St Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall
Cathedral in Kirkwall, Orkney, Scotland.
Attractions in Kirkwall
Photo: St Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall, Robert Scarth (CC BY-SA 2.0)St Magnus Cathedral and more: what to see in Kirkwall
Few of the 8,556 places we list in the UK are as widely covered as St Magnus Cathedral, the best known of the 6 inside Kirkwall’s locality (top 5%). The list adds 5 places within 5 km of its edge. There are 5 museums, 2 castles and 2 attractions to choose from. Our list counts 2 places looked after by Historic Environment Scotland. Broch of Gurness settlement, 18 km away, is the best-known day out.
In Kirkwall
6
inside the locality
Within 5 km
5
of the town’s edge
Museums & galleries
5
in or near town
Castles & historic places
4
in or near town
Cared for
2
National Trust for Scotland, Historic Environment Scotland and others
Best known
The first to see in Kirkwall
Beyond St Magnus Cathedral, there are 3 museums and 2 castles.
CathedralSt Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwallin town
Castle · Historic Environment ScotlandEarl's Palacein town
Castle · Historic Environment ScotlandBishop's Palacein town
MuseumOrkney Museumin town
MuseumOrkney Wireless Museumin townMuseumMuseumTown Hallin townEach has a page of its own: what it is, who runs it, the weather month by month and what else is near it.
The map
Where things are
Shapinsay Heritage Centre marks the outer edge, 6.5 km away.
The dashed line is Kirkwall’s locality; orange marks its middle (where most people live). Numbers match the list below. © OpenStreetMap contributors · NRS locality 2022
By kind
What there is to see
The two biggest groups: museums or galleries (5) and castles or historic places (4).
Museums & galleries 5 museums3 in town · 2 nearby
Castles & historic places 2 castles · 1 cathedral · 1 historic house3 in town · 1 nearby
Other attractions 2 attractions0 in town · 2 nearby
Green: inside Kirkwall. Grey: within 5 km of its edge.
2 places are cared for by Historic Environment Scotland (Earl's Palace and Bishop's Palace).
Every place
In Kirkwall first, then nearby
The 6 inside Kirkwall come first, then 5 more within 5 km of its edge.
Earl's Palace
Ruined Renaissance-style palace near St Magnus's Cathedral in the centre of Kirkwall, Orkney, Scotland.
7The 6 inside Kirkwall come first, best known first; then the places within 5 km, close and well known first. Churches and listed buildings are on the History page, not here.
186 listed buildings and 4 scheduled monuments are on Kirkwall’s History page → · Parks, footpaths and green space in Kirkwall →
Big names nearby
Worth the drive
Broch of Gurness settlement, 18 km away, is the best known of the 9.
FortFort · Historic Environment ScotlandBroch of Gurness settlement18 km northwestFortFort · Historic Environment ScotlandMidhowe Broch22 km northCastleCastle · Historic Environment ScotlandNoltland Castle38 km northCastleCastleEarl's Palace27 km northwestFortFort · Historic Environment ScotlandHackness Martello Tower22 km southwestHistoric houseHistoric houseSkaill House23 km westMuseumMuseumStromness Museum20 km westArt galleryArt galleryPier Arts Centre20 km westMuseumMuseumScapa Flow Visitor Centre & Museum21 km southwest
Places well known beyond Kirkwall (Wikipedia articles in several languages, published visitor counts, or a National Trust for Scotland or Historic Environment Scotland property), close and famous first. Distances are straight lines from the middle of the town.
What people ask about Kirkwall
What are the main attractions in Kirkwall?
The best known inside Kirkwall’s locality are St Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall, Earl's Palace, Bishop's Palace and Orkney Museum. In all, 6 places to visit are mapped inside the town, and 5 more within 5 km.
Does Kirkwall have a museum?
5 museums and galleries are in or within 5 km of Kirkwall: Orkney Museum, Orkney Wireless Museum, Town Hall and Shapinsay Heritage Centre.
Is there a National Trust for Scotland or Historic Environment Scotland property near Kirkwall?
Yes. In or within 5 km of Kirkwall, 2 places are cared for by Historic Environment Scotland (Earl's Palace and Bishop's Palace).
What are the best-known days out near Kirkwall?
Within 40 km: Broch of Gurness settlement (18 km), Midhowe Broch (22 km), Noltland Castle (38 km), Earl's Palace (27 km).
Where are Kirkwall’s historic buildings listed?
Kirkwall has 186 listed buildings, 2 of them Category A. They are on its History page, from Historic Environment Scotland’s list, not repeated here.
How is this list made?
From OpenStreetMap (museums, galleries, zoos, theme parks and attractions, castles, forts and abbeys, and historic houses and gardens that are open to visitors) and Wikidata (what each place is, who runs it, its website and visitor counts). A place counts for Kirkwall when it is inside the NRS 2022 locality boundary, and as nearby within 5 km of its edge. Opening times and prices are not shown: check the official site.
Places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, Open Database Licence) and Wikidata (CC0), placed in the NRS 2022 locality (Open Government Licence v3.0). Visitor counts are the latest Wikidata gives, with their year.
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (6)
- St Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall: Robert Scarth, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Earl's Palace: Van de Beek at nl.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Bishop's Palace: Van de Beek at nl.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Orkney Museum: Andrew Abbott, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Orkney Wireless Museum: G J Coyne, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Balfour Castle: Colin Smith, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.