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Offers Over£1,300,000

Berstane House, Berstane Road, St Ola, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15

Land size
8 acres
Bedrooms
13
Bathrooms
12

Key Features

  • WHAT3WORDS LOCATION: skies.teardrop.openings
  • Positioned on the outskirts of Kirkwall, commanding sea views, yet within easy reach of town amenities.
  • Approx. 8 acres of private grounds including gardens, woodland, lawns, coastal outlook.
  • Historic stately home with period features — double glazed casement windows, ornate cornicing, multiple reception rooms and bedrooms.
  • 7 separate dwellings, all currently let, ranging in size/type. Reliable income in place.
  • Private driveway, ample parking, outbuildings/storage
  • Private residence, investment, holiday accommodation, multi-generation living, or boutique hospitality subject to planning and consent.
  • Available as 1 or 2 separate lots
  • Famous explorer John Rae is understood to have a connection with Bertane House

Description

Berstane House is a rare Orkney estate: a grand 13-bedroom stately home set within approximately 8 acres of private grounds, including mature woodland, sweeping lawns, and beautifully tended gardens. Its commanding coastal position offers uninterrupted sea views while remaining only minutes from Kirkwall—an exceptional combination of privacy, heritage, and convenience.

A historic residence with remarkable potential

The main house retains its period architecture, from ornate cornicing to elegant reception rooms, a formal drawing room, dining room, library/study, generous bedrooms, and a traditional cellar. The interior offers an outstanding opportunity for sympathetic modernisation, allowing a new owner to shape a truly distinguished home while preserving its character. The property is also understood to have a connection to the renowned explorer John Rae, adding to its historic significance.

A multi-unit estate with established income

The estate comprises seven separate dwellings, each with its own title deed. In addition to the main house, there are six self-contained apartments—four smaller units and two larger ones—each with private access and parking. All are currently let, providing reliable, ongoing income and making the estate suitable for private residence, multi-generational living, investment, or boutique hospitality, subject to consents.

Grounds That Elevate The Lifestyle - The extensive grounds include woodland walks, open lawns, sheltered garden spaces, and panoramic vantage points overlooking the coastline. The setting is peaceful, secluded, and rich with wildlife—an ideal environment for those seeking a rural retreat with spectacular views and space to create additional outdoor amenities.

Available As One Lot Or Two - the estate is offered as a whole or in two separate lots, giving buyers flexibility depending on their needs:

Lot 1 – Berstane House & Four 1-Bedroom Flats Includes the main stately home together with four self-contained one-bedroom apartments, ideal for guest accommodation, long-term letting, or staff housing.

Lot 2 – ‘Seaview Apartments’ A detached building comprising two spacious 2-bedroom apartments, both enjoying elevated outlooks and strong rental appeal.

A Rare Opportunity In Orkney - Few properties in Orkney—or Scotland—combine this level of landholding, architectural presence, coastal outlook, and income potential. Berstane House offers a unique chance to acquire a landmark estate with scope for restoration, expansion, or imaginative redevelopment.

SERVICES

Water - Mains
Electricity - Mains
Drainage - Mains
Heating - Oil central heating in the main dwelling at Berstane House and storage heaters in all the apartments

Council Tax:
Main House F
Flat 1 A
Flat 2 A
Flat 3 A
Flat 4 A
Seaview 1 C
Seaview 2 C

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VIEWINGS
By appointment only, arranged through K Allan Properties.
Call or email

OFFERS TO
K Allan Properties
Watergate
Kirkwall
KW15 1PD

Map Location

Property details

Tenure
Freehold
Council Tax Band
Ask Agent
Date Posted
2026-01-29

Market Value Analysis

Compared with 134 Homes with Land listings in Scotland (5+ acres).

This Property£162,500 / acre
Homes with Land Average (5+ acres) £33,259 / acre
View full market data

Energy Performance Certificate

Energy Efficiency Rating

Very energy efficient - lower running costs
CurrentPotential
(92+)A
(81-91)B
(69-80)C
(55-68)D
(39-54)E
(21-38)F
(1-20)G
75 C
85 B

Based on UK Energy Performance Certificate standards (EU Directive 2002/91/EC)

Running costs are one side. Planning activity, flood history and ground risks for this location are in the full report.

Utilities & Restrictions

Utilities

Electricity
Mains
Water
Mains
Heating
Ask Agent
Broadband
Ask Agent
Sewerage
Septic Tank / Private

Rights & Restrictions

Public Rights of Way
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Private Rights of Way
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Listed Property
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Restrictions
Ask Agent

Listed status, conservation areas and planning constraints for this location are in the full report.

