16 Facts You Didn't Know About Stromness and Orkney Islands
Katherine Burton
Sep 7, 2023
Stromness in Orkney is packed with history which ignites the interest of many travellers. As the second-largest town in the archipelago, it serves as the perfect gateway to the Heart of Neolithic Orkney, offering easy access to world-famous sites like Skara Brae and the Ring of Brodgar.
Stromness Orkney is widely regarded as one of the most atmospheric towns in Orkney Scotland, combining ancient heritage with easy transport links across the Orkney Islands.
The town is a perfect combination of winding streets, paths, alleys, and little lanes. Edged with homes, shops, and small businesses, many of which were built from local stone. Every street corner tells a tale.
Stromness gets its name from the parish where it lies. The name comes from the old Norse word “straumnes”.
Things to Do in Stromness: 16 Lesser-Known Facts
Here are 16 fascinating insights into Stromness and why it remains the ultimate base for your Orkney adventure.
These things to do in Stromness reveal why the town is a preferred alternative to Kirkwall Orkney for travellers seeking culture, scenery, and history.
1. A Historic Safe Haven
Stromness was a vital safe haven for ships in the late seventeenth century. While Britain was at war with France, ships were unable to traverse the English Channel safely.
The shores of Hamnavoe offered vessels a secure shelter moored in deep water. The writer Jo Ben referred to these waters, stating that “The French and Spanish very often avoid storms here.” Today, it remains a hub for Orkney maritime history.
The natural harbour later played a role in global trade routes connected to the Hudson’s Bay Company Orkney operations.
2. A Vibrant Centre During World War II
During World War II, The Stromness Hotel served as the headquarters of the OSDEF (Orkney and Shetland Defences), effectively making Stromness an army town. Despite the plight of war, residents could still see the latest films and attend dances. Celebrities such as George Formby and the comedy duo Flanagan and Allen entertained the troops here.
Stromness was strategically important due to its proximity to Scapa Flow, one of the most significant naval bases in Orkney.
Did you know? The legendary Dame Gracie Fields once appeared on the balcony of The Stromness Hotel to sing for soldiers and locals. The atmosphere was electric, allowing everyone to briefly forget the effects of war.
By 20th Century Fox - eBayfrontback, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=58971987
3. The Town Started with an Inn
Due to the visiting ships, William and Mareon Clark built an inn on the shores of Hamnavoe around 1590, selling homemade ale and beverages to passing sailors. Gradually homes were built in the area, slowly developing into the town that Stromness is now.
4. Captain Cook’s Final Voyage
Captain Cook's ships, Discovery and Resolution, docked in Stromness in 1780 on their return voyage from the Hawaiian Islands, where Captain Cook had been killed.
5. Relics and artefacts from across the seas
The Stromness Museum gives great insight and many displays into the town’s history with a variety of “tale-telling” and fascinating collections of Inuit artefacts and whaling relics. They were believed to have been brought back as souvenirs from Greenland, the Arctic and Canada.
By Unukorno - Own work, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=62847861
6. A Literary and Artistic Hub
Stromness has deep creative roots:
- The award-winning, world-renowned poet George Mackay Brown was born here in 1921.
- Sylvia Wishart, a celebrated Scottish landscape artist, was also Stromness-born.
- Robert Shaw, the star of Jaws and From Russia with Love, spent part of his childhood here and even acted in a play at the Stromness Town Hall.
7. Digging up the past
Hugh Miller, a stone mason, geologist and theologian regularly contributed to the Stromness Museum. He found the oldest vertebrate remains discovered in Orkney, which is now on display.
His 1850’s book about it; ‘Footsteps of the Creator or the Asterolepis of Stromness’ went on to have an influence on Darwin’s “The Origin of Species”.
By Kim Traynor - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=32607498
8. Setting the town to music
Sir Peter Maxwell Davies's popular piano piece "Farewell to Stromness", was written to protest plans to open a uranium mine in the area. The Revue was first performed by the composer at the Stromness Hotel on 21 June 1980, as part of the St Magnus Festival. Plans for the uranium mine were cancelled later that year.