Snelsetter, on Hoy, stands close to the sea above a stunning stretch of coastline and at the centre of a working farm with conservation methods in mind. The accommodation, converted from a four hundred year-old barn, has recently been renovated and tastefully finished.

The name suggests a viking stronghold originally, while its more recent past links it with the violent Earl Patrick Stewart, brother of Mary, Queen of Scots. The house is the focus of many colourful legends and stories of dark deeds perpetrated by various past owners.

Now Snelsetter's ghosts are laid and it offers instead a comfortable stay in the heart of an island rich in history and wildlife. The house is surrounded by a Scottish Wildlife Trust reserve and farm. There are abundant colonies of seabirds, and large flocks of barnacle geese visit in the winter months. Porpoises, seals and sometimes pilot whales may be spotted in the turbulent waters of the Pentland Firth.

Snelsetter offers the highest standards of self-catering accommodation, and is fully equipped to make your stay a comfortable one. Equipment provided includes: colour TV and video, range and electric cooker, microwave, fridge/freezer, automatic washing machine/tumble dryer, enclosed garden with garden furniture, and even a duckpond! The accommodation consists of a large double room, two twin rooms, a large kitchen and lounge.