Accommodation by the sea on Sanday

09/12/2025

It’s amazing how Sanday keeps giving

The Sanday Shipwreck is in the news again because it has been nominated in the Current Archaeology awards (link to vote in the comments). Ben Saunders wrote a major article about the wreck and the work to recover the ship in Orkney Archaeology Review 2025, copies of which are still available from OAS (link in comments).

11/11/2025

A lovely place to visit when you come and stay with us. Enjoy homemade cakes with a coffee or a lovely home cooked lunch. Then stroll round the craft rooms and discover beautiful hand crafted items.

The Sanday Community Craft Hub in Orkney celebrates local talent and craftsmanship, showcasing handmade textiles, pottery, jewellery, and art. Founded by local makers, it offers workshops and a welcoming space to connect, create, and share.

▶️ https://www.northlinkferries.co.uk/orkney-blog/sanday-community-craft-hub-where-creativity-thrives/

orkney.com VisitScotland Highlands and Islands Thistle Awards

15/08/2025

Absolutely the best way to deal with this. So many creatures will benefit from the carcasses. Although the article mentions Roo Beach it’s actually further round the coast. Will be eternally grateful the stranding didn’t occur on Roo Beach as that is our beach at the back of our garden. Would not have enjoyed the smell. Pilot whales seem prone to stranding around the world although why is still a mystery.

10/08/2025

Not again!
Our beautiful beaches sometimes are witness to some horrendous sights and today was one of those days. Just over a year ago we had a mass stranding of 77 pilot whale and today another 23. So incredibly sad

18/12/2024

Update on the wreck!

22/10/2024

Sanday just never stops giving ….

Thank you to the National Lottery Community Fund and National lottery players for supporting our project:
The National Lottery Community Fund Scotland
Orkney environmental project awarded National Lottery funding boost

Today (22nd October), 587 community groups across Scotland are celebrating a share of £19.3 million from The National Lottery Community Fund. The funding, set to power up local projects, comes as the National Lottery prepares to celebrate its 30th birthday next month.

Many of these projects will deliver activities that enhance the local environment for future generations, one of The National Lottery Community Fund’s key missions. Sanday Community Craft Hub will be helping the climate crisis and
reducing waste by hosting monthly beach cleans, providing inspiration for leading a more sustainable lifestyle. They will also host creative workshops focused on the natural landscape, highlighting appreciation for the environment and showcasing innovative methods of upcycling waste.

Today they are celebrating an award of £8,675 to fund their new Creative Sustainability Coordinator, David Warner.

Speaking about the project 34-year-old David said: “I am excited about how my new role will benefit the community here on Sanday. We will be focusing on monthly beach cleans and outreach; while also assessing and measuring the current state of the beaches on the island.

“The waste will be used creatively to showcase the potential for reusing and upcycling. I look forward to leading a programme of workshops teaching the local community creative skills that focus on the natural landscape of our beautiful island.

“The workshops will be designed in a way to impact the landscape and the planet in as little as possible and will create a perfect platform to encourage sustainability in a creative capacity here on Sanday.”

Announcing the £19.3 million package of grants, Kate Still, Scotland Chair of The National Lottery Community Fund, said: “This November, The National Lottery celebrates its 30th birthday. For three decades, communities have come together, supporting one another and transforming lives through National Lottery funding—a truly inspiring achievement.

National Lottery players can take pride in knowing that their contributions are supporting groups like Sanday Community Craft Hub.”

National Lottery players raise over £30 million a week for good causes across the UK. Thanks to them, last year (2023/24) The National Lottery Community Fund awarded over half a billion pounds (£686.3 million) of life-changing funding to communities across the UK, supporting over 13,700 projects to turn their great ideas into reality.

To find out more visit www.TNLCommunityFund.org.uk

13/10/2024

Deserted beautiful beaches is what you get when you come to sanday.

07/09/2024

An update on the shipwreck timbers found here on Sanday

Orkney Islands Council has received £80k from the National Heritage Memorial Fund to help protect shipwreck timbers discovered on Sanday's shores earlier this year.

Offering their expertise and connections in the wake of the find, and with the clock ticking to head off damage to the timbers, the Council’s Museums team applied for the funds on behalf of the islands community and the Sanday Development Trust.

National Heritage Memorial Fund is a 'funder of last resort' for heritage at risk.

The Sanday shipwreck - which captured the nation’s imagination when it rose from the sands following winter storms earlier this year– is thought to be an internationally significant 17th century design, possibly of Dutch origin.

The custom-designed tank currently under construction will enable the wreck to be stored fully submerged in fresh water - protecting it from deterioration for two to three years while further research is carried out into its identity and significance.

Read more here: 👇
https://www.orkney.gov.uk/latest-news/sanday-shipwreck-saved-for-the-nation-thanks-to-national-heritage-memorial-fund-support/

The National Lottery Heritage Fund

18/08/2024

Just another place to visit when you come to Sanday! It’s a lovely walk to the lighthouse.