A passion for all things Orcadian infuses this ‘delightful’ and ‘welcoming’ restaurant-with-rooms overlooking Scapa Flow and the southern Orkney islands. Guests can sit in a traditional Orkney chair (‘more comfortable than it looks’), admire a tapestry made by a cousin of the owners, and enjoy a hint of local whisky in such dishes as Orkney fillet steak topped with caramelised onions, a puff pastry lattice and creamy Highland Park sauce. Brothers Paul and Hamish Doull and their wives, Helen and Shirley, are hands-on owners, with a staff of ‘friendly and helpful’ young locals. Bedrooms are small and spruce, with good toiletries, nothing fancy. But then, this is first and foremost a restaurant, open for dinner only which, as a reader observes, ‘makes a subtle difference’ – including no check-in before 4.30 pm. There are panoramic, big sky views from the sea-facing lounge and the popular restaurant where, along with that fillet steak, Paul Doull’s menus showcase North Ronaldsay mutton, local lamb, shellfish and seafood. At breakfast there are free-range eggs, local sausages and black pudding, home-made bread, bannocks and preserves. (MM-D)