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The Shore

3.0 star property
3-star hotel perfect for exploring Kirkwall

Choose dates to view prices

Photo gallery for The Shore

Standard Double Room, 1 Double Bed | Desk, iron/ironing board, free WiFi, bed sheets
Property entrance
Dock
Restaurant
Premier Double Room | Bathroom | Shower, free toiletries, hair dryer, towels

Reviews

8.2 out of 10
Very good

Popular amenities

  • Bar
  • Breakfast available
  • Housekeeping
  • Free WiFi

Explore the area

Map
Shore Street, Kirkwall, Scotland, KW15 1LG
  • Orkney Museum
    ‪7 min walk‬
  • St. Magnus Cathedral
    ‪7 min walk‬
  • Highland Park Distillery
    ‪3 min drive‬
  • Kirkwall (KOI)
    ‪7 min drive‬

Room options

View all photos for Double or Twin Room, Accessible

Double or Twin Room, Accessible | Desk, iron/ironing board, free WiFi, bed sheets

Double or Twin Room, Accessible

  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 Double Bed

View all photos for Suite

Suite | Desk, iron/ironing board, free WiFi, bed sheets

Suite

  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 King Bed

View all photos for Premier Double Room

Premier Double Room | Desk, iron/ironing board, free WiFi, bed sheets

Premier Double Room

8.0 out of 10
Very good
(1 review)
  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 King Bed

View all photos for Family Suite

Family Suite | Desk, iron/ironing board, free WiFi, bed sheets

Family Suite

9.4 out of 10
Exceptional
(3 reviews)
  • Sleeps 4
  • 2 Twin Beds and 1 King Bed

View all photos for Single Room

Single Room | Desk, iron/ironing board, free WiFi, bed sheets

Single Room

8.8 out of 10
Excellent
(3 reviews)
  • Sleeps 1
  • 1 Twin Bed

View all photos for Standard Twin Room

Standard Twin Room | Desk, iron/ironing board, free WiFi, bed sheets

Standard Twin Room

7.0 out of 10
Good
(2 reviews)
  • Sleeps 3
  • 2 Twin Beds

View all photos for Standard Double Room, 1 Double Bed

Standard Double Room, 1 Double Bed | Desk, iron/ironing board, free WiFi, bed sheets

Standard Double Room, 1 Double Bed

8.4 out of 10
Very good
(6 reviews)
  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 Double Bed

Comfort Single Room

  • Sleeps 1
  • 1 Twin Bed

About the neighborhood

Kirkwall

Heart of Kirkwall.Within a 10-minute walk of the hotel, you'll find Orkney Wireless Museum and St. Magnus Cathedral. Orkney Museum and Earl's Palace are also within half a mile (1 km).

What's nearby

  • Orkney Museum - 7 min walk - 0.4 miles
  • Earl's Palace - 7 min walk - 0.4 miles
  • St. Magnus Cathedral - 7 min walk - 0.4 miles
  • Bishop's Palace - 8 min walk - 0.5 miles
  • Highland Park Distillery - 3 min drive - 1.6 miles

Getting around

  • Kirkwall (KOI) - 6 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪The Storehouse - ‬4 min walk
  • ‪Trenabies - ‬3 min walk
  • ‪Sunbean Coffee House - ‬8 min walk
  • ‪Skipper's Bar - ‬1 min walk
  • ‪Empire Chinese Restaurant - ‬9 min walk

About this property

The Shore

3-star hotel perfect for exploring Kirkwall
The Shore offers its guests an elevator. Public spaces have free WiFi. You can enjoy a drink at the bar/lounge.

This 3-star Kirkwall hotel is smoke free.

  • 17 guestrooms or units
  • Breakfast available (surcharge)
  • Front desk (limited hours)
  • Storage area for luggage
  • Elevator
  • No smoking on site
  • Bar or lounge
The Shore offers 17 accommodations with complimentary bottled water and hair dryers. LCD televisions come with digital channels.

