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).
Energy Performance Certificate
Energy Efficiency Rating
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
- Ask Agent
- Private Rights of Way
- Ask Agent
- Listed Property
- Ask Agent
- 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
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
GP surgery
Pharmacy
Green space
Walking trail
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
Nearest bus stop
Typical drive times
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
Surface water
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)
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© LandSale | Version 1.3 - August 2026
Listing agent
K Allan Properties Ltd, Kirkwall
Watergate House Watergate, St. Ola, Orkney, KW15 1PD
Contact K Allan Properties Ltd, Kirkwall
Watergate House Watergate, St. Ola, Orkney, KW15 1PD
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