Photo: Stevekeiretsu / Ring of Brodgar, Orkney.jpg · CC BY-SA 3.0 · cropped
Orkney offers dates on several different scales. You can meet for a film in Kirkwall, compare favourite paintings in Stromness or spend a day exploring an ancient place beside the sea. Start with what you would enjoy doing together, then give it enough time.
These 14 Orkney date ideas bring the towns and wider outings into one guide. Ideas 1 to 3 are in Kirkwall, while 4 to 7 focus on Stromness. The remaining suggestions take you farther afield, including a separate ferry day to Hoy.
Choose one main activity rather than treating the list as a route. Most suggestions are on Mainland or road-linked Lamb Holm, but they still involve different journeys. A gallery and lunch can make a complete date just as readily as an island crossing.
1. Spend an afternoon around Broad Street in Kirkwall
The red sandstone of St Magnus Cathedral makes a striking meeting point. Step inside during visitor hours, choose a detail that catches your eye and compare your discoveries afterwards. Ordinary entry is free, with donations welcomed; services and ceremonies can affect access.
Nearby, Orkney Museum occupies Tankerness House. Its collections introduce island life from prehistory onwards. Follow a shared interest rather than trying to read every display, then leave time for refreshments on the surrounding streets.
The museum also has free admission. Check current hours and access arrangements for its historic building. Tankerness House is in Kirkwall, distinct from the rural Tankerness area east of town.
The Bishop’s and Earl’s Palaces offer a seasonal extension beside the cathedral. Their published visitor season runs from April to September. Steps and uneven surfaces affect access, and the upper level of the Bishop’s Palace’s Moosie Tower is closed.
2. Choose a Highland Park whisky experience
Highland Park offers several experiences at its Kirkwall distillery, from introductions to more specialist tastings. Compare the descriptions together and choose something that suits your interest and budget, rather than assuming the longest option is best.
A guided experience can make an enjoyable date because someone else provides the structure while you compare what you notice. A simple preference is just as useful as an elaborate tasting description.
Read the exact inclusions before booking. Experiences differ, and production can pause for maintenance or the distillery’s silent season. Arrange transport so neither person needs to drive after drinking, and ask directly about options for anyone who does not want alcohol.
3. Book a film or a game at Pickaquoy
The Pickaquoy Centre offers a useful choice between cinema and indoor activity. Pick a film you would both enjoy, or ask about an available badminton or squash session if you would rather do something active.
Treat these as alternative versions of the same outing. For a film, leave time afterwards to discuss it over food. For a game, agree whether you want a friendly rally or a proper match before one person becomes unexpectedly competitive.
Check the current programme and court availability before travelling. The centre’s pools are temporarily closed, with reopening currently targeted for mid-November 2026. The cinema and other facilities have their own arrangements, so a general opening time does not confirm every activity is available.
If booking sport, ask about equipment and suitable footwear. For the cinema, check the screening’s rating, start time and access options. Either can work well when you want a definite plan on a wet or windy day.
4. Compare favourites at the Pier Arts Centre
The Pier Arts Centre gives you an indoor date with room for different opinions. Its galleries sit on Victoria Street, close enough to the harbour to combine art with a short town wander.
Try choosing one work each before explaining your choice. You might notice a colour, a shape or the way a picture changes from across the room. There is no test of expertise, and disagreeing about a favourite can be part of the pleasure.
Admission is free. Check the current exhibition and opening days, especially if you are arriving on a Sunday or Monday. The centre provides lift access to its gallery floors, while staff can help with the entrance door if required.
A short visit is perfectly reasonable. Leave while you are still interested and find somewhere to talk, rather than treating every wall as an obligation. You can always return on another date.
5. Discover sea stories at Stromness Museum
Stromness Museum is at the southern end of the town’s main street, at 52 Alfred Street. Its maritime, social and natural-history collections offer plenty of different starting points for a conversation.
Follow the stories that appeal to you both. An object connected with a voyage can lead into a discussion about places you would like to travel, while natural-history displays reward a slower look at things easily missed outdoors.
