Kirkwall Brewery: Orkney Brewery, Swannay and Macfoys

What to expect from a Kirkwall brewery trip: the town site at Hatston versus the West Mainland breweries

Kirkwall itself has one brewery address: Macfoys, on Crowness Road at Hatston, the industrial estate on the edge of town. That makes it the only realistic option if you are on foot, on a short ferry stop, or unwilling to drive. It is a working brewery and taproom rather than a visitor attraction, so treat it as a pint stop rather than a day out.

The other two lie west, so a car or a booked taxi is the practical choice. The Orkney Brewery is at Quoyloo, and Swannay Brewery is on the north-westerly tip of the mainland at Swannay by Evie. Distances on Orkney look short on paper but single-track roads and slow traffic stretch them, so pick one West Mainland site per outing rather than trying to fit both around a meal.

Macfoys, Hatston: Kirkwall's own brewery and taproom on Crowness Road

Macfoys is the one you can reach without leaving town, and CAMRA's Aberdeen, Grampian and Northern Isles branch lists it at 10 Crowness Road, Hatston, Kirkwall KW15 1RG, with a 10-barrel brewhouse. The same listing records no real ale at the site, so do not turn up expecting hand-pulled cask beer; go for the taproom setting and whatever the brewery has on.

Because the taproom offering changes and the brewery has not set out visitor hours in the listing we have, ask before you build an evening around it. A quick message or a look at the brewery's own channels the day before saves a wasted trip to the industrial estate. If you want a guaranteed sit-down meal afterwards, the pubs in Kirkwall guide is a safer anchor for the evening.

The Orkney Brewery, Quoyloo: the Victorian schoolhouse visitor centre, tours and the beers to look for

This is the one built for visitors. The brewery was founded in 1988 in a schoolhouse dating to 1878, and the old schoolroom now holds the visitor centre and tasting hall, which the brewery describes as a five-star facility. It sits two miles from Skara Brae on the West Mainland, so it slots neatly into a day that includes the Neolithic village.

The brewery describes tours running every 45 minutes from April to October, taking in the brewhouse, the raw materials and the fermentation room. Treat that as the pattern the brewery works to rather than a guaranteed timetable for your date and confirm before travelling, since seasonal schedules shift. A tour gives you the context for the beers, then the tasting hall lets you put it to use.

Order with a meal in mind. Dark Island, the malty chocolate-toned Scotch ale, is the brewery's most popular and is pitched at stews, chocolate pudding and strong cheese, while Corncrake Ale is a lighter, crisper choice that supports the RSPB with a donation per bottle. For something sharper with food, Orkney Gold and Raven Ale are the other names to look for; the Best Restaurants in Kirkwall guide is where to take the appetite afterwards.

Swannay Brewery, by Evie: the farmstead tap room and shop, and the beers it is known for

Swannay trades on setting as much as beer. The brewery, tap room and shop occupy a converted dairy farmstead at Swannay by Evie, on the north-westerly edge of the mainland, with buildings linked by a sheltered courtyard you enter under an archway. Founder Rob Hill came to the farm in 2003 and bought the complex a year later, starting with Scapa Special, the flagship pale ale that still accounts for roughly a third of what the brewery makes.

The tap room pours beer and coffee, and the shop is where you stock up for the ferry or the cottage. Swannay's range runs from low-strength hoppy session ales to double-digit barrel-aged porters, all from a single yeast strain, and the brewery says its core brands have collected over 100 awards in just over a decade of brewing. It also advises checking its social media or website for confirmed opening hours before you go, which is worth taking literally on a small island team.

The Orkney beers worth ordering while you're here

Skull Splitter is the one to approach with care: an 8.5% ABV barley wine, and the brewery notes it was Scottish CAMRA winter beer champion in 2015. Its strength makes it a closer than an opener, and it is best shared or saved for the end of the evening. Ask what is on draught before committing, as availability varies by outlet and season.

Dark Island Reserve shows what the brewery does with wood: brewed to 10% ABV and aged three months in selected whisky casks, it took best strong dark ale at the World Beer Awards in 2011. Both are historical results rather than current rankings, so treat them as a steer on style. For everyday drinking, Scapa Special on cask is the Orkney session pint to look for in town. If you would rather explore grain than hops, the whisky Kirkwall guide covers the distillery side of Orkney drinking.

Which brewery to pick: time, distance from Kirkwall, tours versus a tap-room pint, and whether to book

Choose by what you want from the stop. Macfoys at Hatston suits a couple of hours inside Kirkwall and anyone without a car, with the caveat that the taproom offering varies and CAMRA lists no real ale there. The Orkney Brewery at Quoyloo suits a guided visit with food and the Skara Brae combination, and is the only one of the three offering a structured tour. Swannay suits a slower afternoon with a drive, a courtyard pint and a shop.

Confirm the tour time rather than assuming a walk-in slot, especially in a short Orkney trip when a missed tour costs you a whole afternoon. For the two West Mainland sites, sort transport first: a taxi return is the simplest option if you plan to drink, and it removes any argument about single-track roads after dark. Check times directly before you set out, then build the eating around it with the What to Eat in Kirkwall guide, which covers what to order beyond the beer.

Which Orkney brewery to book

If you have one free afternoon, book the Orkney Brewery tour at Quoyloo and pair it with Skara Brae; it gives you the most for a single journey west. If you have only an evening in town, head to Macfoys at Hatston and accept it as a taproom stop with a variable selection rather than a full visitor experience.

Swannay rewards those with a car and a loose schedule: a courtyard pint, a shop run and the drive back via Evie make a good half day. Whichever you pick, sort transport and confirm opening before you set off, then finish the day with a proper meal from the Best Restaurants in Kirkwall guide.