In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · United Kingdom
Kirkwall
Base here 2 nights for Orkney's Neolithic sites: cathedral and museums in town, day trips to Stenness, Birsay and the coast by bus or car.
Kirkwall is the main town of the Orkney Islands, off the north tip of mainland Scotland, with about 7,400 residents. It is a working harbour town with a compact old centre: a 12th-century cathedral, two ruined palaces and a good local museum, all within a 10-minute walk. Most travellers use it as a base for the island's prehistoric sites, which are 20–40 minutes away by bus or car. Two nights covers the town and the main sites; three nights adds a distillery, a coastal walk or a ferry to a smaller island. Cruise ships call at Hatston Terminal in summer and can fill the main sights for a few hours at midday.
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Best months
- May–Sep
- Avoid
- Nov–Feb (short days, wind and rain); mid-summer cruise-ship days at the main sites
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- GBP
- Money
- Currency is the pound sterling (GBP, £). Cards and contactless work almost everywhere; some places are card-only.
- Daily spend
- Budget £45–70 excl. bed · Mid £70–120 excl. bed · High £120+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- EE, Vodafone (merged with Three in 2025) and O2 run the networks; prepaid SIMs sell in supermarkets, phone shops and airport vending machines, no registration needed.
- Emergency
- NHS non-urgent 111 · Police non-urgent 101
- Plugs
- Types G · 230 V · 50 Hz · Three-pin Type G only; European, US and Australian plugs need an adapter. Bathrooms have two-pin shaver sockets only.
- Tipping
- Restaurant with table service: 10–12.5% if no service charge is on the bill; check before adding more.; Pub or bar: Not expected; 'and one for yourself' offers the bartender a drink.; Taxi: Round up or 10%.; Hotel porter: £1–2 per bag.; Tour guide: £5–10 per person for a day tour; free walking tours expect £10–15.
- Water
- Tap water is safe everywhere. Free refills are common; restaurants will bring tap water if you ask.
- Toilets
- Public toilets are scarce and some charge 50p–£1 or are card-only. Stations, museums, department stores and pubs (if you buy a drink) are the fallback.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | £3–4.50 |
| Soup or sandwich lunch | £6–10 |
| Fish and chips takeaway | £10–14 |
| Indian or Chinese main course | £10–16 |
| Pint of local beer | £4.50–6 |
| Taxi across town | £6–10 |
| Car park, 3 hours in summer | £1 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- KOI · Kirkwall Airport
- 8 km (5 miles) southeast of town; Loganair flights from Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, Aberdeen, Dundee and Sumburgh. Bus 4 runs to town every 30 min Mon–Sat, hourly Sun, 10–15 min.5 miles (8 km) southeast of town; Loganair flights from Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, Aberdeen, Dundee and Sumburgh. Bus 4 runs to town every 30 min Mon–Sat, hourly Sun, 10–15 min.
Typical fares
- Bus 4, Kirkwall Airport → town
- about £2–3, 10–15 min (check)
- Bus X1, Kirkwall → Stromness
- about £4–5, 30 min (check)
- Stagecoach day ticket
- about £7.30 adult (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The old centre is walkable in 10 minutes end to end. Stagecoach buses run from the bus station: X1 hourly to Stromness via Stenness (the standing stones), Bus 4 to the airport every 30 min Mon–Sat, Bus 2 to Houton for the Hoy ferry, Bus 6 to Tingwall. A day ticket costs about £7.30 adult (check). Buses are geared to shoppers and school runs, with gaps in the afternoon; no bikes on board. Taxis are limited, so book ahead for early ferries and flights. A car gives the most freedom for the Neolithic sites.
See and do
Known for
- St Magnus Cathedral
- Bishop's and Earl's Palaces
- Orkney Museum
- Neolithic sites nearby (Skara Brae, Maeshowe, Ring of Brodgar)
- Highland Park and Scapa whisky distilleries
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Stenness (Ring of Brodgar, Stones of Stenness, Maeshowe) | Bus X1 from Kirkwall bus station to Stenness, about 20 min, then walk | About 40 min |
| Birsay (Earl's Palace, Brough of Birsay) | Bus 7 from Kirkwall, twice per afternoon, about 40 min | About 1 h |
| Stromness | Bus X1 from Kirkwall, hourly, about 30 min | About 40 min |
| Skara Brae and Skaill House | Bus X1 to Stenness or Stromness, then a connecting bus or taxi; easiest by car | 1–1.5 h |
| Mull Head and the Gloup, Deerness | Bus 3 from Kirkwall, about 20 min, then walk | About 1 h |
Sleep
- Town centre (Broad Street, Albert Street, Bridge Street)
- Walk to the cathedral, palaces, museum, pubs and the inter-island ferry piers. Best for a short stay without a car.
- Harbour and Peedie Sea
- Seafront hostels and hotels, 5–10 min walk from Broad Street; quieter at night.
- Old Scapa Road and Muddisdale Road
- Hostels and B&Bs 10–15 min walk west of the centre; cheaper, but you will walk or take a taxi into town.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Hello |
| Thank you | Thank you |
| Please | Please |
| Where is the bus station? | Where is the bus station? |
| One day ticket, please | One day ticket, please |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake at first meeting; 'hi' and first names quickly; avoid: Cheek kisses with strangers
- Conversation: Weather is a safe opener; understatement and self-deprecating humour; avoid: Asking about salary or class
- Queues: Join at the back; avoid: Pushing onto buses or trains before others get off
- Apologies: 'Sorry' is said constantly, even when not at fault; avoid: Taking it as an admission of blame
- Pubs: Buy rounds in a group; wait at the bar without waving money; avoid: Clicking fingers at staff
- Nations: Call Scots Scottish and Welsh Welsh; avoid: Calling the whole UK 'England'
Scams and watch-outs
- Cruise ships berth at Hatston Terminal or anchor in the bay in summer; St Magnus Cathedral, the palaces and Skara Brae get crowded for a few hours around midday. Go early or late.
- The NorthLink ferry from Aberdeen or Lerwick arrives at Hatston Terminal around 11PM; sort your bed before you sail, and disembark promptly as the ferry sails on.
- Highland Park Distillery has been closed for upgrading; check before planning a tour.
- Some sites are free but need a key collected in town during shop hours (for example Grain Earth House, keys from a Broad Street shop).
- Weather changes fast: wind and rain are possible in any month, and exposed coastal walks can be very wet underfoot.
Kirkwall is a small, low-crime town and feels safe day and night. The real risks are weather (wind, rain, fast changes), wet and uneven paths at coastal and prehistoric sites, and limited buses and taxis: plan the last bus back before you set out.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Kirkwall yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- St Magnus Cathedral
- Bishop's and Earl's Palaces
- Orkney Museum
- Neolithic sites nearby (Skara Brae, Maeshowe, Ring of Brodgar)
- Highland Park and Scapa whisky distilleries
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Orkney.com — official islands tourism site: www.orkney.com/
- NorthLink Ferries: www.northlinkferries.co.uk/
- Loganair: www.loganair.co.uk/
- Historic Environment Scotland — Bishop's and Earl's Palaces: www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/bishop-s-and-earl-s-palaces-kirkwall/
- Orkney Museums — St Magnus Cathedral: www.orkneymuseums.co.uk/our-museums/st-magnus-cathedral/
- Wikivoyage: Kirkwall, revision 5220423 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5220423
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Kirkwall
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Kirkwall; the nearest US consulate-general is in Edinburgh. UK nationals: standard UK services apply.
English is spoken everywhere; no phrase list needed beyond the basics.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/kirkwall). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.