Bachylis Self Catering

Bachylis sits on the slope above the Loch of Kirbister at Orphir, a single-storey cottage in grey harling looking south over open grazing to the water. A picnic table is set out on the lawn so you can sit with the loch in front of you and the low Orphir hills beyond. Parking is right by the door, and the quiet here is the genuine article.

Inside

The living room keeps things simple and comfortable, with two soft grey sofas drawn around an electric stove, a wall-mounted TV and a pair of standard lamps for the darker evenings. The kitchen runs along one wall in pale wood, with an electric hob, microwave, a coffee machine and a washing machine tucked under the counter. A small breakfast bar with stools gives you somewhere to perch with a morning cup.

Where you'll sleep

There are two bedrooms, with room for four in all. The layout is straightforward and the rooms catch good light from the loch side of the house.

Step outside

The garden is the cottage's best feature. From the picnic bench you look straight down to the Loch of Kirbister, with grazing fields, a scatter of farms and the rolling moorland behind. On a clear day the view stretches well out across the parish.

The setting

Orphir is a peaceful farming parish on the south side of the Mainland, handy for the Scapa Flow shoreline and the round kirk, with the shops and ferries of Kirkwall a short drive away. It's a good base for getting out into quieter Orkney while still being close to the main town.

Perfect for

Sleeping four across two bedrooms, with parking, a garden and that loch view, Bachylis suits a small family or two couples who want somewhere calm and rural with the comforts kept close to hand.