My Area UK

Kirkwall

Kirkwall is a town in Orkney, Scotland, with a population of around 7,150. It has 2 pharmacies, 2 supermarkets, 1 park or green space, 16 restaurants and cafés, and 29 bus stops. This page gathers weather, crime, food hygiene, transport, flood risk, house prices, population, deprivation and your local MP for the Kirkwall area — all from official UK open data.

On deprivation, the Orkney Islands area is among the least deprived areas in Scotland (SIMD 2020).

Council
Orkney Islands
County
Orkney
Constituency
Orkney and Shetland
Police force
Scotland
Some panels draw on England & Wales-only official data, so street crime, energy ratings, NHS services, schools, council tax, care services, private rents, affordability and life expectancy aren’t shown for Scottish areas. Population, deprivation (SIMD), house prices, weather, food hygiene, council control, fuel and more still apply.

Weather

11°COvercast

  • Today: 12° / 11° · 58% rain
  • Tomorrow: 12° / 11° · Overcast

Source: WeatherAPI

Daylight

Sunrise 07:32Sunset 16:18

8h 46m of daylight today

Next bank holiday: St Andrew’s Day, Mon 30 Nov

Source: sunrise-sunset.org · gov.uk

Air quality

9US AQI · Good

Main pollutant: fine particles (PM2.5)

Source: WAQI · Inverness, United Kingdom

Road safety

8 reported road collisions (2025)

5 killed or seriously injured · 9 casualties · 3.6 collisions per 10,000 residents

Source: DfT reported road collisions (STATS19)

Food hygiene

122 food businesses within 2 miles

  • 103 passed
  • 7 need improvement

Source: Food Standards Agency

Buses & trains

  • 24 bus stops within ~½ mile

Source: OpenStreetMap

House prices

£216,479 average▼ 1.2% YoY

Across Orkney Islands · to 2026-08

Detached£290,099
Semi-detached£200,730
Terraced£171,455
Flat£111,960

Source: UK House Price Index (HM Land Registry)

EV charging

21 charging locations within ~8 km

  • 5 with rapid charging (50 kW+)
  • Fastest nearby: 50 kW
  • Nearest: The Orkney Distillery (0.2 km)

Source: Open Charge Map

Sport & leisure

  • Sports centres1
  • Sports pitches16
  • Golf courses1
  • Playgrounds9

Source: OpenStreetMap (within ~1 mile)

Local news

Source: Orkney Islands Council

Population

21,920 residents in Orkney Islands

  • Under 16: 15%
  • 16–64: 58%
  • 65+: 27%

Source: ONS mid-year estimates (local authority)

Deprivation

Among the least deprived areas in Scotland

Source: Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation 2020

Your MP

Mr Alistair Carmichael

Liberal Democrat

Orkney and Shetland

Recent votes:

  • AyeOpposition day motion: Support for British farmers
  • NoNorthern Ireland Troubles Bill: Third Reading
  • AyeNorthern Ireland Troubles Bill Committee: New Clause 12
  • AyeNorthern Ireland Troubles Bill Committee: New Clause 7

Source: UK Parliament

Council control

Independent majority

Source: Open Council Data UK (CC BY-SA)

Amenities nearby

  • Schools3
  • GPs & clinics2
  • Pharmacies2
  • Supermarkets5
  • Parks & greens442
  • Restaurants & cafés18

Source: OpenStreetMap (within ~1 mile)

Local businesses

1,780 active business enterprises in the area

Source: ONS UK Business Counts (2026)

Jobs

66 jobs advertised · £26,333 avg

e.g. Site Access Controller, Teacher of Home Economics, Kirkwall Grammar School - ORK10840, Quality Provider

Source: Adzuna

Local economy

£786 median full-time weekly pay

1.6% of residents aged 16–64 claim unemployment-related benefits

£25,234 disposable income per head (2024)

Source: ONS / Nomis (claimant count · ASHE) · ONS regional GDHI

Grid electricity

100% low-carbon electricity

Wind 98% · Solar 2%

0 gCO₂/kWh · very low intensity

Latest estimate for North Scotland · National Grid ESO

Wellbeing

  • Life satisfaction8.2
  • Feeling worthwhile8.3
  • Happiness yesterday8.1
  • Anxiety yesterday (lower is better)2.9

Average rating out of 10 · ONS personal well-being 2020-21

Local petitions

Open UK Parliament petitions most signed in Orkney and Shetland:

Source: petition.parliament.uk · as of 2026-10-05

Notable places nearby

  • Orkney Wireless Museum · 0.1 km

    The Orkney Wireless Museum in Kirkwall, Orkney, Scotland, houses a collection of domestic and military wireless equipment. It developed from the private collection of the late Jim MacDonald from St Margaret's Hope a…

  • Kirkwall Lifeboat Station · 0.1 km

    Kirkwall Lifeboat Station is located in the harbour town of Kirkwall, the largest town of Mainland, Orkney, in the isles of Orkney, Scotland.

  • The Big Tree, Kirkwall · 0.3 km

    The Big Tree is a sycamore in Kirkwall, Orkney. It was named "Scotland's Tree of the Year" in the annual competition held by Woodland Trust Scotland, in 2017. The tree was nominated for the Scottish competition by And…

  • St Magnus Cathedral · 0.3 km

    St Magnus Cathedral is a Church of Scotland parish church in Kirkwall, the main town of Orkney, a group of islands off the north coast of mainland Scotland. Originally a Roman Catholic cathedral, it is the oldest cath…

  • Kirkwall Castle · 0.3 km

    Kirkwall Castle, also known as King's Castle, was located in Kirkwall, the main settlement in the Orkney Islands of Scotland. Built in the 14th century, it was deliberately destroyed in 1614. The last ruins were clea…

  • Orkney Library and Archive · 0.3 km

    Orkney Library and Archive is a Scottish public library service based in Kirkwall, Orkney. Founded in 1683, Orkney Library is the oldest public library in Scotland. Its rules date from 1815. It has become known for it…

Source: Wikipedia (text under CC BY-SA)

Nearby towns

Frequently asked questions

Where is Kirkwall?
Kirkwall is a town in Orkney, Scotland, in the Orkney Islands local authority.
What is the population of Kirkwall?
Kirkwall has an approximate settlement population of 7,150.
How deprived is Kirkwall?
The Orkney Islands local authority, which includes Kirkwall, is among the least deprived areas in Scotland on the SIMD 2020.