First time to Orkney so no idea what to expect. The GPS was having trouble locating the Sands Hotel. i don't know why as it's the only thing in the village! my first thout on sighting the hotel was, "oh, this is not good" but how wrong I was! A warm welcome and efficient check-in saw us quickly to our room. What a wonderful room. We had booked the family room as we are a couple travelling with our 9 year old and on this trip, with my cousin from Edinburgh. A sitting room and dining table, a large bathrom, kitchen and upstairs are two bedrooms. It was spotlessly clean and had a welcoming feeling. Enough space for all of us although we were out sightseeing a fair bit. The sofa was large and comfortable and proved a bonus later on as my son, who was sharing a room with my cousin, had to retreat to the sofa to sleep as he couldn't take the snoring!
All the staff were friendly and attentive - it was nice to get to chat to the "locals". We enjoyed our breakfasts - they were hearty and freshly cooked. We also had a meal one night which was enjoyable and saved us from driving.
Burray is not a "town" and there is only a small convenience store a short walk away (that I saw anyway), so it is kind of remote but, hey, you are on Orkney! Kirkwall is a larger town with retail shops and restaurants and is maybe a 20 minute drive away and if you need more hustle and bustle, stay there. Driving is not a problem for us and we were perfectly happy at the Sands Hotel. If we are lucky enough to return to Orkney one day, the Sands will be where we choose to stay!!
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