Wheems Organic Farm Bothy and Campsite

From £20 For 1 night, 2 adults 9.5 8 reviews
View on a sunny day (added by manager 03 Jul 2023)
Yurt at sunset (added by manager 03 jul 2023)
Sea view from the pitches (added by manager 03 jul 2023)
Wooden pods (added by manager 03 jul 2023)

  • Sea-view site on an organic farm two miles from St Margaret's Hope
  • 10-minute walk from the beach at Newark Bay
  • Organic veg, eggs and dry goods in the honesty shop
Fancy going organic on Orkney? Stroll over to South Ronaldsay for a stay at Wheems Organic Farm Bothy and Campsite, a small site five minutes’ drive from St Margaret's Hope. As befits an organic farm, this is a place that’s also big on eco-friendly travel and upcycling – there’s a bike shed for passing cyclists and meals can be prepped in the covered campers’ kitchen (which has been kitted out with two double hobs, a small oven, a microwave, a large fridge, fridge-freezer and all sorts of crockery, pans and utensils) and eaten in the nearby dining area. Naturally, you’ll be wanting to base your meals round that fab organic produce: fresh things including eggs and veg are on sale in the honesty shop along with various dry goods, and guests are encouraged to pick herbs and salad leaves from the garden (or to splash a bit of water over the plants if they’re looking a touch thirsty). You’re never far from the sea on Orkney, and at Wheems the sea views are something of a giveaway that it’s a trifling 10-minute trot to get to the sandy beach at Newark Bay. There are also some great coast walks to be had and some top twitching locally or on boat trips from Kirkwall, half an hour away. If you fancy a pint or need to pick up something not stocked in the shop it’s a 40-minute stroll to St Margaret's Hope.

Site type

Tent pitches 16
Motorhome pitches 8
Lodges, cabins, pods or huts 9
Open now
Please note
  • No cars/motorbikes by the pitch/unit. All cars must be parked in the designated area.
  • Units longer than 6 metres are not allowed.
  • No chemical waste is allowed on site. Please use only biodegradable dog-waste bags on site - if you don't have any then these are provided in the shower block cupboard.

Languages spoken

English

Open from Mon, 1 Jan to

Pitch types & availability

Reviews

100%

would recommend this site to a friend

100%

would stay here again

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    10
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    1

Only showing reviews for the last 30 months.

It was fabulous, so relaxed, lovely kitchen with cooking facilities and fridge…

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi 10
Avril M. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric grass tent or campervan pitch

Liked: It was fabulous, so relaxed, lovely kitchen with cooking facilities and fridge /freezer. Nice showers and the organic shop was great.. got lovely veg to take home.. thank you

Recommend to friends Visit again

Excellent site full of character

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness No rating
Cleanliness 10
Wifi No rating
Anonymous The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric grass tent or campervan pitch

Liked: What can I say other than brilliant! A friendly well run site that is rustic and quaint. It’s full of character has a wonderful sea view with free hot showers and a on site shop . A real gem to stay at with a farm yard feel about it. Highly recommended.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Positive stay and pleasant relaxed location

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 8
Facilities / Activities 8
Customer service 8
Child friendliness No rating
Cleanliness 10
Wifi 8
Stephen A. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric grass tent or campervan pitch

Liked: Very relaxed site yet clean and tidy. Amazing view over coast. Pleasant walk into St Margaret’s Hope with nice pub for food.

Disliked: Could be more bin space… overflowing for first two days then left down by entrance for next two days😀

Recommend to friends Visit again

Breathtaking views

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi No rating
Anonymous The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric grass tent or campervan pitch

Liked: Views

Recommend to friends Visit again

There are some kitchen facilities and a dining area which is nice…

Overall 8/10
Location 10
Value for money 8
Accommodation 8
Facilities / Activities 8
Customer service 8
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 8
Wifi No rating
Alistair J. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric grass tent or campervan pitch

Liked: There are some kitchen facilities and a dining area which is nice for campers. Very nice beach in walking distance where you can see seals.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Lovely place to camp, strongly recommend the breakfast basket!

Overall 8/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation No rating
Facilities / Activities No rating
Customer service 10
Child friendliness No rating
Cleanliness No rating
Wifi No rating
Alex D. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric grass tent or campervan pitch

Liked: Location and the breakfast basket.

Recommend to friends Visit again

One of the best camping experiences I have ever had.

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi 2
Anonymous The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric grass tent or campervan pitch

Liked: A stunning setting overlooking the sea for an authentic island experience. The relaxed vibe doesn’t detract from a very efficient and functional camp site. The facilities(showers, toilets, cooking etc) all constructed from recycled materials. Quirky, clever and very comfortable. A visitors conservatory houses a communal cooking area and a full range of equipment and crockery for sharing, as well as a dining/seating area - a brilliant asset in poor weather (we had brilliant weather but still used this). The site and facilities are very clean and obviously loved by the owners. An honesty shop sells fresh farm produce and local goods. The farm is very convenient to the Pentland ferry. The islands have an excellent road network and so does not feel remote. We didn’t want to leave!

Disliked: The Wheems chickens couldn’t keep up with demand for fresh eggs and we missed out on fresh organic eggs on our last morning.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Lovely site with lots of homely features and facilities.

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness No rating
Cleanliness 10
Wifi No rating
Michael G. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Electric grass tent or campervan pitch

Liked: The campsite has a great setting with super sea views. The friendly owners are currently re-developing the site but the communal kitchen / social area is great, they helpfully provide sufficient equipment to cook a meal etc. Toilets are clean with plenty of hot water, a useful ‘honesty’ shop will help some and the pitches are more than adequate. The campsite has a nice feeling to it which I guess is what the owners are after. Will re-visit and it will be interesting to see how they continue to develop the campsite.

