Celebrating Orkney’s delicious food and drink

In this blog, award-winning travel writer Robin McKelvie heads to Orkney in search of the island’s finest flavours, sampling everything from hand-dived scallops and lamb to world-class whisky and standout restaurants.

Aside from its delicious food, Orkney impresses in the glass too. Orkney is serious whisky country, with two global big hitters, Highland Park and Scapa, with new distilleries taking shape.

Think Orcadian food and drink and for me the first thing that comes to my mind is quality. Then abundance, closely followed by two words – utterly delicious. Power north with NorthLink Ferries and this oasis of world-class food and drink awaits with mouthwatering produce, from fresh lamb and bountiful seafood, through to some of Scotland’s best beers and some of the finest distilled liquor on the planet. Whisky galore. And beer.

For me it’s all about the way the rugged purity of the landscape flavours all the produce. Pure terroir. There is the remarkable award-winning beef and then the lamb reared on seaweed and sea salt-ravaged pastures. Orkney lamb may not be the biggest you’ll find, smaller than the factory farm hulks you get in some parts of the world, but the local lamb is packed with flavour and complexity. Don’t say you don’t like lamb until you’ve tried lamb from Orkney.

Then there is the epic seafood, plucked fresh from the aquarium-clear unpolluted waters that are packed with the nutrients that allow so many species to thrive here, from crab through to those plump hand-dived king scallops you find starring on fine dining menus all across Scotland. For me they are the finest scallops anywhere in Europe. The crab is divine – every time I return to Orkney, I always make sure to savour a simple crab sandwich kissed with lemon and mayonnaise, not fancy but bursting with flavours that any Michelin restaurant would be proud of.

In the glass, Orkney is serious whisky country, with two global big hitters and new distilleries taking shape. Highland Park boasts a heritage dating way back to 1798, a perfect marriage of honey, heather and hearth, with each element perfectly balanced. Scapa meanwhile is a distillery kissed by the waters of sweeping Scapa Flow. It is a generally lighter malt, though that by no means implies it plays second fiddle on flavour. Both are world-class drams worth a trip to Orkney for in their own right.

Orkney’s beers these days are also acclaimed, with the Orkney Brewery and the Swannay Brewery the shining, award-winning highlights. At the Orkney Brewery settling into the taphouse at the former Quoyloo Schoolhouse to savour one of their legendary ales on tap is a sublime experience. I remember a lost couple of hours here doing just that. Oh, that Dark Island on draught… Swannay Brewery meanwhile was set up in 2003 by Rob Hill, who once worked as a brewer at Orkney Brewery. Look out for the likes of the delicious Scapa Special and Orkney IPA.

Some of the best places to eat around Orkney

I could wax lyrical and set your tastebuds popping by delving into the delights of local Bere bannocks, that seriously tasty Orkney fudge and richly glorious Orkney ice cream, but instead I’ll let you discover them for yourself when you step off the ferry.

Instead, I’d like to share some my favourite places to eat with you in Kirkwall, a great place to dine out.

1. New Orcadian Restaurant

Peer out over the waterfront from this restaurant in The Ayre Hotel, which is definitely worth staying in for. We are talking those chunky hand-dived king scallops laced with a pea puree to start, or maybe some deep-fried breaded Grimbister cheese? Then it is on to an Orkney beef steak that hails from the island’s renowned beef herd. If you’re in the mood for a party they have a Sports Bar and Lounge Bar too.

2. Harbour View Restaurant

I’m a huge fan of the Kirkwall Hotel, a grand old dame that is one of my favourite places to stay in the Northern Isles, especially if I’m lucky enough to snare a room with sweeping views over Kirkwall’s harbour. Enjoy those same vistas from the grand dining room.

A lip-smacking salty and creamy Kirkwall Bay chowder kicks things off, or maybe that glorious local fried Grimbister cheese, before monkfish as a delicious main? I’m also fond of their take on Cullen Skink, which bursts with flavour and local seafood.

3. The Storehouse

This grand historic building in Kirkwall is the perfect place for a real treat – and is run by their excellent manager Gayle Grieve.

Head chef Danny Cormack brings a creative touch to the well-stocked Orcadian kitchen with the likes of Orkney lamb spiced up with harissa. There is the Orkney gold culinary standard of king scallops too. Here they’re given a creative flourish, laced with cauliflower, lemongrass puree, crispy shallots and basil.

They’ve got a decent wine list and a wealth of local beers. And they boast rooms here too if you want to make a night of it at this characterful ‘restaurant with rooms’.

4. Judith Glue Real Food Cafe

Kirkwall foodie pioneer, Judith Glue is an Orcadian trendsetter whose always been ahead of the times. This oasis sits right outside St Magnus Cathedral. Yes, this is an art gallery and gift shop where you can pick up something truly memorable to take home and remember Orkney by, but it is so much more besides.

The food is excellent. They could get away with just churning out dull cheese paninis, but last time I was in, I feasted on fresh Orkney white crab meat. Absolutely delicious. Head Cook Kirsty Aim has 17 years of baking and cooking experience, and it shows.

5. The Foveran

For a truly special meal in a truly spectacular location this just might be my Kirkwall favourite. I’m cheating a little as it actually reclines on a wee bluff just south of Kirkwall overlooking Scapa Flow.

On the menu expect to find Orkney beef and lashings of that glorious seafood. Local whiskies and beers too. The cured cold smoked salmon alive with whipped Orkney cream cheese, beetroot relish, lemon gel and mini-Orkney oatcakes is divine. On the main menu the shellfish risotto bursts with mussels, scallops and lobster, topped with a parmesan tuile.

This slick restaurant would grace any Scottish city. It draws on ultra fresh produce from local land and sea which makes it uniquely special. Another ‘restaurant with rooms’ so you can stay here too.

By Robin McKelvie
Robin McKelvie is an award-winning travel writer and broadcaster who has been published in over 200 magazines and newspapers worldwide.

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