Bathrooms include showers and complimentary toiletries. Guests can surf the web using the complimentary wireless Internet access. Housekeeping is offered daily and irons/ironing boards can be requested. Housekeeping is provided on request.

Languages

English

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Exterior

The Ayre Hotel

  • Pet friendly
  • Parking included
  • Free WiFi
  • Restaurant
4.4 out of 5, Excellent, 186 reviews
$199 nightly
The price is $239
Jul 6 - Jul 7
Total includes taxes and fees
The Ayre Hotel

Property amenities

Internet

  • Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
  • Available in some public areas: Free WiFi

Parking and transportation

  • Free offsite parking

Food and drink

  • Daily continental breakfast available 7:00 AM to 9:30 AM for a fee: GBP 17.50 per person
  • A bar/lounge

Accessibility

  • If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
  • Assistive listening devices in meeting rooms
  • Elevator (36 inch wide door)
  • Well-lit path to entrance
  • Wheelchair accessible (may have limitations)
  • Wheelchair-accessible path of travel
  • Wheelchair-accessible path to elevator
  • Wheelchair-accessible registration desk (36 inches high)
  • Wheelchair-accessible restaurant

Room amenities

Entertainment

  • LCD TV with digital channels

Bedroom

  • Bedsheets provided

Bathroom

  • Free toiletries
  • Hair dryer
  • Private bathroom
  • Shower
  • Towels provided

Food and drink

  • Electric kettle
  • Free bottled water

More

  • Desk
  • Heating
  • Iron/ironing board on request

Policies

Check-in

Check-in start time: 2:30 PM; Check-in end time: 9:00 PM
Contactless check-in available
Late check-in subject to availability
Minimum check-in age: 18

Check-out

Check-out before 10:30 AM
Contactless check-out available

Special check-in instructions

The front desk is open daily from 8:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Guests must contact the property in advance for check-in instructions; front desk staffed during limited hours
To make arrangements for check-in please contact the property ahead of time using the information on the booking confirmation
If you are planning to arrive after 9:00 PM please contact the property in advance using the information on the booking confirmation

Access methods

Front desk (limited hours)

Pets

  • No pets allowed

Children and extra beds

  • Children are welcome.
  • Rollaway/extra beds are not available.

Property payment types

Important information

Optional extras

The fees and deposits listed below will be charged at the time of service, check-in, or check-out.

  • Fee for continental breakfast: approximately GBP 17.5 per person

This may not be a comprehensive list. Fees and deposits are subject to change and might not include tax.

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
This property accepts credit cards, debit cards, and cash
Safety features at this property include a carbon monoxide detector, a fire extinguisher, a smoke detector, a security system, and a first aid kit
Charges for extra guests may apply and vary according to property policy.
A cash deposit, credit card, or debit card for incidental charges and government-issued photo identification may be required upon check-in.
Special requests are subject to availability at the time of check-in. Special requests can't be guaranteed and may incur additional charges.
    This property is managed by a professional host. The provision of housing is linked to their trade, business, or profession. This property accepts Visa, Mastercard, debit cards, and cash. For guests' safety, the property includes a carbon monoxide detector, a fire extinguisher, a smoke detector, a security system, and a first aid kit in each accommodation.

National rating

This establishment has received its official star rating from VisitScotland, the National Tourist Board for Scotland.

Property is also known as

Shore Hotel Kirkwall
Shore Kirkwall
The Shore Hotel
The Shore Kirkwall
The Shore Hotel Kirkwall

Frequently asked questions

How close is The Shore to the airport?

The Shore is 3.6 mi (6-min drive) away from the Kirkwall (KOI) airport, the closest popular airport to the property.

How much does it cost to stay at The Shore?

As of Jul 3, 2025, prices found for a 1-night stay for 2 adults at The Shore on Jul 4, 2025 start from $130.85, excluding taxes and fees. This price is based on the lowest nightly price found in the last 24 hours for stays in the next 30 days. Prices are subject to change. Choose your dates for more accurate prices.

