Name: Murray Arms Hotel
Address: Back Road South Ronaldsay Scotland Kw17 2Sp, South Ronaldsay, KW17 2SP, GB

10/10

Exceptional

24 Jul 2026

Margaret

Murray Arms Hotel is the nicest place I’ve stayed. The family owned hotel is warm & cozy with exceptional hospitality, superb food & chill ambiance by the shore. Great location, peaceful, charming & lovely retreat. Locals enjoy it too.

10/10

Exceptional

23 Jul 2026

David

Great host. Every person at the hotel was so helpful.
Rooms very clean food was great.

Would go back

Thank you.

10/10

Exceptional

11 Jul 2026

Tim

Great place to stay right at the end of the bus route that crosses the islands. Really good restaurant (especially for fish lovers!), super friendly and helpful staff, convenient for the Pentland Ferry - what’s not to like !

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

05 Jul 2026

Diana

As our fullsome praise in your questionnaire shows, this is an excellent place to stay. We might add that the food was of a very high standard and quality too.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

17 May 2026

Gordon

The Murray Arms is an excellent place to stay ,two minutes from the Pentland Ferry terminal.
It is spotlessly clean with a nice bar and restaurant.
The staff couldn't be more friendly and welcoming.
The breakfast and evening meals are excellent, would definitely return.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

28 Oct 2025

Andy

Ideally located hotel. Friendly and helpful staff

Business

10/10

Exceptional

19 Oct 2025

Harriet

Large room - good shower. Fantastic food. Glorious location. Most friendly and helpful staff.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

27 Sep 2025

Laurel

So pleased to find Murray Arms. It was 5 minutes from our arriving ferry. Upon checkin by Suzanne, we were assigned private off-road parking. Our room for 3 nights was comfortable. The staff was exceptionally warm and welcoming for all - babies, dogs, and patrons. The meals in their restaurant were first class. They have dive boats for scallop harvesting. Our scallop dinner was the best EVER!

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

21 Sep 2025

Brown,

Pros: The Murray Arms is ideally placed for the ferry terminal. Very convenient and easy to find. Rooms were clean. Restaurant was good for dinner. Cons: the walls are very thin and can hear neighbours easily.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

07 Sep 2025

Vlad-Iulian

We stayed with them overnight and the accommodation was great, as was the breakfast.

We also had dinner here as it had great reviews for seafood. Sadly we were left quite disappointed as none of the food impressed and the sea bass was particularly bad. Our waitress was great, but there was some commotion behind the bar with the younger staff and you could tell that there was some conflict, just enough to make everyone uncomfortable without anything actually happening. I'm all for the younger generation to get work experience, but they still need to be professional.

We also had drinks in their pub and although everything was fine, it somehow had the feeling of walking into a local old man's pub where everyone knows eachother and looks at you suspiciously. Nothing happened but again, there was just something off about the atmosphere.

Overall I'd definitely recommend staying here, but not too sure about eating / drinking here.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

26 Aug 2025

William

Decent room, good food. Peaceful.

10/10

Exceptional

18 Aug 2025

Paul

The Manager makes you feel right at home , first name terms and genuinely interested in how you day has been . Service was excellent. The food was fresh, scallops were caught at 4 every day .

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

28 Jul 2025

Randi

The proprietors are very friendly and accommodating. The place has a lot of charm and is clean and perfect for our needs.

Leisure Friends

8/10

Excellent

04 Jul 2025

Carol

Beautiful location with convenient parking and friendly accommodating staff. Our room was comfortable with kettle, tea, biscuits etc. Breakfast choices were adequate and generous portions. Our fish supper on the first night was excellent but - for a non fish/ seafood variety we decided to eat elsewhere on our second night. We would definitely stay here again.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

03 Jul 2025

Pär

Amasing personal, excellent dinner and breakfeast

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

14 Jun 2025

SHEONA

Accommodation was very clean and comfortable and location was very handy for ferry terminal. Only slight issue was layout of the bedroom; sloping roof and wall lights made it more awkward to get past bed to get to bathroom during the night. Food was amazing particularly the seafood platter. Good choices for breakfast too.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

05 Jun 2025

Beverley

Lovely location and everything ok, staff friendly and helpful. Food good

Business

10/10

Exceptional

26 May 2025

David

I only stayed overnight but it was very comfortable, the staff were friendly,and the food hot and tasty.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

11 May 2025

Peter

small but very friendly hotel with good food and a characterful atmosphere

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

06 May 2025

Graeme

Excellent food, but the rooms are a bit on the snug side.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

06 May 2025

Rebecca

Lovely stay

My 2nd time staying here. Very welcoming and friendly staff. Food (dinner menu and breakfast) was fantastic again. Wouldn't hesitate to book again.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

18 Apr 2025

Claire

Lovely hotel, fantastic seafood.

