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Local area guide · Orkney / Backaskaill Bay

Meals, Coastal Walks & Art Visits near Backaskaill Cottage, Sanday

Backaskaill Cottage is by Backaskaill Bay on Sanday’s southern shore. The owner’s current description offers a cottage for two, with one bedroom. We’d choose it for a couple joining a wider island holiday, rather than describe it as somewhere a big group can stay together. The Orkney Retreats collection’s total capacity mustn’t be mistaken for the capacity of this individual home.We’d agree shared outings with friends staying elsewhere and give the cottage’s booked guests time on their own by the bay. Other properties in the collection require separate bookings and aren’t automatically available as shared dining or entertaining spaces. Ask the owner about any visitors, and arrange larger gatherings with a venue that has agreed the complete headcount. Keep a quieter alternative for anyone who doesn’t want the day’s coastal walk.

Enquire about Backaskaill Cottage

Where to stay

Enquire about Backaskaill Cottage

Backaskaill Cottage sleeps 2. Enquire through the Orkney Retreats collection listing and name this home. The properties occupy separate sites and are booked separately; ask the owner about visitors and shared meals.

Eating & drinking

Where to arrange group meals in Backaskaill Cottage, Sanday

We’d self-cater for most meals and contact the confirmed tearoom below before bringing friends. Small island businesses need notice, and a big group may need separate tables or visits rather than one shared reservation.

  • Sanday Community Craft Hub tearoom, Kettletoft

    About ten minutes’ drive away at Bank House in Kettletoft, the Craft Hub has a tearoom with homebakes alongside locally made crafts. We’d check current times and ask what food is available before treating it as a lunch stop. For a wider gathering, explain the headcount and ask about space or smaller subgroups. Don’t assume that a working community shop and tearoom can provide a private dining room or a full evening meal.

Menus, opening hours and group policies change — always confirm directly with the venue.

Things to do

Days out near Backaskaill Cottage

Choose an outing for your party and confirm any operator booking or access requirements.

  • Backaskaill Bay

    The cottage’s immediate setting gives you a beach outing without first coordinating cars. We’d ask the host for the best current access and keep an agreed meeting point for anyone joining from another house. Take care on uneven rocks and sand, keep children supervised and don’t assume clear water means safe swimming conditions. A shorter shore walk is enough for guests who prefer a gentle visit; leave wildlife room rather than approach resting birds or seals for photographs.

  • Doun Helzie coast

    About fifteen minutes’ drive towards Stove before the walk, Doun Helzie offers a more demanding coastal outing. We’d follow the published approach and current local advice, with proper footwear and enough time to return. The descent and shore are unsuitable for treating this as an easy stroll for every guest. Keep clear of cliff edges, respect farm access and don’t enter caves or continue around a headland when tides or conditions make the exit uncertain.

  • Sanday Fused Glass Studio, Lower Saville

    About fifteen minutes’ drive away, this small maker’s studio sells fused-glass work. We’d contact the artist before travelling and ask whether a visit fits the date and the size of the party. A wider group should agree smaller visiting sets rather than arrive together expecting gallery-sized space. This recommendation is for seeing and buying the artist’s work; a published studio listing doesn’t establish a bookable glass-making workshop or guarantee daily opening.

  • The Gallery in the Nortwa’, Lettan

    About twenty-five minutes’ drive away towards the north-eastern end of the island, Bill McArthur’s gallery shows his seascape work. We’d arrange a visit directly before setting out, because the artist may be away. Guests from several houses should agree a sensible visiting arrangement in advance and allow others to browse in smaller sets. It’s a good option for people who want an art visit rather than another long walk, but don’t assume a large indoor event space or scheduled demonstration.

Check current tickets, group availability and access directly with the operator.

Good to know

Planning a stay at Backaskaill Cottage

The big shop, getting around and the things worth sorting before everyone arrives.

Good to know

  • Use Backaskaill Cottage’s exact name and host directions when arranging arrival. We’d make sure drivers and any delivery supplier know which individual property is booked. The collection covers different sites, so a photograph or address for another home isn’t a reliable way to locate your cottage after dark.
  • Book ferry spaces for the actual passengers and vehicle, and use Loth as Sanday’s ferry terminal. Check Orkney Ferries’ current timetable and service updates before leaving Kirkwall. We’d allow for disruption when planning the first evening, rather than make a small tearoom or studio responsible for a late arrival.
  • Arrange the first grocery order before travelling and discuss specific dietary needs with suppliers. We’d confirm kitchen equipment and food storage with the owner, keeping the plan appropriate for two guests. Any meal involving the wider party needs a different agreed space and enough transport to get everyone there and back.
  • Ask specific questions about the bedroom, shower, entrance and route to the shore if either guest has mobility needs. We’d check practical distances and surfaces rather than infer step-free access from a sea view. Confirm where to unload and park without obstructing the farm setting or neighbouring properties.
  • Contact the host before travelling without a car. Agree any pickup, hire vehicle or bicycle arrangements, including luggage and the return journey. We’d give friends staying elsewhere a clear meeting place and an early finish option, rather than assume a taxi or transfer can appear immediately whenever someone changes their mind.
  • Download coastal directions and keep a copy of important contacts offline. Carry waterproofs, warm layers, water and shoes with grip, and check current tides before shore walks. We’d choose an indoor art visit only after the artist has confirmed it, rather than use an unarranged studio as the automatic fallback for bad weather.
  • Confirm dog and visitor rules directly with the owner, including where pets may go and whether they can ever be left at the cottage. We’d keep dogs controlled around livestock and wildlife and take waste home. A quiet couple’s stay still needs to respect the working surroundings and neighbours.

Plan with current information

Official visitor sources

Use these sources for current routes, access information and visitor arrangements.

Local planning references checked 30 October 2026. Confirm prices, opening times, access and group capacity directly before booking.

More local guides

Other group-friendly area guides

The same format for other UK towns and villages that work well for a big group.

Keep planning the trip

Once the house is settled, the rest of it — dates, the food shop, which outing to book, who is paying for what — is the part that usually drags. Our free group trip planner keeps the itinerary, the budget and the group in one place, and you can share it with everyone on a single link.

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Plan your stay on Sanday

Confirm your named home, its capacity and any shared gathering with the owner before booking.

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