Kirkwall
Sign in to saveKirkwall (, , or ; ; ) is the largest town in Orkney, an archipelago to the north of mainland Scotland. First mentioned in the Orkneyinga saga, it is today the location of the headquarters of the Orkney Islands Council and a transport hub with ferries to many locations. It is the centre of the St Magnus International Festival and is also a popular stopping off point for cruise ships. St Magnus Cathedral stands at the heart of the town.
AI overview
Kirkwall is the largest town in Orkney, a Scottish archipelago, and serves as the administrative center and main transport hub for the islands, with ferry connections to many destinations. The town is notable for hosting the St Magnus International Festival, attracting cruise ships, and containing the historic St Magnus Cathedral at its center.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Key facts
- UK place.country
- Scotland
- UK place.official_name
- Kirkwall
- UK place.scots_name
- Kirkwa / Kirkwaa / Kirkwal
- UK place.static_image_name
- Kirkwall_Harbour.jpg
- UK place.static_image_caption
- Kirkwall Harbour in August 2014
- UK place.population
- 10,020
- UK place.population_ref
- ()
- UK place.population_demonym
- Kirkwallian
- UK place.area_total_km2
- 4.00
- UK place.os_grid_reference
- HY449109
- UK place.edinburgh_distance_mi
- 210
- UK place.london_distance_mi
- 528
Article
25 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- History
- Earth houses
- Governance
- Geography
- Climate
- Demography
- Economy
- Culture and community
- Media and the arts
- Landmarks
- Transport
- Education
- Nursery schools
- Primary schools
- Secondary schools
- Colleges and universities
- Religious sites
- Sport
- Twin town – sister city
- Notable people
- Notes
- Footnotes
- References
- External links
Kirkwall (, , or ; ; ) is the largest town in Orkney, an archipelago to the north of mainland Scotland. First mentioned in the Orkneyinga saga, it is today the location of the headquarters of the Orkney Islands Council and a transport hub with ferries to many locations. It is the centre of the St Magnus International Festival and is also a popular stopping off point for cruise ships. St Magnus Cathedral stands at the heart of the town.
==Etymology== The name Kirkwall comes from the Norse name meaning "church bay", the settlement having been established by the Norsemen in the 11th century. As late as 1525 the name is recorded as Kirkevaag. This became in time "Kirkwaa" and then eventually Kirkwall - but how the second syllable came to be spelled "wall" is not certain. MacBain quotes F. W. L. Thomas: "How, I ask, could vágr come to be represented by wall? Whence came the ll? Was it that Scottish immigrants finding the sound of vá represented it in writing by 'wall,' the ll at first being silent?"