10/10

Exceptional

02 Apr 2025

Verified traveler

Sea food heaven

The staff go out of their way to make you feel at home and comfortable. The breakfast is really good. All food when possible is locally sourced. The hand dived scallops are excellent. Sea food platter is awesome. The rooms are clean and warm.
I will definitely come back.

Friends_and_family Friends

10/10

Exceptional

17 Oct 2024

Jillian

Breakaway

Amazing - great food, friendly people!

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

05 Oct 2024

Lisa

We had a very pleasant stay. Beautiful area.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

04 Oct 2024

Kevin

Fabulous place with so many pluses. Great food and hospitality.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

26 Sep 2024

Audrey

Lovely welcome, one night stay comfortable bed nice room clean en suite. Food here is excellent and local-a must if you enjoy fresh seafood! Friendly staff throughout stay.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

21 Sep 2024

Verified traveler

People were great

The people that work here are really lovely. We enjoyed our meals. Our room was on the small size, but very cozy. We parked in the back patking lot with no issues.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

07 Sep 2024

Mark

The friendliest place I've ever stayed

From the moment we checked in, we felt like family. The staff here are the warmest of people. The smiles weren't just customer service smiles, they were genuine. Suzanne in particular went to great lengths to ensure we had a wonderful stay. We were genuinely sad to leave her! Suzanne couldn't have been more kind to our elderly dog, Smurf. She always made a fuss of her and had a sneaky treat for her. Often in 'dog friendly' accommodation, dogs are tolerated. Here dogs are loved....and that made all the difference to our holiday. ....and I haven't even mentioned the delicious seafood and fab breakfast/coffee! Thanks to all at Murray Arms for looking after us so well. We will be back. Love from Emma & Mark xx

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

27 Aug 2024

Ian

Great stay

This is an excellent place to stay, really convenient for the ferry and well connected to the mainland. Our room was very clean and comfortable if a bit on the small side for 2 of us. However this didn’t detract from our stay. The staff are welcoming friendly and helpful. The restaurant is lovely and the food is outstanding

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

19 Aug 2024

Heidi

Bright, modern B&B with modern rooms. Ours was filled with natural light owing to skylights and had a comfortable bed and contemporary decor. The restaurant was excellent and specialises in high quality and excellently cooked seafood dishes. Breakfast was great too!

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

17 Aug 2024

David

Lovely Stay

We stayed overnight before going to Hoy. The welcome was excellent and warm and our room was lovely- the whole place was spotlessly clean. Eating in is an excellent option; we did and I would highly recommend!!!

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

12 Aug 2024

Sue

Traditional little gem!

Lovely food and welcoming atmosphere

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

19 Jun 2024

Philip

The hotel check in was quick and easy. No elevator though. The staff was excellent especially the two young men in the restaurant. They were excellent in every way.
Book this hotel early they fill up quick with bus tours.
There is a few restaurants nearby if you want a change but Brae Hotel dinner menu changes daily. They also worked with my wife's food allergy.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

19 May 2024

Kohila

Gina & Suzanne were friendly and helpful

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

15 May 2024

David

Amazing stay in a great hotel

Great hotel. Room was very comfortable and clean. Food was amazing and very fresh. Staff were very friendly and helpful, we were made to feel very welcome. It was my birthday and they got me a cake and sang happy birthday. Made my birthday very special.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

24 Apr 2024

Edwina

Friendly welcome

Friendly welcome, very good restaurant

Self

8/10

Excellent

09 Mar 2024

Robert

Worth a trip

Absolutely good Sandra host was outstanding and room was clean and excellent breakfast

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

17 Oct 2023

Stephen

All the people were very friendly and the management kindly refunded us when we foolishly double booked.

10/10

Exceptional

12 Oct 2023

John

Spot on!

