The Italian Chapel is a truly unique feature on the Orkney landscape. Built from nissan huts by Italian prisoners of war

Kirkwall (from the Norse ‘Kirkjuvagr’, meaning ‘Church on the bay’) is Orkney’s largest town, founded by Viking settlers over 1,000 years ago. The town is full of independent shops including abundant locally made arts, crafts and textiles. The town is built around the magnificent St Magnus Cathedral, a red sandstone cathedral of international importance. Kirkwall makes a great place to base yourself and explore all of mainland Orkney and beyond.

St Magnus cathedral is symbolic of Kirkwall and is certainly one of the grandest structures in northern Scotland. It took 300 years to build and it worth every minute of that time – it is truly as spectacular inside as it is outside. Many an hour can be spent in here admiring the carved sandstone architecture and soaking up the atmosphere.

Once you’re able to tear yourself away from the cathedral, Kirkwall’s streets are packed with independent arts and crafts. Whether it’s a unique piece of fine jewellery, hand-knitted clothes or hand-carved homewares you’re looking for, Kirkwall has it all and more!

There are two museums in Kirkwall: The Tankerness House Museum and the Orkney Wireless Museum. The latter is home to many prehistoric, Pictish and Viking collections of international significance.

From Kirkwall you can explore Orkney’s world-class archaeological sites scattered across the island, including a Neolithic chambered cairn raised by the Vikings and vandalised with runes and a spectacular standing stone circle. The famous ‘Italian Chapel’ – a WWII Nissen hut spectacularly converted into a chapel by Italian prisoners of war – is just 8 miles south of the town.

Orkney has a fantastic coastline of sandy shores and cliffs. 13 miles east of Kirkwall is ‘The Gloup’ – from the Old Norse “gluppa”, meaning a chasm – a collapsed sea cave. It is said that in the 19th and 20th centuries, horses no longer fit to work the farms were once led over the edge the gloup.

From Kirkwall, you can hop on a ferry to the smaller Orkney Islands to do a spot of island hopping – or if you want to head further afield, all the way up to Shetland! Ferries also sail here from Aberdeen, and there is an airport nearby, so accessing Orkney is easier than you might think.

Orkney is bursting with world-class archaeology, spectacular coastline and independent artists. This is what draws people back year on year – and still there’s something new to discover each time!