Allow time for the walk from the ferry terminal or bus stop. The museum suggests around 15 to 20 minutes, so it is not immediately beside the arrival point. Check opening hours before relying on it as a last stop before a ferry.
Access is affected by the age of the building. A stair lift serves the natural-history collection, but not every gallery has equivalent access. Contact the museum about your needs so you can plan a visit that feels comfortable.
6. Walk towards the Point of Ness and Warebeth
The Stromness and Warebeth route takes you through town and around the coast. Orkney.com describes a 6.5-kilometre circuit, with some narrow coastal sections and ground that can become wet.
Choose your version before setting off. A shorter out-and-back walk towards the Point of Ness suits a date focused on conversation. The full circuit needs more time, appropriate footwear and enough daylight to enjoy the return.
From the shore, the view towards Graemsay and Hoy helps put Stromness in its island setting. Bring binoculars if you already have them, or simply pause when something catches your eye. You do not need a wildlife sighting to make the walk worthwhile.
The town’s narrow main street is open to traffic. Keep aware of vehicles, and use the published route for the coastal section rather than improvising close to the water. Change the plan if wind or poor visibility makes the exposed parts unpleasant.
7. Play a round at Stromness Golf Club
Stromness Golf Club offers visitor rounds on a coastal course near the southern end of town. It is a good option for two people who enjoy golf and want the game to be the main activity.
The club describes a short but testing layout, so do not assume a modest course length means every hole will be easy. Agree on a friendly approach to scoring and give yourselves permission to enjoy a good shot without analysing every poor one.
Use the visitor booking information and check equipment arrangements in advance. The club advertises hire clubs and trolleys, but confirm availability for your visit. Ask about playing requirements if either person is new or returning after a long break.
Coastal wind is part of the setting and can change the experience considerably. Dress for the conditions and allow enough time for the round. Clubhouse opening is separate from course access, so check before making an after-game meal or drink part of the promise.
8. Explore Skara Brae and consider Skaill House
At Skara Brae, the surviving stone houses make ancient domestic life unusually tangible. Look at the spaces and furniture, then compare which details feel familiar despite the distance in time.
The original dwellings are viewed from the visitor route rather than entered as ordinary rooms. The replica house helps you imagine their interiors. Give yourselves time to look, instead of turning the visit into a race for photographs.
Check ticket and access arrangements before travelling. Skaill House is included during its published April-to-October season, but operates separately. Treat it as an optional part of the same outing and confirm its hours if you want both.
9. Spend time in the landscape around Brodgar
The Ring of Brodgar is a good choice when you want a historic place that still feels closely connected to its surroundings. Walk the permitted route and notice how the stones sit between water, sky and hills.
Entry is free. Follow any one-way arrangement or path closures protecting the ground, and bring shoes suited to wet grass. There are no toilets at the circle, so plan practical stops before arriving.
If you want a guided indoor encounter with the area’s prehistory, consider Maeshowe as a separately booked addition. Tours begin at the Stenness visitor centre and use a shuttle. The low entrance passage and uneven approach require checking; this is not a casual walk-in extension.
10. Plan a low-tide visit to the Brough of Birsay
The Brough of Birsay combines a tidal approach with archaeological remains and an open coastal setting. Choose it for a day when conditions allow you to enjoy the crossing without watching the sea anxiously.
Check the recommended tide information and local conditions before setting off. The causeway is only accessible at low tide and can be slippery. Allow a safe return window, not just enough time to reach the island.
Once across, the remains give your walk a focus before you pause over the wider view. If the tide or weather is unsuitable, stay on the Mainland side. A view from shore is a better date than trying to complete a crossing because it was on the plan.
11. Look closely at the Italian Chapel
The Italian Chapel on Lamb Holm is a small building with a story that rewards an unhurried visit. Created by Italian prisoners of war, it brings painting, craftsmanship and the wish for a place of worship together.
Spend time with the details rather than stopping only at the entrance for a photograph. Ask which part most changes your impression of the building. It is a thoughtful choice for couples who enjoy seeing what people can create with limited materials.
