I will try and give you good directions which along with a map and or sat nav you will have no bother I hope. Should you get lost please phone me at the mill on 01856 850136.
Here goes: You come off the boat and turn left and go through the little village of St Margaret’s Hope and the once out theother side ( which will take all of 4 mins) you turn left again and keep going straight ahead no lefts or rights until you have crossed 4 Churchill Barriers. ( You will pass the Italian Chapel on your right before you cross the last barrier and you may want to take a look in to see it) Once over the last barrier – turn left again and you will very soon come to the little village of St Mary’s (which we call Holm) drive through St Mary’s and keep going straight ahead until you pass the Highland Park Distillery on your right ( you may want to take a look in there too as the visitors centre will be open and if you hit it right there may be a tour starting). Anyway pass the Distillery and keep going straight on. Now you have a choice just after a short way. You can vere to your left around a left hand right angle bend or go straight on which will take you down into the town of Kirkwall. If you vere to your left you will go down quite a steep brae called the Holm Branch at the bottom vere to your right and keep going straight on until you come to a little round about now take a left on the roundabout and you will pass on your left Lidl store and then our new Tesco. Keep going straight past Tesco and you will come to another junction (with Mills Filling Station on the corner on your right). Now, at the roundabout, turn left up the hill. You are now on the A965 the main Kirkwall to Stromness road.
Keep going straight ahead until you pass through the village of Finstown, continue straight ahead until you pass through a really small village of Stenness (petrol station and a few houses) First landmark to look out for now after you pass through the tiny village is the Standing Stones Hotel (creamy white building set a little back off the road) on your right. About a mile or so after the Standing Stones Hotel is a turn of to your left labelled A964 Orphir and there will also be a sign saying Houton and a ferry symbol. Turn left out this road for just over a mile and you will see a red telephone box on your right. Slow right down to 5 mph as about 6 or 7 metres after the box you will cross the tiny mill burn stone bridge with two red reflectors on the left… slowly cross the bridge and turn left down the little drive around the second of the red reflectors and round the curve of the bridge wall end and down the back of my neighbours little cottage into the mill’s car park.
Notes: Finding the mill off the A965 main road is the easiest as it is just over a mile off the main road. So my advice is do not take any other route on your first day.
Do not take any turn offs to your left on a road marked A964 Orphir that you see other than after you have passed the Standing Stones Hotel on your right ie having passed through the little village of Stenness. There is such a turn of for the A964 Orphir marked just outside Finstown. DONT be tempted to take it. It will lead you into the wilds of Orphir and you will get lost.
Do not turn left up the hill road which is directly opposite the red telephone box. Slow right down and go those couple of more metres and cross the bridge and turn left down the drive just after the second reflector on the bridge.
All of the above are things other guests have done and they always get lost so look out for these little temptations.
I hope that the above is clear and will be of assistance to you to find me.
Drive off the boat and go straight ahead and you will come to a T junction. Turn right and drive a short distance and you will come to another T junction. Turn right again. You are now on the A965 the main Kirkwall to Stromness road.
Keep going straight ahead until you pass through the village of Finstown, continue straight ahead until you pass through a tiny tiny village of Stenness (petrol station and a few houses) First landmark to look out for now after you pass through the village is the Standing Stones Hotel (creamy white building set a little back off the road) on your right. About a mile or so after the Standing Stones Hotel is a turn of to your left labelled A964 Orphir and there will also be a sign saying Houton and a ferry symbol. Turn left out this road for just over a mile and you will see a red telephone box on your right. Slow right down to 5 mph as about 6 or 7 metres after the box you will cross the tiny mill burn stone bridge with two red reflectors on the left, slowly cross the bridge and turn left down the little drive around the second of the red reflectors and round the curve of the bridge wall end and down the back of my neighbour’s cottage into the mill’s car park.
NOTES: Finding the mill off the A965 main road is the easiest as it is just over a mile off the main road. So my advice is do not take any other route on your first day.