10/10

Exceptional

25 Sep 2023

Thomas

Everything excellent

Very friendly and welcoming .breakfast and dinner are excellent using locally caught seafood. An extremely well run hotel with lovely staff. Bed very comfortable, room large and very clean. Highly recommend.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

14 Aug 2023

David J.

Fresh scallops are available in the restaurant every day! The rooms are updated and the showers are great.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

07 Aug 2023

David J.

Very nice pub and hotel. Great food and staff. Highly recommend!

10/10

Exceptional

28 Jul 2023

Christine

We had a lovely time , the staff were so friendly and helpful!

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

29 Jun 2023

Judith

We had an incredibly restful stay here. The food was great, staff very friendly and the bed big and comfy...thank you! Would stay here again.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

20 Jun 2023

Debra

Lovely hotel but room on the tight side

Lovely hotel the room was very small nowhere to put anything and very tight but staff were very friendly and helpful and dinner on the evening was delicious

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

09 Jun 2023

S

I arrived after 11pm, was warmly received and taken to my room.

Breakfast was very good, as was the service all round.

Business

10/10

Exceptional

08 Jun 2023

Martyn

This is a great place to stay. Friendly staff, fantastic seafood and nice cosy rooms. It’s in a nice little village on South Ronaldsay - which is very pretty and has lots of good walking and interesting wildlife. It’s about a 20 minute drive from Kirkwall across the Churchill barriers. There also seems to be a decent bus service to Kirkwall and Stromness although I didn’t use this. Highly recommended!

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

20 May 2023

Mary Susan

Exemplary staff and manager

Beyond expectations in hospitality. We had a tasty meal in the bar with locals filling us in on island lore. The staff was beyond friendly. As a team, they helped rescue my laptop, left on a local bus, by asking a friend to chase the bus down by car…a brilliant rescue.

Friends_and_family Friends

10/10

Exceptional

13 Apr 2023

Jane

A real treasure of a find. Host was so welcoming and genuinely helpful. They went above and beyond to accomodate us and our doggy. Really doggy friendly. Gave us ideas, hints and low-downs! The seafood was divine: freshly caught and cooked beautifully. If you get the opportunity, share a seafood platter with another in your party. What an experience! We don't go back to revisit places as a rule but we would definitely come back here.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

23 Oct 2022

Kevin

Top hotel

Everything First class.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

17 Oct 2022

Steven

Good placr

Good friendly staff good food vlesn bathroom and room

Business

10/10

Exceptional

13 Jul 2022

Ian

Excellent hotel in Orkney

Really enjoyed staying at the Murray Arms Hotel. Clean and nice room, really comfortable. A really friendly place to stay. The food is fantastic too, enjoyed it. Would stay again!

Self

10/10

Exceptional

02 Jul 2022

Isobel

Fabulous

From the moment we arrived we felt very welcome and pretty much at home. The owner, Gina, has certainly got it right in every department. The manager, Suzanne, is always on hand and nothing is a bother to her. She takes time to chat with everyone and is always cheerful. Our room was comfortable and spotlessly clean. We were also greeted at breakfast each morning by a very cheerful Jacqueline. However the best part, by far, was the food. We ate in the restaurant on each of our four nights and were treated to the most amazingly fresh, well cooked seafood. Its the best we've eaten anywhere in the world. Generous portions, reasonably priced. This is seafood heaven.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

30 Jun 2022

David

Staff excellent, friendly and helpful. Good food, heavily geared to fish and seafood. Access to a shared kitchen/dining area, with washing machine and drying rack.
Bathroom very tight, and had a bare clear window, insufficient provision for towel hanging. Beds a bit high.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

29 Jun 2022

Laurie

This was a lovely inn in a beautiful little community. The room was clean and big enough for us to feel comfortable in while living out of 2 big suitcases. The staff were friendly and helpful. The restaurant was FABULOUS- so much so that we ate there 2 nights in a row. The freshest fish!!!! I would highly recommend this inn!

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

27 Jun 2022

Thomas

Very friendly people and lovely food. A wee gem. Glad we stayed there.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

24 Jun 2022

Shaun

Lovely, welcoming l, helpful staff and great food at breakfast and if you have an evening meal. The people really make it a great place to stay.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

05 Jun 2022

Steve

Received a very warm and friendly welcome. The staff and service received in the hotel and restaurant was excellent. Our room was very clean and well equipped. Perfect for our one night stay as we travelled through on our Orkney Islands trip.