Does The Shore have an airport shuttle?

Airport shuttle services are not available at The Shore.

How close is The Shore to the beach?

This hotel is 1.9 mi (7-min drive) from Scapa Beach and 6.7 mi (22-min drive) from Mill Sand. Don't forget your sunscreen!

Does The Shore offer free breakfast?

Free breakfast isn’t provided at The Shore, but continental breakfast is offered for a fee of GBP 17.5 per person. It's available every day from 7:00 AM to 9:30 AM.

Is there a casino at The Shore?

No, there is no casino at this hotel.

What time is check-in at The Shore?

Check-in start time: 2:30 PM; Check-in end time: 9:00 PM.

Is there free parking at The Shore?

Free parking is not available at this hotel.

Does The Shore have a pool?

The Shore does not have a pool.

Does The Shore have a spa?

There are no spa services available at this hotel.

How close is The Shore to downtown Kirkwall?

The Shore is 0.2 mi away from Kirkwall.

The Shore Reviews

Reviews

8.2

Very Good

Rating 10 - Excellent. 75 out of 165 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 53 out of 165 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 21 out of 165 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 6 out of 165 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 10 out of 165 reviews

8.8/10

Cleanliness

8.8/10

Staff & service

7.8/10

Amenities

8.2/10

Property conditions & facilities

7.2/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Austen

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2025

8/10 Good

Christopher

Business traveler
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Very happy with my stay with a niggle.

Got an upgrade from a single bed at the shore to a double within the larger Kirkwall hotel and the room was beautiful. For what I paid It was fantastic value for money. I would have given five stars but for one niggle. Room 215 could do with sound proofing as I heard two people speaking until the early hours either in my neighbouring room, or between levels. I had to use my earphones to get sleep to tune them out. I wonder what like it would be if either room was watching a film if I can hear whole conversations. I didn't report this to management as the voices were not roudy or anything just people minding their own business but regrettable I can detect conversations between walls. Again the room was stunning, the value amazing it's not a complaint as such.
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2024

10/10 Excellent

Nicola

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Quiet, nice room, hot shower. Excellent tea and coffee facilities, big tv, free wifi, very comfy beds. Staff were very friendly.
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2024

8/10 Good

Morven

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great location, very clean.
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2024

8/10 Good

Shirley

Liked: Amenities, property conditions & facilities
Lovely shower, looks like it has recently been upgraded. Room not very warm on arrival.
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2024

10/10 Excellent

Audrey

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2024

6/10 Okay

Christine

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service

Separate buildings

We hadn't understood that the Shore is a subsidiary of The Kirkwall Hotel. The Shore only has bedrooms, breakfast is served in the hotel restaurant 100m along the street. Not an issue in good weather but Orkney can be very windy!! Running through dtiving rain before and after breakfast or dinner is a different matter. Our room was very small. The hotel had emailed a few weeks before our trip offering an upgrade but when I replied asking for details said there were none available.
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2024

8/10 Good

Liz

Traveled with partner
Room good tight stairs
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2024

6/10 Okay

Kathy

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Amenities, property conditions & facilities
Incredibly small, old, creaky room; I thought I was going to fall through the floor. Window and view was out to moldy roof. Loud toilet; loud hallway. No ventilation. Only saving graces were kind staff who were helpful and went above and beyond to haul my luggage to my room late at night and to store luggage the next day. The hotel had a great, walkable location which was very important to me.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

MARK

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
wonderful, friendly lady on reception. Part now of Kirkwall Hotel which is very smart, and great food. Room in the Shore was very spacious. Staff helpful in general and perfect location.
Stayed 4 nights in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Traveled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2024

