# Orkney Brewery — Stromness, Orkney

> Orkney Brewery in Stromness, Orkney, Scotland scores 3.48 out of 5 — Poor, #35 in Scotland. 38 beers tracked, mostly Strong Ale.

*Canonical page: <https://finding.beer/brewery/orkney-brewery-10374/> · data updated 2026-08-28*

Breadcrumb: Breweries → Scotland → Orkney Brewery

Orkney Brewery is a brewery in Stromness, Orkney, Scotland. We grade it Poor, with a score of 3.48 out of 5 on the beer it brews — #35 in Scotland. Of the 38 beers we track, 36% are Strong Ale and 31% Amber Ale.

## Rating

- Score: 3.48 out of 5
- Grade: Poor 😐 — Not bad beer so much as unremarkable beer.
- Ranked: #35 in Scotland · #11,811 worldwide
- Popularity: Widely rated
- Beers tracked: 38

## About

The Orkney Brewery was one of Scotland’s first independent micro–breweries and started brewing in 1988, in what was once an old schoolhouse in Quoyloo. We are a genuine island brewery that crafts a superb range of beers. 

North island values shape our resolute approach to brewing, resulting in world class, award-winning beers. We are honest, resilient, we work hard together and have an innate desire to perfect. We need to get it right first time, every time. We don’t believe in wasting resources and we are friends to the environment we dwell in. 

We brew iconic Scottish ales Dark Island, Red MacGregor, Dragonhead and Skull Splitter. In addition, we offer progressive pale ale Orkney Gold and the extraordinary Dark Island Reserve, aged in whisky oak casks. Norman Sinclair whose father had actually enjoyed his school years in the same building took over the tenure in 2006.  He quickly developed a custom built brewhouse adjoining the schoolhouse and by doing so created the original classroom into a 5 Star visitor centre.

## What they brew

- Strong Ale — 36% of the beers we track
- Amber Ale — 31% of the beers we track
- Pale Ale — 18% of the beers we track
- Stout / Porter — 6% of the beers we track
- IPA — 5% of the beers we track
- Other — 4% of the beers we track

## Find them

- Address: Quoyloo House, Stromness, Orkney, Scotland
- Coordinates: 59.0692496, -3.3091507
- Website: http://www.orkneybrewery.co.uk/

## Same owner

- [Atlas Brewing Company](https://finding.beer/brewery/atlas-brewing-company-34180.md) — Nairn, Scotland

## Breweries nearby

- [Swannay Brewery](https://finding.beer/brewery/swannay-brewery-8072.md) — 3.07, Limited — Orkney — 5.7 mi away
- [John O'Groats Brewery](https://finding.beer/brewery/john-ogroats-brewery-17200.md) — 2.93, Limited — Caithness, Highland Council — 31 mi away
- [WooHa Brewing Company](https://finding.beer/brewery/wooha-brewing-company-7906.md) — 2.88, Limited — Forres, Moray — 98 mi away
- [Speyside Brewery](https://finding.beer/brewery/speyside-brewery-34032.md) — 2.88, Limited — Forres, Moray — 102 mi away
- [Cromarty Brewing Co.](https://finding.beer/brewery/cromarty-brewing-co-9250.md) — 3.52, Poor — Cromarty, Highland Council — 102 mi away
- [Atlas Brewing Company](https://finding.beer/brewery/atlas-brewing-company-34180.md) — 2.70, Limited — Nairn, Highland Council — 104 mi away
- [Spey Valley](https://finding.beer/brewery/spey-valley-6579.md) — 2.94, Limited — Keith, Moray — 105 mi away
- [Keith Brewery](https://finding.beer/brewery/keith-brewery-17203.md) — 2.64, Limited — Keith, Moray — 106 mi away

## Rankings this brewery appears in

- [Best breweries in Scotland](https://finding.beer/breweries/scotland.md)

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Finding Beer scores breweries on the beer they brew rather than on the venue. Method: <https://finding.beer/how-we-rank.md>. Rankings by place: <https://finding.beer/breweries.md>. The iPhone app adds a live map of what is around you: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/finding-beer/id1082135126
