Foveran

Review

'A very pleasant, relaxed, informal sort of place.' In their simple, single-storey hotel overlooking Scapa Flow, the Doull family provide 'traditional Orcadian hospitality'. There is 'a warm welcome with tea'. The well-equipped bedrooms, decorated in blond woods, vary from 'small' to 'spacious', but lack the views. 'Ours was clean and comfortable, with tea-making facilities and shortbread, just what we wanted.' 'Not posh, and without the gimmicks that many hotels provide these days.' Pre-dinner drinks are served by a fire in the lounge. In the restaurant, 'large, light and airy', with well-spaced tables and fine views, Paul Doull's 'consistently good' cooking is enjoyed by locals as well as residents. The emphasis is on the island's fine local produce: 'Memorable mutton one day, sole and monkfish another.' The list of 35 wines is 'sensible enough'. The service from 'a splendid team of youngsters' is praised. 'One waitress produced guidebooks for us without prompting.' Breakfast, served from 7.45 to 8.45 am, was 'a good buffet spread including stewed rhubarb, a welcome addition'. Orkney is a 'marvellous place' with abundant wildlife and fascinating archaeological sites. (Richard and Catriona Smith, and others)