4/10 Poor

Rose, Brooklyn

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
Hallways smelled terrible, window was stuck and I had to call front office to have someone open it, bedstand lamp flickered, I had to physically move the bed away from the wall as the bed frame was directly against the outlet and I could get to outlet to charge devices otherwise, the fire alarm went off shortly after 8:00 am on my first day off when I had hoped to sleep in - and I was told that ‘steam from someone’s shower will sometimes set off the fire alarm’ - I asked if an inspection would be made and was waved off, and on last morning when toilet was flushed it noisily ran and ran for over 10 mins, until I lifted the tank lid and jiggered the ball and placed a water bottle in the tank to float it until it could fill with water. Lovely staff, clean ‘to the eye’, but very poor condition of property.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2024

8/10 Good

edward

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Very close to the cruise dock
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2024

8/10 Good

Miia

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness
Nice hotel on a central location. There were usually good, free parking places across the street. Our room had been recently redecorated. Plenty of hangers but the only downside was that none of the drawer units opened smoothly.
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2024

8/10 Good

Richard

Business traveler
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2024

8/10 Good

Eunice

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2024

6/10 Okay

Andrew

Business traveler
Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
The hotel looks closed, possibly for a refit, though high season seems an odd time to do this. A small sign on the door informs guests that check-in is via the next-door hotel, which proved straightforward and friendly. The room itself was fine, clean and attractive and obviously quite recently refurbed/redecorated. Kettle, teas, coffee and biscuits were provided - though no milk. A ground-floor room, it was designed to be fully accessible, with appropriate clearance and an ensuite wet room with fittings adapted for wheelchair users. Access to the room was via a 20m lane off the main road, which looked a bit shabby but was convenient and proved surprisingly quiet. Unfortunately the decorative scheme chosen for the wet room was stained-concrete-effect. It looks terrible - hard to imagine why it was chosen. The effect was worsened by rusting on some of the fittings. But the shower was good, everything worked fine and nice toiletries were provided. Quite pricey for what it is but I know that Kirkwall is very busy in high season.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Glenda

Liked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities
The reception lady was exceptional and went out of her way to provide great information and took the time to answer all our questions. Really exceptional highly recommend
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2024

8/10 Good

Megan

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
We enjoyed our stay at The Shore. Clean, comfortable and updated room. We had a few “learning curves” including discovering check in is next door at The Kirkwall Hotel. Also, we had to climb 2 flights of stairs through a narrow corridor to reach our room. Fine for us but may be a challenge for others. Also, there are very limited dining options -especially in the evening. Shops shut down around 5pm and if you don’t have reservations you have very limited choices to eat. Overall a great experience though!
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2024

8/10 Good

Kimberly

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
The staff was very nice and competent. Would go back
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

James

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Large clean room and close to everything.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2024

2/10 Terrible

Kelvin

Stayed 1 night in Jul 2024

8/10 Good

Kev

Traveled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Don’t let the outside of the Shore put you off, the rooms are fantastic and it’s obvious it’s been under restoration. Hopefully the outside gets a lick of paint next 👍
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2024

4/10 Poor

CATHY, Colchester

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Disliked: Amenities, property conditions & facilities
Walked past the Kirkwall Hotel to get here only to find a note pinned to the front door of the Shore telling me to go to the Kirkwall to check in. Probably would have appreciated this in an email prior to arrival. Room clean. Terrible view. Plenty of teabags. Sadly this room (number 16) gave me one of my top 3 worst hotel nights ever. At 4.30 there was a noise of rushing water next to my room - super loud. I thought it was an early departer in the next room having a shower. However the rushing water and loud droning noise then just carried on about every 15 minutes or so until I had to get up anyway, so I don't think it can have just been an adjacent room. No sleep at all after 4.30 and the noise did drive me mad. Unacceptable to take money off people to sleep next to this row IMHO. Reception staff were polite but not very interested when I checked out. PS if the shower doesn't work you might need to pull the cord in the bathroom. I didn't know this, but a lovely friendly cleaner helped me when I couldn't work out why the 'on' button didn't work.
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2024

10/10 Excellent

john

Traveled with group, Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The property is on the water with easy access to the main avenue with shops and food options. There isn't a lift if you have an issue with stairs. Easy access to the towns sights, pubs and the staff was very friendly and helpful. We just needed to stay longer!
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2024