Kirkwall

城市概覽

Kirkwall is a busy working port and at first glance not attractive, but the charming old town is just behind the industrial frontage. Small freighters, fishing vessels and inter-island ferries bustle around the harbour; people stroll about their business along the narrow alleys; the crumbling medieval stonework of the cathedral catches the sunlight. And you start to relax and feel the magic of Orkney... then a cruise ship arrives and its 4,000 passengers descend upon the place. Kirkwall and all the major sights of Orkney are mobbed when a cruise ship is in. However those visitors seldom stray from a standard circuit, so head for one of the many attractions they overlook, and return to enjoy Kirkwall in the evening after they've left. Tourist information is at the bus station in town centre.

如何抵達

By plane 1 Kirkwall Airport KOI IATA is 5 miles southeast of town. Loganair fly to Kirkwall from Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, Aberdeen and Sumburgh in the Shetland Islands. They also operate inter-island flights to Westray, Papa Westray, Sanday and Eday, see Orkney Islands#Get in for more details.

By boat There are four ferry routes between the Scottish mainland and Orkney. The only one to Kirkwall is the Northlink Aberdeen to Shetland car ferry, which calls here several nights a week. Northbound it leaves Aberdeen at 5PM (Apr-Oct Tu Th Sa Su, Nov-Mar Th Sa Su), reaching Kirkwall Hatston Terminal at 11PM before sailing on to Lerwick for 7:30AM next morning. Southbound the ferry leaves Lerwick at 5:30PM (Apr-Oct M W F, Nov-Mar: W & F), similarly reaching Kirkwall at 11PM before sailing on to Aberdeen for 7AM next morning. For practical details and tips on using this ferry, see Shetland Islands#Get in. Points specific to Orkney are:

Ferries to Kirkwall, from Aberdeen and Lerwick, are evening sailings arriving by 11PM, so you don't need a cabin, a lounge seat is fine. (But you need to have sorted your Orkney accommodation, as near midnight is a poor time to start looking.) Sailings from Kirkwall to Aberdeen or Lerwick are overnight so you'll appreciate the cabin, and ability to doze on board till 9AM. Motorists, check that you're in the correct queue of vehicles, otherwise you'll get locked in by vehicles going all the way to Shetland or Aberdeen. At Kirkwall you need to disembark promptly, as the ferry soon sails on. Fares vary by season, but in 2025 the mid-price fare from Aberdeen is £34 per adult, £16.60 per child and £137 per car. Reserving a reclining seat is £3.50, while twin cabins start from £93. 2 Hatston Terminal is 2 miles north of town on the main road to Stromness: look for the very tall wind turbine. Check-in for vehicles is at the start of the pier, check-in for foot passengers is at the end. A late-night connecting bus X10 runs from Ki

當地交通

Buses are operated by Stagecoach. Most of the Orkney Mainland buses run via Kirkwall. They are geared to shoppers and school-run, and there may be long gaps in the schedule mid-afternoon. A day-ticket costs £7.30 adult — worth it if you're doing more than a simple return. Drivers give change within reason. No bikes on the buses. The principal services are:

Bus X1 runs right across Mainland east from Stromness, Stenness (near the stones) and Finstown to Kirkwall, then south across the Churchill Barrier past the Italian Chapel to Burray and St Margarets Hope ferry terminal. It doesn't go as far south as Burwick ferry terminal. It's hourly between Stromness and Kirkwall, every two hours or so south of there. Bus 4 runs between Kirkwall and the airport every 30 min M-Sa, hourly Su, taking 10-15 min. This one is regular, Su-F 6:15AM-7:15PM, Sa till 4:15PM when the last flight comes in. Bus 2 runs from Kirkwall via Scapa and Ophir to Houton, terminal for the ferry to Hoy (Lyness) and Flotta. Five or six daily, 20 min. Also bus 5 runs from Houton to Stromness. Bus 6 runs every couple of hours from Kirkwall via Finstown to Tingwall, for the Rousay, Egilsay and Wyre ferries, 20 min. Only the first and last buses of the day continue round the coast to Birsay, so they're impractical for sight-seeing. You might get there on Bus 7, twice per afternoon, which runs from Kirkwall to Finstown then across the fields to Birsay, then on to Stromness. There's also X10 to the ferry terminal (see #Get in), Bus 3 via the airport to Tankerness, Toab and Deerness, and Bus 9 which circles town. A circular tour bus Stagecoach T11 is advertised wasn't running in 2021. Taxi firms: see list under Orkney Islands#Get around.

必看景點

Town centre: The most attractive part of Kirkwall is its central alley, which starts as Bridge St by the harbour, turns along Albert St, then widens into Broad St with the Cathedral and palace ruins. The Kirkwall City Pipe Band often parades here on a Saturday evening. The street then narrows again to the alley of Victoria Street. Beyond the old centre, Kirkwall is a modern and work-a-day place, with marine industries sprawling along the shore. Peedie Sea just west of the centre was once a tidal inlet, now enclosed into two freshwater lagoons. Well, 2.1 if you count the little overflow pond. 1 St Magnus Cathedral, Broad Street KW15 1NX, ☏ +44 1856 874894. M-Sa 9AM-5PM, Su 1-5PM. This was founded in 1137 but took 300 years to complete. It's an impressive Romanesque building with alternating courses of sandstone: red from Kirkwall and yellow from Eday. Probably the builders were the same as for Durham and Dunfermline cathedrals. The interior is atmospheric, dominated by red circular columns and multi-coloured textile hangings. This is a working church so it's closed to tourist visits for services, funerals, and so on. It started out as part of the RC Archdiocese of Trondheim but is now a Presbyterian parish church, so ecclesiastically it's no longer a cathedral. Free. (updated Jul 2024) Bishop's & Earl's Palaces, Watergate KW15 1PD (Opposite cathedral). Apr-Sep daily 10AM-12:30PM, 1-4:30PM. Two ruins either side of the street - enter the Earl's Palace, the newer one, first for tickets. The Bishop's Palace was built in the 12th century at the same time as the cathedral, but fell into ruin. It was restored and extended in the 16th century by Bishop Robert Reid, founder of Edinburgh University. Ownership then passed to the wicked wastrel Earls of Orkney, and in the 17th century Earl Patrick decided that it wasn't grand enough, and set about building a new palace next door. He couldn't remotely afford it, even by the stratagem of lynching the landowner instead of buying

體驗活動

Pickaquoy Leisure Centre west side of the Peedie Sea has a gym, pool and fitness classes. You can pay-as-you-go without membership. Cinema: New Phoenix Cinema is within Pickaquoy Leisure Centre. Play@Wellpark, Mill Street, Kirkwall (5 minutes' walk east from St Magnus Cathedral), ☏ +44 1856 874203, [email protected]. M-Sa 10AM-5PM, Su 11AM-4:30PM. The largest indoor play area in the Orkneys. Useful in case of bad weather or tantrums after visiting too many p