on Booking.com. Peedie Sea Accommodation in Kirkwall and The Anchorage in St Margaret's Hope on South Ronaldsay are smaller and more guesthouse-like in feel. Stromness has no hostel — the cheapest beds there are guest houses.

What's the cheapest time of year to visit Orkney?

The winter half of the year, roughly October through April. Rates are at their lowest, though daylight is short, the weather is genuinely Atlantic, and a number of B&Bs close for the season entirely. May and September are the compromise most visitors settle on: long daylight, every heritage site open, and demand well below the July and August peak. Whichever window you pick, the rate you see on the property page is the live one — compare a few dates rather than assuming a season.

Can you camp in Orkney?

Yes. Wild camping is legal in Scotland under the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003, with the usual leave-no-trace rules — small tents, a night or two in one spot, well away from houses and roads. There are also formal campsites at Pickaquoy in Kirkwall, Ness in Stromness and Rackwick on Hoy; Pickaquoy and Ness take campervans as well as tents, and Rackwick is the basic end of the scale. Bring proper waterproofs and a sturdy tent whatever the forecast says: even in July, Orkney can deliver three weather systems in one afternoon.

Are B&Bs and guest houses better value than hotels in Orkney?

On guest ratings, clearly. Most of Orkney's family-run B&Bs and guest houses score in the 9s on Booking.com, while just one island hotel with a substantial review count manages the same — and the B&B rate usually includes a full cooked breakfast, which a hotel room rate normally doesn't. Orkney has no chain hotels at all: not a single Premier Inn, Travelodge or similar across the islands, so the budget tier here is independent by default. For value and atmosphere, the family-run places win.

How can I save money on Orkney accommodation?

Four practical levers, none of which need a discount code. Travel outside July and August, and mid-week rather than at the weekend. Look at self-catering for a longer stay rather than a hotel room for a short one — compare the quote for several nights against the same nights booked singly, and cook from the harbour fishmonger and the farm shops instead of eating out twice a day. Share: guest houses and cottages are priced per room or per property, so a family or two couples usually beat two hotel rooms. And book early for summer — Orkney has a small pool of beds and a short peak season, so the good-value places go first.

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