Robbie’s Hoose is a historic wooden self-catering hideaway on the very edge of the ocean, in Orkney’s ancient capital. Full of character and gently brought up to date, it’s a rare spot to breathe in the sea air and let Orkney’s deep history settle around you.
Robbie’s Hoose is a “peedie” house steeped in cultural significance, a true one-off, rich in character and history, sitting right on the cusp of the sea. Once home to the poet, painter and conchologist Robert Rendall, who was drawn here by the shore, the shells and the marine life, it occupies the historic site of Orkney’s Bishop’s Palace in the village of Birsay.
Robbie’s Hoose is lovingly cared for by its owner, the artist, curator and educator Tracy Mackenna.
Local Area / Exploring Birsay
Robbie’s Hoose sits in the historic village of Palace, Birsay, in the far north-west of Orkney’s Mainland, once the islands’ ancient capital, home in turn to Neolithic peoples, Picts, Vikings and Scottish royalty. The tidal island of the Brough of Birsay, with its Pictish and Norse settlements, is right on the doorstep (reached on foot across the causeway at low tide), along with the dramatic ruins of the Earl’s Palace in the village itself. The Barony Mill, the last working watermill in Orkney, and the award-winning Swannay Brewery are both close by, while the wider Heart of Neolithic Orkney sites of Skara Brae, the Ring of Brodgar, the Standing Stones of Stenness and Maeshowe are all within easy reach. Dounby, with its supermarket, Doctor’s Surgery and Post Office is a short drive / bus journey away.
Dates: 19 August 2026 - 31 December 2027
Location: Orkney Islands, Scotland
Cost: £550.00 GBP per person, per week
Further info and to apply
here
Queries? Contact Tracy Mackenna
tracy@tracy.mackenna.studio