Check the seasonal hours and admission before travelling. This remains a chapel, so keep the visit considerate of other people. Lamb Holm is road-linked to Mainland, making this a different kind of journey from a ferry day trip.
12. Browse jewellery and share lunch in Tankerness
The Kirk Gallery & Café in Tankerness combines Sheila Fleet’s jewellery with a café in a converted church setting. It makes a good date when design and food appeal more than another archaeological stop.
Browse the collections and compare the shapes or colours you would choose. There is no need to make a purchase, and no reason for a jewellery visit to imply an important relationship milestone. Let it be a chance to notice each other’s tastes.
Book a café table if lunch is central to the outing. Hot-food service and gallery opening are not identical. This is the Tankerness destination outside Kirkwall, distinct from both the town-centre shop and Tankerness House, which houses Orkney Museum.
13. Walk at Marwick Head
For an outdoor date with a wildlife focus, consider RSPB Marwick Head. The path leads from the bay towards the cliffs and Kitchener memorial, with views that make stopping part of the outing.
Bring binoculars if you have them and give yourselves time to watch rather than constantly move. Nesting seabirds are a seasonal attraction, so an autumn or winter walk will feel different. No particular sighting is guaranteed.
The grassy route has steep sections and can be wet or slippery. Choose conditions that suit both walkers, stay well back from cliff edges and follow reserve notices. This is not a level promenade, and practical facilities are limited.
14. Take the ferry to Hoy for the Scapa Flow Museum
The Scapa Flow Museum at Lyness gives a Hoy day trip a clear purpose. Its naval history can make an absorbing shared visit, with the ferry journey adding a change of pace before and afterwards.
Plan the crossing through Orkney Ferries, using the Houton-to-Lyness service appropriate to your date. Check the museum’s season and the return sailing together. The museum is near the Lyness terminal, but the outdoor approach includes uneven ground.
Confirm café availability rather than assuming it follows museum hours, and bring food if necessary. Keep this as a focused Lyness visit. Adding the Old Man of Hoy would require a very different transport and walking plan, not a quick detour.
Three ways to choose your day
A relaxed first meeting
Choose Orkney Museum in Kirkwall or the Pier Arts Centre in Stromness. A gallery, museum or short walk gives you something to share without committing to a whole day away. Keep a meal or coffee as an optional extension.
A day for curious minds
Choose Skara Brae, the Italian Chapel or a booked Maeshowe tour according to your interests. Allow time afterwards to talk about what you saw. One substantial visit can be more satisfying than several rushed stops.
A day outdoors
Choose Marwick Head in suitable conditions, or plan the Brough of Birsay around safe tidal access. Take food, water and enough layers for pauses. Let weather determine the route rather than treating the original plan as a requirement.
Travel and seasonal planning
Use Orkney’s bus information for services on Mainland and the isles. Timetables change by season, and a convenient outward journey does not always provide a convenient return after dinner.
Ferry visits need their own planning. Confirm the departure terminal, whether you need a vehicle and the operator’s booking requirements. Keep a margin around onward travel, particularly when weather could affect sailings.
Many suggestions involve exposed ground or seasonal visitor facilities. Choose a shorter alternative when conditions are poor. For an indoor day, Kirkwall offers the museum and Pickaquoy cinema, while Stromness has the Pier Arts Centre and its museum.
Questions about Orkney dates
Is a car essential?
Not for every plan. Kirkwall and Stromness have several activities that can be reached from their travel centres on foot. Wider outings need closer attention to bus stops, timetables and the final approach.
Which options can keep costs down?
The Ring of Brodgar is free to visit, as are ordinary entry to St Magnus Cathedral, Orkney Museum and the Pier Arts Centre. Walking can also keep activity costs modest. Include transport, refreshments and any ferry tickets when comparing the total cost.
Can we combine Hoy with several Mainland attractions?
It is better to make the Hoy crossing and museum your main plan. Ferry timings and opening hours set the shape of that day. Keep Mainland attractions for another outing so neither visit feels hurried.