Kirkwall combines a compact town centre with cultural history and opportunities for birdwatching. The town centre is easy to explore on foot. At the Orkney Museum, the historical story spans from the Stone Age to the present day; at the Peedie Sea, you can enjoy birdwatching in a relatively urban setting. For planning your trip, one simple question may help: would you like to focus mainly on collections and architectural history, or also take nature watching and activities on the water into account?
Getting your bearings and arriving
Kirkwall’s town centre is compact and easy to explore on foot. Another point of reference is the Orkney Travel Centre: all bus services to and from the Scottish mainland arrive and depart there. Getting around town and bus connections to the mainland are therefore separate considerations when planning. If you plan to take a bus, check the current timetable in advance; services may change.
History in the museum and architecture
The Orkney Museum in Kirkwall tells the story of Orkney from the Stone Age to the present day. Its archaeological collection is recognised as being of national importance. The broad historical span and the collection’s special significance give the museum two distinct points of focus: it provides an overview of many periods while also drawing attention to archaeological evidence. If you are interested in history, you can weigh these two aspects against each other when choosing what to visit.
St Magnus Cathedral also offers several points of interest for a cultural stay. Construction began in 1137; the cathedral is predominantly Romanesque in style and is Scotland’s most complete medieval cathedral. It is also used for concerts. Architectural history and concerts appeal to different interests; if a concert is important to your plans, check the dates in advance.
Other historic structures offer different perspectives on time: the Earl’s Palace was built around 1606. The Grain Earth House is an underground structure from the Iron Age. Together, these examples offer a comparison between a prehistoric site and a structure from a considerably later period, although they are neither the same type of structure nor from the same period.
Birdwatching and activities on the water
The Peedie Sea offers a special opportunity for birdwatching in a relatively urban setting. This is a different perspective from that of collections and architecture: the focus here is on observing nature, while the surroundings remain relatively urban. Windsurfing, kitesurfing, kayaking and swimming take place in the sheltered waters of Scapa Beach. The activities range from wind-powered watersports to kayaking and swimming; their shared feature is the sheltered water.
Whisky and gin
The Highland Park Distillery visitor centre offers six visitor experiences featuring whiskies of varying rarity and exclusivity. Tastings of a wide selection of Highland Park whiskies are also available there. As visitor experiences and tasting arrangements may change, check the latest details if you plan to take part. At The Orkney Distillery, visitors are guided through a tasting of four core varieties of Kirkjuvagr gin; the details of these experiences may also change. The formats described are different: one features several whisky experiences and a wide selection of tastings, while the other focuses on a guided tasting of four core gin varieties.
Discover more destinations: Finstown, Westray, Stromness, Hackness, Tingwall, Orkney, Burray Village, Orphir.
Return to the main travel overview: Orkney Islands.
