Holiday homes & rentals in Kirkwall

There is a wide range of holiday letting accommodation options in the town of Kirkwall. Choose a modern new-build on the outskirts of town, or an older stone house or flat in the town centre to have everything close to hand.

Scotch whisky production at Highland Park

Kirkwall is home to Scotland's most northerly whisky distillery, Highland Park. The distillery is open for visits year-round, and visitors can enjoy a guided tour around the production facility. Of course the visit ends with a wee dram, and the gift shop is well stocked with all manner of whisky-related gifts.

Museums, cathedral and jewellery-making in Orkney

The Orkney Museum, in the centre of Kirkwall, tells the story of the Orkney Islands from the Stone Age to the present day. Featuring many important artefacts from the Stone Age, Pictish, and Viking sites around the island, the museum also caters for younger visitors with special activity sheets.

Directly across the road from the museum is St Magnus Cathedral, notable for its elaborate stonework in traditional red sandstone. Orkney is well-known for jewellery-making, and one of the islands' most famous designers is Sheila Fleet, whose work is exhibited in a large two-storey gallery in the centre of Kirkwall.

Keeping the children entertained on a break in Kirkwall

A short drive out of Kirkwall will take you to the Orkney Fossil and Heritage centre, where children will love the huge range of fossils and semi-precious stones on display from all over the Orkney Islands. There is also an exhibition about Orkney during wartime, and the building of the Barrier causeways linking the islands.

A little further south is the Orkney Marine Life Aquarium, which is the ideal wet weather day out. The main draw for children in Kirkwall is the beaches, and the nearest is at Inganess Bay, just off the road to the airport.

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