Car Hire Kirkwall - Mini guide to Kirkwall

The 70 beautiful islands of the Orkney archipelago lie just to the North of the mainland of Scotland, suspended between the Atlantic and the North Sea. The capital of the Orkney Islands is the Royal Burgh of Kirkwall, a little town that nestles peacefully on the northern shores of the Orkney Mainland.

Kirkwall Harbour and Bay provide some beautiful sights and dramatic sunsets. Be sure to take a walk around these ancient stone harbours which have seen generations of maritime adventurers.

The town sits almost exactly in the centre of the Mainland, neatly dividing into the West and East Mainland. Ornate buildings decorate the sea-front and the spires of the town's smaller churches challenge the familiar tower of the St Magnus Cathedral for a place on the skyline. This magnificent red sandstone building was given to the inhabitants of Kirkwall in 1486 by King James III of Scotland. The oldest surviving buildings found within the town are parts of the Bishops Palace, Tankerness House and the Old Kirkwall Grammar School building on Broad Street.

The Pickaquoy Centre is a wonderful new leisure centre, providing everyone the opportunity to enjoy sports and arts activities. At the Orkney Crafts Exhibition, next to Orkney museum, you will find examples of jewellery, pottery, knitwear, ceramics, textiles, traditional furniture and tapestries. The Orkney Gallery is hidden away in the old streets but makes an interesting visit.

The West Mainland of Orkney contains the largest concentration of archeological sites to be found anywhere in Britain. Orkney's Neolithic heartland in Stennes - the area of the West Mainland surrounding the Ring o’Brodgar – is part of the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites. In addition to this, the Atlantic coast of the West Mainland contains spectacular cliff scenery, several impressive sea stacks, and many sea caves. The East Mainland of Orkney is a rich agricultural area producing a large proportion of the beef cattle for which Orkney is renowned. Four of the Southern Isles, Lambholm, Glimsholm, Burray, and South Ronaldsay, are connected by the Churchill Barriers and may be reached by road from the mainland.

An excellent new terminal building has recently opened at Kirkwell Airport – which serves airports on the main land (Iverness, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Glasgow), as well as inter-island flights. There are good road networks linking the area and many ferry connections to the mainland and inter-island destinations.