Housegarth

Housegarth sits out in the open country at Quoyloo, a low run of buildings on the West Mainland with nothing but big skies and grazing land around it. Pull up on the gravel and you'll see what makes it different — this is bunkhouse-style accommodation built into a converted steading, with stone gable ends, a warm timber-clad frontage and windows that catch the last of the evening light. In winter the surrounding fields turn white and the sunsets stretch right across the moor.

Rooms & comfort

Rooms here are simple and well kept rather than fussy. The bedroom I saw is a tidy single, with a proper desk and chair under the window, a reading lamp, fresh towels laid out and a comfortable bed dressed in patterned linen. Underfoot it's wood-effect flooring throughout, easy to keep clean after a day outdoors. The real heart of the place is the shared open-plan living space — exposed roof trusses overhead, deep leather sofas pulled around a low table, and a full kitchen with plenty of worktop, hob and oven so groups can cook together. There's also a separate utility room with a washer and dryer, drying rack and a noticeboard, which is exactly what you want after a wet walk.

The location

Quoyloo is well placed for the western side of the Mainland — the Brough of Birsay, the Marwick Head cliffs and the Skara Brae coastline are all an easy drive, and the Orkney Brewery is more or less on the doorstep. It's a genuinely rural base for exploring the rest of Orkney, with parking right outside and dark skies overhead. The interior corridors are brightly finished, with a cheerful North Isles theme running along one wall.

Good to know

Free parking, WiFi, a shared self-catering kitchen, garden ground and on-site laundry. Wood flooring throughout and a sociable communal lounge.

Perfect for

Sleeping 2 in a private room, this suits walkers, cyclists and solo travellers who want an affordable, no-fuss country base — and the shared spaces make it a friendly spot if you're touring the islands and don't mind company in the kitchen.