Property Features

Accessibility
Lateral Living
Parking
Off-Street Parking
Garden
Garden

Beyond the particulars: planning activity, flood history, heritage and ground risks, checked for this exact spot.

Connectivity

Broadband

Fastest speed available at this postcode

76 Mbps

Superfast · available to 25% of premises

Suitable for

  • HD streaming
  • Video calls
  • Web & social

Mobile signal

CallsDataEE Good GoodO2 Good GoodThree Good GoodVodafone Good Good

Outdoor predictions; indoor signal depends on building materials.

Ofcom Connected Nations postcode-level predictions. Speeds and signal are modelled, not measured, and vary between addresses and providers.

Signal is the easy part. Planning activity, flood history and protected designations here are in the full report.

Nearest Schools

Primary

  • Papdale Primary School1 mile
    Pupils
    422
    Type
    Non-denominational
  • Glaitness School1.7 miles
    Pupils
    210
    Type
    Non-denominational
  • Shapinsay Community School4.2 miles
    Pupils
    16
    Type
    Non-denominational
  • St Andrew's Primary School4.8 miles
    Pupils
    162
    Type
    Non-denominational
  • Firth Primary School7.1 miles
    Pupils
    76
    Type
    Non-denominational

Secondary

  • Kirkwall Grammar School0.8 miles
    Pupils
    861
    Type
    Non-denominational
  • Stromness Academy13 miles
    Pupils
    338
    Type
    Non-denominational
  • Stronsay Junior High School15 miles
    Pupils
    16
    Type
    Non-denominational
  • Sanday Community School23 miles
    Pupils
    25
    Type
    Non-denominational
  • Westray Junior High School24 miles
    Pupils
    35
    Type
    Non-denominational

Distances are straight-line from the advertised location. Source: the national school registers (DfE, Welsh Government, Scottish Government) and Ofsted.

Schools are just the start: planning activity, heritage and any flood history here are in the full report.

Amenities

Supermarket

Co-op Kirkwall - Albert Street, Kirkwall1.3 miles
Lidl Kirkwall, Kirkwall1.5 miles
Tesco Kirkwall Superstore, Kirkwall1.6 miles

GP surgery

Skerryvore Practice1.4 miles

Pharmacy

Boots The Chemists Ltd1.3 miles

Green space

Public Park Or Garden992 metres

Walking trail

Seatter Bridleway541 metres

Straight-line distances from the advertised location. Sources: NHS records, Geolytix supermarket locations, OS Open Greenspace and the national trails registers.

The area stacks up? Now check the location itself: planning nearby, protected designations and past flooding.

Getting Around

Nearest station

Thurso Rail Station34 miles

Nearest bus stop

Ingavoe Drive688 metres

Typical drive times

Thurso1 hr 54 min · 50 miles
Kirkwall6 min · 1.8 miles
Stromness28 min · 17 miles

Straight-line distances from the advertised location; drive times are typical free-flow times over OpenStreetMap road data, so allow more at peak. Public transport locations from DfT NaPTAN.

Easy to reach matters. So do planning activity, flood history and ground risks: all in the full report.

Flood Risk

From SEPA flood map open data, checked around the advertised map pin and allowing for the listed acreage where known. This summary comes from LandSale, the advertising platform, not from the listing agent, and is not part of the agent's particulars. Risk can vary across a single holding, so verify anything critical through your own searches before committing.

Rivers and the sea

Not shown on SEPA's flood mapsLower risk

Surface water

No mapped surface water riskLower risk

The detail behind these bandings

The full report pinpoints where this location sits on the flood maps, and runs the deeper checks that usually only surface after an offer.

  • Exact flood zones & annual chances (included in the full report)
  • Any recorded past flooding (included in the full report)
  • Planning activity nearby (included in the full report)
  • Heritage & conservation (included in the full report)
  • Protected nature designations (included in the full report)
  • Ground risks (included in the full report)

£14.99 · one-off purchase

By LandSale, the platform. Not provided by the listing agent. Ready in about a minute.

Important notice: Information, maps and tags on this page are drawn from the advertising agent's marketing materials or generated automatically. LandSale has not verified them. Relying on these details is at your own risk, always carry out independent checks before committing to a purchase.

Contact K Allan Properties Ltd, Kirkwall

Watergate House Watergate, St. Ola, Orkney, KW15 1PD

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