Disliked: Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again


Features

Leisure on site

Bar or club house

Cycle hire

Evening entertainment

Fishing

Fitness centre

Games room

Indoor swimming pool

Kids' club

On-site restaurant/cafe

Outdoor swimming pool

Play area

TV room

Take away

Tennis

Watersports

Amenities on site

Bath available

Car parking by pitch/unit

Composting toilet

Disabled facilities

Dog park

Drying room

Food shop

Free wifi

Ice pack freezing

Internet access

Launderette

Local produce

Parent & baby washroom

Pick-up from public transport

Portable toilet

Pub toilets

Public telephone

Shower available

Toilet block

Washing-up area

Wifi

Groups welcome

Family friendly

Motorcycle friendly

Single-sex groups welcome

Student groups welcome

Rules

Barbecue provided

Barbecues allowed

Campfires allowed

Commercial vehicles allowed

Dogs allowed

Dogs allowed all year

Themes

Peaceful

Remote location

Spectacular scenery

Walkers' paradise

Wildlife haven

Utilities

Charging facilities

Chemical disposal

Electric car charging point(s)

Gas cylinders available

Recycling available

Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby

Dog walk nearby

Nearby farmers' market

Public transport nearby

Shop nearby

Type

Farm

Small (11-25 pitches)

Nearby leisure

Canoeing/kayaking nearby

Climbing nearby

Cycling nearby

Fishing nearby

Golf nearby

Horse riding nearby

Restaurant nearby

Sailing nearby

Tennis nearby

Watersports nearby

Touring and motorhomes

Seasonal pitches

Location

Wheems Organic Farm Bothy and Campsite

Eastside

South Ronaldsay

Orkney Islands

Scotland

KW17 2TJ

Directions

Timezone

Europe/London GMT (GMT+00:00)

GPS

58.80884°N
-2.92528°W

Route directions

Wheems is signposted on South Ronaldsay. Look out for white signs with green borders. From St Margaret's Hope, go up the hill to the main road south/north (A961) and turn right towards Burwick. Turn immediately left at the war memorial, marked Eastside. Drive for 1.5 miles past the church hall, over the crossroads, down towards the sea and the site is the first turning on the left.

Nearest transport

Rail
26.2 mi Wick Rail Station
26.4 mi Thurso Rail Station
27.9 mi Georgemas Junction Rail Station
Ferry
2.1 mi St Margarets Hope Ferry Terminal
5.1 mi Burwick Sth Ronaldsay Orkney Ferry Terminal
7.6 mi Flotta Orkney Ferry Terminal
Airport
10.1 mi Kirkwall (Orkney) Airport
25.4 mi Wick Airport
26 mi Stronsay Airport

Please note: All distances on this page are calculated "as the crow flies" - please check actual distance depending on your mode of travel using the Get directions button above.

Local attractions

The sea views around here are quite something, but so are the heritage spots – get to grips with the local geology at the Orkney Fossil and Heritage Centre (10 minutes’ drive), then take a trip to the Tomb of the Eagles (15 minutes) to see the Stone Age site and follow a path to the secluded remains of a Bronze Age building. If you’re impressed with the upcycling on site, take it to the next level with a visit to the Italian Chapel (15 minutes), where Italian prisoners of war transformed a couple of Nissen huts into a place of worship using bits and pieces scavenged from the local area. Fresh air activities are in fine supply here too – take a walk with a woolly pal from Skate Rumple Orkney Alpacas, tee off at scenic Orkney Golf Club or head into Kirkwall for birdwatching and seal-spotting boat trips (all half an hour away by car). If you prefer your air in compressed form, there’s some excellent (if chilly) scuba diving to be done around the wrecks of Scapa Flow (45 minutes).

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020 2019 2018 2017
Dunnet 20.9 mi Sea N/A Excellent Excellent Excellent
Thurso 25.9 mi Sea N/A Good Good N/A

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

The Castle & Gardens of Mey 16.1 mi

Skara Brae 22.1 mi

Cycle routes

Find local routes on the National Cycle Network - over 12,000 miles of cycling routes.

Other

COPINSAY (CURRENT BOUNDARY FROM 02/10/1972) 10.7 mi

HOBBISTER (CURRENT BOUNDARY FROM 29/11/1972) 11.2 mi

The Stacks of Duncansby 12 mi

MILL DAM (CURRENT BOUNDARY FROM 25/05/1993) 16.2 mi

HOY (CURRENT BOUNDARY FROM 21/10/1985) 16.6 mi

Please note: All distances on this page are calculated "as the crow flies" - please check actual distance depending on your mode of travel using the Get directions button above.

Want to know more about camping in Orkney Islands?

  • Does Wheems Organic Farm Bothy and Campsite have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Wheems Organic Farm Bothy and Campsite dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near Wheems Organic Farm Bothy and Campsite? The sea views around here are quite something, but so are the heritage spots – get to grips with the local geology at the Orkney Fossil and Heritage Centre (10 minutes’ drive), … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Wheems Organic Farm Bothy and Campsite?
    Camping and touring
    Arrive:  1 p.m. –  11:30 p.m.
    Depart by:  12 p.m.
    On-site accommodation
    Arrive:  3 p.m. –  11:30 p.m.
    Depart by:  10:30 a.m.
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Wheems Organic Farm Bothy and Campsite? From £20 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.