Visit Kirkwall Places

Welcome to Visit Kirkwall Places
The Walkfo guide to things to do & explore in Kirkwall

  

Kirkwall Places Overview: History, Culture & Facts about Kirkwall

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Kirkwall history

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Kirkwall was first mentioned in Orkneyinga saga in 1046. It was recorded as the residence of Rögnvald Brusason, the Earl of Orkney. In 1486, King James III elevated Kirkwall to the status of a royal burgh.

Kirkwall landmarks

Kirkwall has many 17th–18th-century houses and other structures in the local vernacular style. Kirkwall also once had a medieval castle, which was destroyed in the 17th century.

Kirkwall geography / climate

Kirkwall is 130 miles (210 km) north of Aberdeen and 528 mi north of London. It is situated on the northern coast of Mainland Orkney with its harbours in the bay of Kirkwall to the north.

Climate

Kirkwall has an oceanic climate (Cfb), with a strong maritime influence on its temperature. As a result, it is generally cooler than the rest of the UK in the summer. Orkney’s winters are damp, chilly and windy, but are mild for their latitude, with infrequent snowfall.

You can visit Kirkwall places with Walkfo Kirkwall to hear history at Kirkwall’s places whilst walking around using the free digital tour app. Walkfo Kirkwall has 17 places to visit in our interactive Kirkwall map, with amazing history, culture & travel facts you can explore the same way you would at a museum or art gallery with information audio headset. With Walkfo, you can travel by foot, bike or bus throughout Kirkwall, being in the moment, without digital distraction or limits to a specific walking route. Our historic audio walks, National Trust interactive audio experiences, digital tour guides for English Heritage locations are available at Kirkwall places, with a AI tour guide to help you get the best from a visit to Kirkwall & the surrounding areas.

“Curated content for millions of locations across the UK, with 17 audio facts unique to Kirkwall places in an interactive Kirkwall map you can explore.”

Walkfo: Visit Kirkwall Places Map
17 tourist, history, culture & geography spots

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Kirkwall historic spots	Kirkwall tourist destinations	Kirkwall plaques	Kirkwall geographic features
Walkfo Kirkwall tourism map key: places to see & visit like National Trust sites, Blue Plaques, English Heritage locations & top tourist destinations in Kirkwall

  

Best Kirkwall places to visit

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Kirkwall has places to explore by foot, bike or bus. Below are a selection of the varied Kirkwall’s destinations you can visit with additional content available at the Walkfo Kirkwall’s information audio spots:

Kirkwall Kirkwall (Scots: Kirkwaa, Scottish Gaelic: Bàgh na h-Eaglaise, Norn: Kirkavå) is the largest town in Orkney, an archipelago to the north of mainland Scotland. The name Kirkwall comes from the Norse name Kirkjuvágr (Church Bay), which later changed to Kirkvoe and Kirkwall. It was formerly the site of an ancient Norse town founded approximately 1000 years ago.

The Big Tree, Kirkwall The sycamore is thought to be more than 200 years old and now stands in the main thoroughfare of Albert Street, Kirkwall, Orkney. It was nominated for the Scottish competition by Andrew Richards and Hazel Flett on behalf of the Kirkwall Community Council.

The Orkney Museum The Orkney Museum was founded in 1968 as Tankerness House Museum. Items in the collection include the Viking ‘dragon’ whalebone plaque from the Scar boat burial.

Visit Kirkwall plaques