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

15 May 2022

Verified traveler

Don’t hesitate just book it

This is a little gem of a place
The staff could not be more friendly or helpful especially Gina & Jackie
The accommodation is comfortable,homely and super clean
The friendly atmosphere created by the the staff in the newly upgraded facilities made this a memorable holiday for all the right reasons
The food in their sea food restaurant is second to none. And keenly priced
Quality through and through
The Sea Food Platter is highly recommended
The banter in the bar from the OLDIES at the Thursday Club apparently is and was legendary
There was one member of staff with a strong North East accent that was at times difficult to understand but other than this observation !! A great stay.

Friends_and_family Friends

8/10

Excellent

13 Apr 2022

Lona

Murray Arms Hotel

Lovely comfy room, though a couple of minor issues with TV and lights, but not major enough to spoil the ambience. An actual bath as well as a shower and Ioved the lightwell in the bathroom. Friendly and helpful staff.
Only issue is that car park isn't sign posted, so i parked on street, but that was very close by.
Would happily stay here again

Business

8/10

Excellent

19 Feb 2022

Barrie

Great place to stay, clean, cosy, comfortable, friendly.

Leisure Friends

8/10

Excellent

13 Dec 2021

Verified traveler

A perfect place to rest my head after a night out with friends, rather than a long drive home. Would stay again, the room was comfortable, clean and tidy, the staff friendly.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

23 Sep 2021

Zoe

Perfect all-round

The perfect place for exploring Orkney.
A super, cosy and comfy Inn, with incredibly friendly and efficient owner & staff and the food was delicious every night.
Highly recommend and will return.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

07 Sep 2021

Alex

Excellent Seafood Restaurant

A very enjoyable and comfortable 2 night stay at the Murray Arms Hotel. Couldn't be handier for the ferry, and delicious food in their seafood restaurant, good breakfast options too. Free on street parking or in the hotel's own spaces. Very welcoming and helpful staff, will definitely stay here again when we return to Orkney.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

05 Aug 2021

Verified traveler

Lovely location with welcoming staff, nice rooms and great food

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

02 Aug 2021

Magnus

Lovely little hotel!

A very comfortable bed. Slept like a log! Our room was exactly what we needed. Access to the rear car park was good. The central location in St Margaret's Hope was great. The breakfast in the morning was reduced due to Covid but the options were still good and the food was good.

Overall a good little stopover for us!

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

27 Aug 2020

stephen

riendly

Friendly welcome and great anti Covid regime. Sadly there was an all night party across the courtyard so sleep was pointless and my packed lunch breakfast never materialised despite assurances

Business

10/10

Exceptional

28 Sep 2019

Verified traveler

A two minute drive to the Gills Bay ferry. An easy drive to the heart of Neolithic Orkney, And friendly hosts and guests at the pub on premises.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

26 Sep 2019

Monica B.

Heaven

Just what we needed

8/10

Excellent

19 Sep 2019

Verified traveler

Very warm friendly welcome. Roon ok size wise. Beds very comfortable. Although i booked a double room 2 was 2 single beds pushed together.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

15 Sep 2019

Cecily

Thumbs up Murray Arms!!!!

Jill & I stayed at Murray Arms for 2 nights. From the moment we arrived, our hosts were very friendly & helpful. They were terribly hospitable, obliging with extra milk & also offered to get up early & make a cooked breakfast for us, when we were leaving early to catch the ferry. I wouldn't hesitate to stay there again & wished our stay had been longer.

Friends_and_family Friends

10/10

Exceptional

23 Jul 2019

Irene

Murray Arms Fantastic

Exelent place to stay convenient for ferry to mainland good food and sometimes live music some evenings

Self

10/10

Exceptional

19 Jul 2019

Verified traveler

Pleasant and helpful staff. Dinner at the restaurant was wonderful.

Leisure Family

6/10

Pleasant

28 Jun 2019

Verified traveler

the property Was Fine, Organisation Poor, They Had To Remove Other Guests From The Room We Had Been Allocated. Breakfast Was Only Done Because They Had To. Some Mornings There Was Very Little On The Plate, There Was Never The Offer Of Any More Than One Cup Of Tea / Coffee. Absolutely No Conversation. Very Poor Compared To The Other Two Hotels On Our Holiday. All Very Much The Same Price.
Bottom Line! We Won't Be Recommending It To Friends.

Leisure Family_with_children