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

13°CPatchy rain nearby

  • Today: 14° / 13° · 35% rain
  • Tomorrow: 14° / 12° · Patchy rain nearby

Source: WeatherAPI

Daylight

Sunrise 06:30Sunset 19:46

13h 17m of daylight today

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

Source: sunrise-sunset.org · gov.uk

Air quality

30US AQI · Good

Main pollutant: fine particles (PM2.5)

Source: WAQI · Inverness, United Kingdom

Road safety

13 reported road collisions (2024)

7 killed or seriously injured · 18 casualties · 5.9 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

£236,740 average▲ 4.4% YoY

Across Orkney Islands · to 2026-06

Detached£314,951
Semi-detached£224,198
Terraced£186,330
Flat£121,717

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:

  • AyeRepresentation of the People Bill: Third Reading
  • AyeRepresentation of the People Bill: Report Stage: New Clause 88
  • NoRepresentation of the People Bill: Report Stage: New Clause 67
  • AyeRepresentation of the People Bill: Report Stage: New Clause 65

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

1,785 active business enterprises in the area

Source: ONS UK Business Counts (2025)

Jobs

83 jobs advertised · £26,154 avg

e.g. Planning System Supervisor and Gazetteer Custodian - ORK10760, Relief Support for Learning Assistant - ORK10198, Relief Social Care Assistant, St Rognvald's House - ORK10195

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 100% · Solar 0%

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 2026-08-06

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.