There are about 70 islands within the Orkney Archipelago, 13 of which are inhabited. South Ronalsday was at one time the most southerly of the Orkney Islands. It is now linked to the Orkney Mainland by The Churchill Barriers built during the Second World War after a German U-boat penetrated the block ship defences of Lamb Sound and sank the Royal Oak in 1939, killing nearly all on board. With the aid of Italian prisoners of war, who also built the famous Italian Chapel 4 barriers were erected and crossing them can be spectacular due to wind and sea.

St Margaret's Hope, the main village on South Ronaldsay, was where Queen Margaret of Scotland died in the 14th century. Queen Margaret was the daughter of the King of Norway and was sailing to celebrate her marriage to the King of Scotland when she died en-route in St Margaret's Hope. Orkney and Shetland were pledged to Scotland in lieu of her dowry.

Today St Margaret's Hope is a picturesque small village, yet the third largest settlement on Orkney.

Due to the Gills Bay-Orkney ferry terminal used by the Pentland Ferries the village is connected to Scottish Mainland by the shortest car ferry crossing. It also has an excellent pub, shops, a gallery, a tennis court, a golf course, as well as an active bowling club, a gym and Orkney's best restaurant, "The Creel" which has again been voted one of the 100 best restaurants in Britain 2008.