Appie’s is wonderfully positioned here in the West Mainland of Orkney on the side of a low hill with a 180 degree vista overlooking 8 miles of busy farmland, with silver slivers of Harray Loch in the distance and ringed by low-lying hills. From the Burgar Hill wind turbines to the north, Orphir’s Ward Hill to the south-west and the atmospheric hills of Hoy to the South, we make the most of this view with large picture windows along the full length of the Gallery and Tea Room. For those lovely sunny still days (yes, we do get some!) we also have a large seated decking area outside but …. beware the cats!

Smudge and Clamber are now about 8 years old and still look forward to greeting our visitors in the summer season. They love to be fussed but be careful, bend down too far and they’ll jump on your shoulders, leave the car door open and they’ll jump inside. They’ll even try to convince you that it’s OK for them to come into the Tea Room with you but….. it’s not! Except in warm weather when we have to have doors open and it’s impossible to keep them out, we do not want the cats in the building. Don’t worry they have a whole house to play in whenever they want.

It is a short tourist season here in Orkney and so in order to keep the cats and myself busy (!), in the winter of 2008/9, Appie’s ran a series of short 6 week courses on a variety of subjects (click on News). It is hoped that this will become a regular event.

2009 will see further changes taking place here with the introduction of other artists’ work in the gallery (click on News).

Well, I hope those of you I’ve already met are well and happy and looking forward to their return to Orkney (most folk make more than one visit!) and to those of you who have yet to make the journey, I look forward to meeting you here.