Kathy and Graham have had a love of Westray for many years. This strong affection, which is rooted in Graham's childhood on Westray, is inspired by the island's genuine, kind folk, their attitude to life and their culture.
As Graham says, ''Westray has a historic past, which has always been fascinating to us both and there is plenty to satisfy the inquisitive mind. Birdlife all year round is quite amazing and, when mixed with Westray's breath-taking scenery, no-one could fail to fall in love with the island''.
Graham continues, ‘What we specialise in, here at Westraak, is bringing all these ingredients together for our Guests and giving them a truly unforgettable day here. It was always our aim to give a quality day’s tour of Westray and that’s what we promise each Guest’.
Kathy says, ''There is a wealth of talent here, too, and our Guests will have plenty time to see and feel the variety and quality of crafts available on Westray. Graham and I are committed to giving our Guests, not only a warm Westray welcome, but a thoroughly unforgettable day, packed with interest and, of course, fine Orkney food!’
Kathy goes on, ‘What helps to make the day, is our morning reception refreshment and Powerpoint presentation. This, we find, helps to set the scene and give a lot of information about the island and it’s history. It also gives our Guests the chance to relax a little after the ferry or plane trip.’
Graham adds, ‘As you will see from the ‘Tour’ page, there are some hugely interesting places to visit. I can take our 8-seater minibus to within a fairly close distance of each site, so long walks are not needed. The longest walk is at Noup Head RSPB, where we have an easy walk of about 200 metres each way and it is well worth the walk!'
You will find Westraak opposite the Lady Kirk at the north end of Pierowall and next to the Hofn building.
The Westraak Centre is also the home of the Haff Yok Café. This is run by Kathy and specialises in light lunches of toasties, paninis, filled rolls, home-made Orkney broth, home-bakes and freshly made coffee and tea.
As Kathy explains, ‘The Haff Yok is open from lunchtime until 6 p.m. every day between April and September, inclusive. Outside of these months, we open afternoons on Wednesdays and Saturdays, with Sunday set aside for High Teas, by prior arrangement. The café has become very popular with 
those Visitors to Westray who are simply looking for a light lunch or a delicious home-bake and a place to rest their legs! It has also become a regular meeting-place for local people who we see right through the Winter Season.'
Kathy adds, ‘We’ve had a small patio built on the south-facing side at the rear of the café where we can sit another 6 – 8 people. It’s a real sun-trap on a good day.’
The Tourist Information Point also features at the Westraak Centre. It is always a good start point for your visit to Westray. There is also a selection of local crafts, including some of Graham’s photography, in the form of framed photographs, coasters and greeting cards.
Bicycle Hire
Westraak has a full range of bikes suitable for 5 year olds right through to adult mountain bikes. The range includes a Tag-along Trailer extension, a Kiddy Kab Trailer for 2 small children and 2 Child Carrier Seats which attach to adult bikes. We have a full range of safety helmets suitable for all ages.
