Madras cottage Orkney Islands

Madras Cottage is a snug single-storey white cottage in Harray, out in the green heart of Orkney's West Mainland. A wide flagstone patio wraps around the front, complete with a picnic table for a cup of tea in the open air, and there's parking and easy level access right to the door. Window boxes of red flowers brighten the white walls, and the countryside rolls away on every side.

Inside

The living room is cosy and proper — a wood-burning stove set into a slate surround for chilly evenings, comfortable armchairs and a small sofa gathered round, a coffee table and a TV, with a window framing the fields and garden beyond. It's an easy room to settle into after a day on the road. The kitchen is compact and fully equipped: electric cooker and oven, microwave, kettle, a washing machine, fridge and a window over the sink looking out to the moor.

Where you'll sleep

Two bedrooms sleep four. One has a neat daybed dressed in pale linen with cushions and a striped rug, light coming in through the window — a comfortable, restful room. The shower room is fresh and practical, with a corner shower, sink, toilet, a heated towel rail and a window for natural light.

Step outside

Beyond the patio it's all open farmland and big Orkney skies — low hills on the horizon, drystone walls and grazing fields, the sort of quiet, wide-open setting that's hard to find anywhere else.

The setting

Harray sits in the centre of the Mainland in Orkney, handy for the lochs, the standing stones and a short drive from both Kirkwall and Stromness. It's a peaceful, rural base with everything within easy reach by car.

Perfect for

A family or small group of four after a quiet country cottage with a stove, a washer, parking and proper space outdoors — a comfortable, no-nonsense base for seeing the islands.