Stromness

Stromness (locally /ˈstrʌmnɪs/, Old Norse: Straumnes; Norn: Stromnes) is historic seaside town and burgh in Orkney, Scotland. It is in the southwestern part of the Orkney Mainland. It has a parish around the outside with the town of Stromness as its capital. A long-established seaport, Stromness has a population of 1,700 in 2022, making it the second most-populous settlement in the Orkney archipelago. The old town is clustered along the characterful and winding main street, flanked by houses and shops built from local stone, with narrow lanes and alleys branching off it. The name "Stromness" comes from the Old Norse Straumnes. Straumr refers to the strong tides that rip past the Point of Ness through Hoy Sound to the south of the town. Nes means "headland". Stromness thus means "headland protruding into the tidal stream". In Viking times the anchorage where Stromness now stands was called Hamnavoe.