Kirkwall has an approx. population of 7,500 this is around 40 percent of total population of the Orkney Islands group.As we approach Kirkwall we pass The workshop the Artist Marine Sculptor Sam MacDonald we then take a slight detour to take a short a visit and a wee dram at the Highland Park visitors centre. On now to enter the Town centre where we find such places of interests as St Magnus Cathedral the Earls and Bishops Palaces. In the area of the Town Centre we also have the Orkney Museum which is housed in Tankerness House and at the other end of Broad Street we have the Orkney Tourist Information Centre now called Visit Orkney. Here in Castle Street we have BBC Radio Orkney which broadcasts daily and can be useful to find out what is on and the daily Local News. In this vicinity including Albert Street you can also find branches of most of the major Banks and Building Societies. Down Albert Street we come to the Harbour where we find the offices of Orkney Ferries along the road a bit at kiln corner we find the offices of Northlink Ferries and across the way the Orkney Wireless museum. Places to stay and eat are many and I will devote a separate page to this in the very near future watch this space. For the benefit of our journey we will take the A964 out of Kirkwall to circumnavigate the Mainland of Orkney taking in the places and points of interest on the way. As we travel out of town we pass the Scapa Distillery on the left, onwards to Houton where the ferry leaves for Hoy.

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