We went to Westray for a day trip and stopped at Cleaton House hoping for lunch having seen the signs on the road from the ferry that said "open for bar meals".

The bar was empty apart from the new (2006) owner. We ordered drinks and then started to study the blackboard menus. The owner then explained that he didn't do food at lunchtime. He couldn't even offer us a sandwich.

We left and fortunately were able to get a wonderful meal at the Pierowall Hotel. They gave us the most fresh and delicious fish and chips I have ever had.

Stayed here one evening in July. Pleasant hotel - atmospheric bar area - idyllic island. What let it down was the dreadful food. We met up with friends who were staying elsewhere as we expected our hotel to be superior to their bed and breakfast. What a mistake. We ate in the lounge bar and what we were given would have been a disgrace to a motorway service station. My deep fried brie for a starter consisted of two minute triangles with a single 2" lettuce leaf garnish. At around £3.95 this was daylight robbery. My salmon fishcakes as a main course were the size of a starter and were so badly cooked they had split with the potato oozing out of the sides. The chips (no they did not have any vegetables on the menu) were a solid mass, stuck together, rather than individual pieces of potato. However, this was nothing compared to the steak and ale pie that my friends ordered. This consisted of a pile of perfectly square beef pieces (a little too square to be home-made) with no ale sauce at all and topped with a burnt piece of pastry about 1" by 2". How my friends managed to eat it is beyond me. The puddings were again minute in size and not much better. As I said earlier, an idyllic location with a pleasant ambience but if you enjoy good food, nicely presented and value for money, I suggest you give this hotel a wide berth.

The Cleaton House is a small hotel on the remote island of Westray, in Orkney. Its new owners have taken it on this year, having worked at Lloyds of London in a previous existence. The hotel sits just off the main (almost the only) road on the island. The rooms are large and comfortable, the food is excellent (the vegetables are largely provided by the hotel's own garden) and the welcome and service warm and friendly. There is a nice bar, frequented by local farmers, visiting US academics and guests, and the ambience is completely relaxing. A real gem on a gem of an island.

The accomodadion and the food couldn't have been better. A fantastic place to stay while experiencing the natural beauity of Westray island!