Kirkwall, Orkney, Scotland

The Royal Burgh of Kirkwall is the capital of the amazing Orkney archipelago, situated on the northern coast of Mainland Orkney. Population of Kirkwall is about 8,500. Kirkwall is a stunning place filled with history. It has been around for many hundreds of years and was perhaps first mentioned in the Orkneyinga saga in the year 1046. The name Kirkwall is loosely derived from the old Norse name ‘Kirkjuvagr’ which meant ‘Church bay’. It is a harbor town situated on the northern coast of Mainland Orkney. Kirkwall is the one of the few places in the area which offers ferry services to most of the other islands in the archipelago.

Although Kirkwall is Orkney’s largest town, it is still small when compared to other Scottish towns. There is a lot to see and do here.

Kirkwall’s best feature is perhaps its sandstone St Magnus Cathedral, widely considered the finest medieval building in the north of Scotland. The original town is one of the best preserved examples of an ancient Norse town.

Other sites of historical interest in the town include the Bishop’s Palace and Earl’s Palace.

To better showcase the rich Norse heritage of the place, there is a museum dedicated to items of local historical interest. There is also a small Wireless Museum which is quite interesting to visit.

Other popular attractions are the Highland Park Distillery, Scotland’s most northerly whisky distillery and the Scapa Bay distillery.