Situated on the shores of Harray Loch, the Merkister hotel stands in its own grounds in the most wonderful location, commanding impressive views of this famous loch and its surroundings. We are in the perfect location for your visit, 15 minute drive from the main towns of Kirkwall and Stromness, and nestled in the middle of Skara Brae, Maeshowe, Brough of Birsay, several RSPB reserves and much, much more…
Email Merkister hotel enquiries & reservations: bookscotland@madbookings.com
Other places to stay on Orkney
The hotel also has a busy lounge bar, for those who enjoy a more informal place to eat. The lounge bar is a great place to enjoy a drink at any time of the day, especially the evenings, when the bar is busy with locals and guests alike exchanging stories of the day.
We have an award-winning restaurant, where during breakfast you can watch the Swans, Herons and if lucky our pair of Hen Harriers, and during dinner maybe catch one of our “have to see to be believed” sunsets. Please visit the Skerries Restaurant area of the site, where you can read more and view our menus.
Merkister Hotel, Orkney The Fisherman’s Neuk is our residents’ private lounge. We have comfortable leather furniture, a small library including books of interest about Orkney, also famous Orkney authors’ books from George Mackay Brown and Eric Linklater. Complimentary filtered coffee is available all day and we also provide a private courtesy bar. Our guests love this room, whether it to have a quiet read on an afternoon, or to meet other guests for a chat before and after dinner.
The Merkister has a special ambiance, and your hosts, the MacDonald family and staff aim to ensure that your time with us, no matter how long or short will remain a pleasant reminder of your visit to Orkney for many years to come.
The Hotel has sixteen bedrooms, fifteen en-suites and one with a private bathroom. We have three new Superior Terraced Garden rooms that were completed in June 2006. These rooms are extra large rooms that can be made into Emperor Doubles or Twins, they have a Wet Room with Italian Ceramics en-suite, ivory leather lounge furniture, wide screen digital TV, DVD/CD player etc. plus little extras such as Orkney Art, Orkney Crystal, extra-large bathrobes and binoculars to look out at the bird life on the loch. They also have their own private furnished terrace overlooking the loch. All suites are on the ground level.
Superior room at the Merkister Hotel We have Standard and Superior rooms
within the main building and all the all our Superior rooms have loch
views and are larger than Standard rooms. All our rooms have colour TV,
direct-dial telephone, Tea/Coffee making facilities and a host of other
extras.
Free Wireless Internet access is available at the hotel.
The Skerries Restaurant
Halibut wrapped in Parma ham, baked with Orkney butter with asparagus
and King Prawns
The Skerries restaurant provides one of Orkney’s finest dining experiences,
providing a real taste of Orkney. We specialise in Aberdeen Angus Beef
that is sourced from farms within a 10-mile radius of the Hotel, and the
freshest local seafood from hand-dived Scallops, to fresh-landed Halibut.
Our restaurant overlooks the Harray loch and hills of Hoy, and some of
the finest sunsets viewed from here have to be seen to be believed.
We are currently featuring in a number of highly regarded publications
including: local black pudding fillet steak wilted seasoned baby spinach
mre fillet steak and topped off with caramalised red onions
* Michelin Guide
* Which? Round Up
* Egon Ronay
* Vegetarian Travel Guide
Fishing
Voted “Scotland’s Finest” and a year later “Britain’s
Best” by the readers of Trout & Salmon, the Merkister is probably
best known for its fishing. We have our own pier and jetty, with boats,
outboards, rods, lines, rod room etc.
Our resident ghillie John Munson can organise anything from the hire of a boat, tuition for the novice angler, right up to your own personal fishing agenda.
Hotel Boat daily hire £20.00
(half shift when available) £10.00
Fibreglass Boat daily hire £27.50
(half shift when available) £15.00
Hotel Boat and outboard motor daily hire £30.00
(half shift when available) £20.00
Fibreglass Boat and outboard motor daily hire £40.00
(half shift when available) £25.00
Ghillie, Boat, motor and 1 angler from £95.00
Ghillie, Boat, motor and 2 anglers from £125.00
Ghillie, Boat, motor for half shift from £70 - £95.00
Shooting
From November to January every morning and evening the sounds
of Greylag and Pink Footed Geese fill the air as they move from their
roosting or feeding grounds. We have morning and evening shoots, where
geese and ducks are leaving the lochs for the day, looking for stubble
or grass fields to feed. Rough shooting can be organised on request. The
Hotel also has its own Clay Pigeon machine and fun competitions are run
on Sundays for your group if required. Full Scottish breakfast is served
in the Restaurant around 10am after your dawn shoot and suppers are served
in the Lounge bar in front of the open fire after your dusk shoot.
The shooting is run by John Munson, a BASC registered Goose Guide, himself
a keen shooter and angler. To ensure the best shooting is available for
his guests, he can only accommodate up to 6 shooters on any one flight.
Shooting costs vary, depending on the size of the group and length of stay. Please Contact Us with your details for further information.
As well as fishing you can enjoy a good game of golf. The islands are
renowned for both rock climbing and sub-aqua diving. Orkney is renowned
too for its abundance of subjects to satisfy those with interest in Orknithology
and Archaeology.
Getting here
Halfway between Kirkwall and Stromness on the A965, take the
A986 approx. five miles along the road. The Hotel is signposted left at
Russland road and is situated at the loch side.
The Hotel offers a coach pickup at a nominal charge at ferry or airport if required.
