Orkney Islands (Kirkwall)

An archipelago off Scotland's northern tip with the Heart of Neolithic Orkney World Heritage sites, the shipwrecks of Scapa Flow and a strong Viking legacy, centered on St Magnus Cathedral in Kirkwall.

Orkney lies about 16 km off the northern tip of mainland Scotland and is made up of around 70 islands, about 20 of them inhabited. The capital, Kirkwall, is on the largest island, known as the Mainland. This is one of the densest concentrations of Neolithic sites in Europe: the village of Skara Brae, the Ring of Brodgar, the Standing Stones of Stenness and the chambered tomb of Maeshowe together form the Heart of Neolithic Orkney World Heritage Site, clustered in the west of the Mainland and easily seen in a day. The islands also have Iron Age brochs, Pictish and Viking sites, and St Magnus Cathedral, built by the Viking earls. During both world wars Scapa Flow was the main base of the British fleet, and in 1919 the German fleet scuttled itself here; the Churchill Barriers and the Italian Chapel, built by Italian prisoners of war, make up another popular route.

Climate: thanks to the Gulf Stream, winters are not severe, but it is windy and wet year-round, with summer highs of only around 15°C. From May to August the days are extremely long and seabirds are breeding; most paid attractions open only from April to September. In winter the days are short and some sites close, but there is a chance of seeing the northern lights.

Getting there: NorthLink's overnight ferry from Aberdeen to Kirkwall takes about 6–7 hours, the crossing from Scrabster near Thurso to Stromness takes about 90 minutes, and a summer passenger ferry runs from John o' Groats. Loganair flies to Kirkwall from Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness. Buses on the islands are infrequent, so renting a car is strongly recommended; Hoy and the North Isles are reached by ferry, and car spaces should be booked ahead in summer.

Suggested stay: 3–4 days. Day 1: Kirkwall's old town and distilleries; Day 2: the Neolithic sites in the west plus Yesnaby and Birsay; Day 3: the southern route via the Churchill Barriers and the Italian Chapel; Day 4: a ferry to Hoy to hike to the Old Man of Hoy. Guided tours of Maeshowe and popular distilleries should be booked online in advance, and check the tide tables before visiting the tidal island of Birsay.

