Making the most of Kirkwall Orkney Islands Scotland
Use these notes to shape a realistic day ashore, then confirm any time-sensitive information for the date of your call.
Arriving at the port
Hatston Terminal has berthing facilities to accommodate ships loa 225m and draught 10m alongside. Kirkwall Town harbor has alongside berth for vessels up to 125m loa, beam no restrictions, draught 5m. Larger vessels anchor in Kirkwall Bay, passengers are landed by tender close to town. The complimentary shuttle service provided by Orkney Islands Council, will operate from Hatston Pier to the Kirkwall Travel Center
Hatston terminal is located 2-3 miles from the center of Kirkwall.
Kirkwall is 16 miles from Stromness, 7 miles from Finstown and 15 miles from St. Margaret’s Hope.
Printable map to take along.
Cruise calendar for this port and which berth will be used.
The Orkney Islands are politically a part of Britain, yet seem quite different in many ways. Numerous place names have non-English sounds, reflecting the original Viking settlement of the 9th century. Norse crafts and traditions are obvious everywhere. In addition to the Norse heritage, there are numerous remains of prehistoric monuments such as the Stenness Standing Stones at Finstown. The islands were ruled from Norway and Denmark until 1468, when a Norwegian king gave them to Scotland in lieu of a dowry for his daughter's marriage to King James III. The Orkney archipelago is located at the same latitude as southern Greenland; the Gulf…
Getting around
Stagecoach in Orkney is the main operator of buses in and around Kirkwall. All bus routes focus on the Travel Center, which is located on West Castle Street, just off Broad Street. This is where the tourist information center is also located. Buses operate to most areas of the mainland, with buses going to the main historic sites in the summer months.
Nearby places
No trip to Orkney is complete without discovering and exploring the smaller islands that surround the Mainland of Orkney. Each island has its own unique character and individuality, with fascinating history, wildlife and attractions.
Food and shopping
On Albert Street, the main street in the town center, you will find a variety of small shops. Knitwear, local arts and crafts, and jewelry may be of interest.
Money
The currency throughout the UK is the pound (£). You may also hear the slang term quid for pounds. Scottish bank notes are frowned upon in other parts of the UK, so change the notes before leaving Scotland.
Cash machines (ATM) or less formally 'holes in the wall' are very widely available and usually dispense £10 and £20 notes.
Visa, Mastercard and Maestro, are accepted by most shops and restaurants.
Staying connected
English is spoken throughout the country, but sometimes with heavy accents!
Most cafe's and restaurants offer free WiFi.
The local emergency telephone number is 999, however the EU-wide 112 can also be used.
Opening Hours and
Shopping hours are in general:
Small stores 6 or 7 days a week (10am - 6pm) Larger stores in general stay open til' 9PM Hyper marts often 24/7