Introducing Kirkwall

With its roads pounded by the footsteps of tourists on their summer Orcadian pilgrimage, Kirkwall has an energy that ebbs and flows along its busy streets. It’s set back from a wide bay, and its vigour, combined with the atmospheric paved streets and twisting wynds (lanes), gives Orkney’s capital a distinctive character. Magnificent St Magnus Cathedral takes pride of place in the centre of town, and the nearby Earl’s and Bishop’s Palaces are also worth a ramble. Founded in the early 11th century, the original part of Kirkwall is one of the best examples of an ancient Norse town.