Fish and Chips in Kirkwall: Chippies and Sit-In Fish Suppers

What Orkney haddock means for a fish supper in Kirkwall

Haddock is the star of the local fish supper, and Orkney's cold, clean waters support the whitefish and shellfish that fill the menus. That matters when you order: a haddock supper is the natural default here, and a good chippy will treat it as the house fish rather than an alternative to cod.

The islands are better known for shellfish than for chips, so set expectations accordingly. Brown crab, hand-dived king scallops and lobster are the headline catch, and the creel fishery behind them is small-scale and low-impact. Treat the chippy as the low-key option and plan a separate meal for shellfish.

The Happy Haddock, Junction Road: the takeaway option

The Happy Haddock sits at 69 Junction Road in Kirkwall and describes itself as a fish and chip shop with collection or delivery. That makes it the straightforward choice when you are staying in town, arriving off a ferry or feeding a group without booking anything. It is a short walk from the centre, so collection is easy on foot; for more sit-down options in town see our pick of the Best Restaurants in Kirkwall.

Delivery is worth thinking about in advance. A chippy delivery suits addresses close to town; if you are staying out towards the outer islands or over in Stromness, call the shop directly before you rely on it, because the delivery area is not published.

Sit-down fish and chips at The Ferry Inn, Stromness

The Ferry Inn in Stromness is the harbourfront answer for a sit-in fish supper, with haddock for its fish and chips alongside Orkney beef and lamb. It is a short drive or bus ride west of Kirkwall, so this is a deliberate trip rather than a quick bite.

The kitchen also serves shellfish landed daily, including scallops, brown crab, lobster and, in season, langoustines from Scapa Flow, so a mixed group can order fish and chips at one end of the table and shellfish at the other. Opening is from 12:30pm daily, and booking is advised in season, so book before you set off rather than risking the drive.

The Murray Arms at St Margaret's Hope: the full catch

The Murray Arms in St Margaret's Hope runs the Gun Deck Restaurant, and its seafood comes from the family's own boats, landed daily. The headline order is the Murray's Seafood Platter, with lobster, brown crab, scallops, queenies and razor clams or the day's fish.

Food is served daily, with takeaway slots on Friday and Saturday at this venue only, and the hand-dived scallops are the signature. St Margaret's Hope is a longer run from Kirkwall on the south side of the islands, so build the meal into a day out. For a lighter option back in town, What to Eat in Kirkwall covers the simpler fare.

Takeaway versus sit-in: which suits your day

Takeaway wins on a ferry day, a wet afternoon or any outing with tired children, because there is no table to hold and no booking to miss. On a clear evening with time to spare, the Stromness run to The Ferry Inn is the better experience.

Sit-in suits groups who want different things from one kitchen, since The Ferry Inn and the Gun Deck both pair haddock with shellfish and Orkney beef. The trade-off is that you need to book in season and fit your meal around the drive back.

What to order: haddock, mushy peas and a chip-shop pud

Order haddock first. It is the local fish supper standard, and the smoked haddock tradition in Kirkwall runs deep, with Jollys of Orkney curing over oak in the town for more than seventy years. Add mushy peas, curry sauce or scraps according to taste.

If you want a chippy side to round out a supper, ask the shop what it offers rather than relying on anywhere else's menu. Simple sides travel best, so keep the order tight if you are eating on the move.

Price levels and portions across the venues

Treat the pound signs as relative bands rather than fixed prices. The Ferry Inn and the Gun Deck both sit in the middle to upper range, while The Foveran at St Ola near Kirkwall is the top bracket, with chef-led dinners built on Orkney lobster, hand-dived scallops and organic Westray salmon in a room looking over Scapa Flow.

The Foveran opens year-round but runs six nights a week in season and closes on Sunday evenings from May to September, with reduced hours off-peak, and booking is essential. Menus and current prices change, so confirm both with the venue before you commit to a special-occasion spend. You can read more about it in our Best Pubs in Kirkwall guide, which also covers where to drink afterwards.

Other Kirkwall takeaways mentioned locally

Willows Takeaway is the other Kirkwall name that comes up in discussion of fast food, alongside The Happy Haddock. Star ratings are opinions rather than awards, so treat them as a rough steer and judge by what is on the plate.

One warning saves a wasted trip: The Shore in Kirkwall is currently operating as B&B-only with no restaurant service, so do not plan a sit-in supper there. Keep the town-centre chippy as your fallback.

Where fish and chips fit into a wider Orkney seafood day

Think of the chippy as one meal in a seafood-minded day, not the whole story. Crab, scallops and lobster are what Orkney does best, and a lunch of crab sandwiches or a dressed-crab platter leaves room for a simpler supper later, so you eat well without booking every meal.

If you want a drink after the food is settled, Kirkwall has pubs worth a look. Our Kirkwall pubs and food landmarks page has a short guide to each named place we cover.

Takeaway in town or the drive to Stromness?

Choose The Happy Haddock on Junction Road for a quick, unbooked supper in Kirkwall, and lean on collection if delivery is uncertain. Choose The Ferry Inn in Stromness when you want a table, a harbour view and haddock served alongside Orkney shellfish, and book ahead in season. The Murray Arms at St Margaret's Hope is the longer trip for a full seafood platter rather than a chip-shop meal.