Do not take any turn offs to your left on a road marked A964 Orphir that you see other than after you have passed the Standing Stones Hotel on your right having passed through the little village of Stenness. There is such a turn of for the A964 Orphir marked just outside Finstown. DONT be tempted to take it. It will lead you into the wilds of Orphir and you will get lost. Should you get lost phone me at the mill on 01856 850136.
Do not turn left up the hill road which is directly opposite the red telephone box. Slow right down and go those couple of more metres and cross the little bridge and turn left down the drive just after the second reflector on the bridge.
All of the above are things other guests have done and they always get lost so look out for these little temptations.
I hope that the above is clear and will be of assistance.
Once you have your car, drive out onto the main road and turn right. Now drive straight on until you drive down into Kirkwall. Shortly after you enter the houses of Kirkwall look for a road on your left market Clay Loan. Turn left down the steep Clay Loan and at the very bottom turn right. Now keep going straight on a short distance until you come to a small round about… now take a left on the roundabout and you will pass on your left Lidl store and then Tesco keep going straight past Tesco and you will come to another junction (with Mills Filling Station on the corner on your right). Now, at the roundabout, turn left up the hill. You are now on the A965 the main Kirkwall to Stromness road.
Keep going straight ahead until you pass through the village of Finstown, continue straight ahead until you pass through the small village of Stenness (petrol station and a few houses) First landmark to look out for now after you pass through the tiny village is the Standing Stones Hotel (creamy white building set a little back off the road) on your right. About a mile or so after the Standing Stones Hotel is a turn of to your left labelled A964 Orphir and there will also be a sign saying Houton and a ferry symbol. Turn left out this road for just over a mile and you will see a red telephone box on your right. Slow right down to 5 mph as about 6 or 7 metres after the box you will cross the little mill burn stone bridge with two red reflectors on your left… slowly cross the bridge and turn left down the drive around the second of the red reflectors and round the curve of the bridge wall end and down the back of my neighbours cottage into the mill’s car park.
Notes: Finding the mill off the A965 main road is the easiest as it is just over a mile off the main road. So my advice is do not take any other route on your first day.
Do not take any turn offs to your left on a road marked A964 Orphir that you see other than after you have passed the Standing Stones Hotel on your right having passed through the village of Stenness. There is such a turn of for the A964 Orphir marked just outside Finstown. DONT be tempted to take it. It will lead you into the wilds of Orphir and you will get lost.
Do not turn left up the hill road which is directly opposite the red telephone box. Slow right down and go those couple of more metres and cross the little bridge and turn left down the little drive just after the second reflector on the bridge. Should you do get lost phone me at the mill on 01856 850136.
All of the above are things other guests have done and they always get lost so look out for these little temptations.
I hope that the above is clear and will be of assistance.
Drive off the ferry over the link span and turn right. Go straight ahead for about 400 m and you will reach a small roundabout. Go straight over the roundabout. You are now on the A965 the main road from Stromness to Kirkwall. Drive straight out this road for about 2.5 miles and you will cross a small three arched stone bridge called the Brig’o’Waithe. About 100 m after the bridge you will see a sign A964 Orphir and then another sign with a symbol for a ferry and the name Houton. Turn right out the A964. Drive straight ahead for just over 1 mile and you will see a red telephone box on your right. Slow right down to 5 mph and about 10 m after the telephone box there is a tiny stone bridge. Cross the bridge and turn left around the curved bridge wall down the little slope at the back of my neighbours little cottage into the mill yard. There are two red reflectors on black and white posts by the bridge put there by the Council to stop folk running into it. You turn left around the second of those red reflectors. The reason I am saying to slow down when you pass the red telephone box is because the distance between the box, then the bridge and the entry drive to the mill is all in the space of about 20m. Should you do get lost please phone me at the mill on 01856 850136
Note: do not turn left up the steep hill road which is directly opposite the telephone box. Make sure you cross the tiny bridge. The mill is in a little dip and is below the road level on your left beside the mill burn but the property is adjacent to the A964.
These directions are slightly longer than the shortest route from Stromness but are the easiest to follow on your first visit.
I hope the above is clear and is of assistance.