Kirkwall is the largest town in the Orkney Islands in Scotland,
and the administrative center of the Orkney area. The population is 8.7 thousand residents. It is located on the east side of the Mainland island.
It was first mentioned in the Orkneyinga Saga under the year 1046. Its founder, the skalds, call the Orkney earl Rögnvaldr Brusason. Translated from Norwegian, Kirkjuvagr means “bay with a temple” (referring to St. Olaf’s Church). The town status was granted to this settlement by James III in 1486. Kirkwall has a long and heroic history. Many destructive wars have repeatedly swept through its territory. Kirkwall was most severely affected by the feudal feuds of the 17th century. But despite events like these, the city’s historical sights are second to none.
The capital of the Orkney Islands today is a lively and very atmospheric town.
Kirkwall’s long, wide cobbled streets and winding lanes are extremely picturesque, and the city’s main cathedral impresses with its beauty and power. The old part of the city is one of the brightest examples of a medieval Scandinavian town.
The Orkney Islands are an archipelago 16 km off the northern coast of Scotland,
consisting of more than 70 islands, of which about 20 are inhabited, located
between Great Britain and the Shetland Islands, at the boundary
of the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The total area is 1025 km², of which
523 km² is in the Mainland island, in the eastern part of which and
Kirkwall is located. Among the islands of the archipelago, around twenty are inhabited. Together with two tiny remote
islands, Sul Skerry and Stac Skerry, located 60 km to the west,
and not included in the Orkney archipelago, they form the Scottish
area of Orkney.
КлиматThe islands’ climate is cool yet mild, influenced by the Gulf Stream.
The average temperature is about +8°C, in winter +4°C, and in summer +12°C (in summer, a temperature
of +15°C is considered by islanders a national holiday). In winter, the temperature
seldom falls below 0°C. The average annual precipitation
is about 900 mm. The climate is characterized by increased humidity with
a constantly blowing westerly wind.
The ever-blowing wind is a distinctive feature of the local climate. Even
the sunniest summer days can turn out to be quite chilly due to
an unceasing, persistent sea breeze. Strong winds carrying
sea salt have a significant effect on local flora (which is why forests do not
grow on the islands). In the winter months, they bring
a large amount of precipitation. The total duration of storms
during the winter period averages 52 hours; at that time the wind speed
can reach 145 km/h (during the Great Storm that broke
in January 1953, it rose to 200 km/h).