Top sights

Skara Brae – A stone-built Neolithic village about 5,000 years old, older than Stonehenge and the pyramids, with stone beds and cupboards still in place…
Ring of Brodgar – A Neolithic stone circle about 104 meters across, standing on a narrow isthmus between two lochs, with 27 standing stones remaining. It is…
Maeshowe – A large Neolithic chambered tomb about 5,000 years old, with exquisite stonework. Inside the chamber, Viking visitors carved runic graffiti…
Standing Stones of Stenness – One of the oldest known stone circles in Britain. The few remaining thin slabs stand up to about 6 meters tall and face the Ring of Brodgar…
St Magnus Cathedral – A red sandstone Romanesque cathedral begun in 1137 by a Viking earl, known as the 'Light of the North' and the northernmost cathedral in Br…
Italian Chapel – A small chapel that Italian prisoners of war built during World War II from two Nissen huts and scrap materials. Its interior murals are ex…
Barnhouse Settlement – A Neolithic village site next to the Standing Stones of Stenness, with reconstructed house foundations that may have been home to the build…
Unstan Chambered Cairn – A Neolithic chambered tomb on the shore of Loch of Stenness, where you can crawl inside the burial chamber freely. Its pottery gave the nam…
Bishop's and Earl's Palaces – Two palace ruins on the south side of the cathedral. You can climb the round tower of the Bishop's Palace for city views, and the Earl's Pa…
The Orkney Museum – Housed in a 16th-century mansion opposite the cathedral, with free displays of Orkney's history from the Neolithic and Pictish periods thro…
Highland Park Distillery – Founded in 1798, one of the northernmost distilleries in Scotland. It still malts its own barley on traditional floor malting, and you can…
Scapa Distillery – A small whisky distillery overlooking Scapa Flow, founded in 1885, known for its peat-free, fruity single malts.
Churchill Barriers – Four concrete barriers built during World War II to block the eastern channel of Scapa Flow. Today they form a road linking the southern is…
Scapa Flow – A natural deep-water harbor enclosed by the islands, a British naval base in both world wars. In 1919 the interned German High Seas Fleet s…
Scapa Flow Museum – A museum in the former naval base at Lyness on Hoy. Reopened after a 2022 renovation, it tells the naval history of Scapa Flow in both worl…
Hackness Martello Tower – A round Napoleonic-era gun tower and battery at the southern tip of Hoy, built to protect convoys from American and French privateers.
Old Man of Hoy – A red sandstone sea stack about 137 m tall, standing in front of the cliffs on Hoy's west coast. It is one of Britain's most famous sea sta…
Rackwick Bay – A remote bay on Hoy's west coast, enclosed by towering red cliffs. Boulder beaches and grassy valleys make it one of Orkney's most dramatic…
Dwarfie Stane – A Neolithic burial chamber carved from a single block of stone in a valley on Hoy. It is unique in Britain and sits among bleak heather-cov…
Brough of Birsay – A tidal island you can walk to only at low tide. It holds settlement remains from the Picts and Vikings, and seabirds such as puffins can s…
Earl's Palace, Birsay – Palace ruins built by Robert Stewart, 16th-century Earl of Orkney. Remnants of the walls of its corner towers still stand, just across from…
Broch of Gurness – The remains of an Iron Age stone round tower and its surrounding village, remarkably well preserved. It faces Rousay across Eynhallow Sound.
Midhowe Broch & Chambered Cairn – A long Neolithic chambered tomb and an Iron Age broch on the west coast of Rousay, known as the “Ship of the Dead.” A popular choice for a…
Yesnaby – Red sandstone sea cliffs and sea stacks on Mainland's west coast, battered by crashing waves. Grassy clifftops bloom with Scottish primrose…
Skaill House – One of Orkney's finest 17th-century mansions, right next to Skara Brae. The estate owner who ran the excavation of the village lived here.
Marwick Head – A bird cliff about 85 m high on the west coast of Mainland, managed as an RSPB reserve. A memorial tower to Lord Kitchener stands on the cl…
Stromness – Orkney's second-largest town, with a flagstone main street winding along the harbour, old houses clustered around the piers, and the ferry…
Pier Arts Centre – A modern art museum by the sea in Stromness, with works by British modern artists such as Barbara Hepworth and Ben Nicholson. Free to visit.
Stromness Museum – An old-style museum founded in 1837, with collections on seafaring, whaling, the Hudson's Bay Company, the scuttling of the German fleet, a…
Kirkwall Old Town & Harbour – The capital of Orkney, with a flagstone main street called the “Street” running through the old town, where you will find the cathedral, th…

Where to eat

The Foveran – Family-run restaurant overlooking Scapa Flow, known for North Ronaldsay lamb and Orkney beef.
The Storehouse – A restaurant with guest rooms in a former 1880s herring-curing store, serving a seasonal menu built around Orkney seafo…
Helgi's Bar & Restaurant – A Viking-themed harbourside bar and restaurant, the most-reviewed local favourite in Kirkwall, serving burgers and seaf…
Judith Glue Real Food Café – A café inside a craft shop directly opposite St Magnus Cathedral, serving house-made soups, salads and cakes; ideal for…
Harbour Fry – A harbourside fish and chip shop serving freshly fried, generous portions of haddock, to eat in or take away.
Lucano Italian Restaurant – An Italian restaurant run by a owner from Basilicata, serving handmade pizza and pasta year-round and usually busy in t…

Itineraries

Shetland and Orkney: Northern Isles – Take the overnight ferry from Aberdeen north to Shetland, then head south to Orkney to explore brochs, seabirds, and Ne…