Stromness, where the MV Hamnavoe from Scrabster docks, is a distinctive town well worth spending some time in. It is the gateway to Orkney's finest archaeological treasures found in the parishes of Sandwick, Stenness, Orphir, Rendall, Firth, Harray, Evie, and Birsay. The West Mainland is home to the Neolithic village of Skara Brae, the ancient standing stones at Stenness and the Ring of Brodgar, the tidal island of the Brough of Birsay, and the chambered cairn Maeshowe, as well as plenty of shops, restaurants and beaches to explore.