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Photo of Kirkwall, a village in the Orkney Islands, the Scottish Highlands and Islands.

© Derek Harper / Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0

Kirkwall

Local highlight
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OpenFreeMap © OpenMapTiles · data from OpenStreetMap · terrain Mapzen/AWS

Kirkwall is Orkney’s capital and largest town, built around the red-and-yellow sandstone St Magnus Cathedral and a working harbour. The old town has narrow flagstone lanes, plenty of shops and places to eat, and it’s the natural base for exploring the rest of the islands. NorthLink ferries run in from Aberdeen, and Kirkwall Airport handles flights from the Scottish mainland and the smaller isles.

More places to visit near Kirkwall

Photo of The Orkney Museum, a visitor attraction near Kirkwall, the Orkney Islands, the Scottish Highlands and Islands.Highlight

The Orkney Museum

Attraction near Kirkwall

Orkney's island-history museum in the 16th-century Tankerness House, opposite St Magnus Cathedral in Kirkwall.

0.1 km NW

Photo of St Magnus Cathedral, a church near Kirkwall, the Orkney Islands, the Scottish Highlands and Islands.Highlight

St Magnus Cathedral

Church near Kirkwall

A red-and-yellow sandstone cathedral founded in 1137 in the heart of Kirkwall, still a working church known as the 'Light in the North'.

0.1 km NE

Photo of Highland Park Distillery, a distillery near Kirkwall, the Orkney Islands, the Scottish Highlands and Islands.Highlight

Highland Park Distillery

Distillery near Kirkwall

The world's most northerly Scotch whisky distillery, on the edge of Kirkwall, offering tours and tastings.

1.4 km S

Photo of Scapa Beach, a beach near Kirkwall, the Orkney Islands, the Scottish Highlands and Islands.Highlight

Scapa Beach

Beach near Kirkwall

Orkney's most accessible beach, a mile from Kirkwall on Scapa Flow, reached on foot along the Crantit Trail.

2.8 km S

Photo of Shapinsay, an island in the Orkney Islands, the Scottish Highlands and Islands.Highlight

Shapinsay

Island near Balfour

Low Orkney island 25 minutes by ferry from Kirkwall, with the estate village of Balfour, a Baronial castle and Burroughston Broch

5.7 km N

Photo of Waulkmill Bay, a beach near Finstown, the Orkney Islands, the Scottish Highlands and Islands.Highlight

Waulkmill Bay

Beach near Finstown

A sheltered sandy bay on Scapa Flow that reveals wide flats at low tide, reached by a steep path near Orphir.

8 km SW