Castles · Scottish Islands
Kirkwall Castle
In or near Finstown.
Kirkwall Castle — castle in Orkney Islands, Scotland, UK.
Chris Downer — CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 1.5 h–3 h
- Free entry
- Family-friendly
- Wheelchair accessible
About
Kirkwall Castle is a castle in the United Kingdom — fortified architecture from the medieval, Tudor, or Victorian-revival period. Records date its origin to 1379. Wikidata describes it as: "castle in Orkney Islands, Scotland, UK". Coordinates: 58.9823°, -2.9605°.
Photo gallery
See it from the streetimagery from 2019
Imagery © Mapillary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0
Official information
The Orkney Museum showcases the history of Orkney from prehistory to the present, featuring a significant archaeology collection with around 100,000 artifacts. Visitors can explore the former Tankerness House, which includes historical rooms and exhibitions on local traditions and social history.
From the Wikipedia article
Kirkwall Castle, also known as King's Castle, was located in Kirkwall, the main settlement in the Orkney Islands of Scotland. Built in the 14th century, it was deliberately destroyed in 1614. The last ruins were cleared in the 19th century. The castle was located around the corner of Broad Street and Castle Street in the centre of Kirkwall.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
In the 14th century, Henry Sinclair, Earl of Orkney, (c. 1345 – c. 1400) held the Earldom of Orkney from King Haakon VI of Norway. Sinclair built the castle at Kirkwall soon after being granted the Earldom in 1379. Henry Sinclair, 4th Lord Sinclair, and Patrick Hepburn, 1st Earl of Bothwell were both made keeper of castle and granted administrative offices in Orkney in May 1489. William Sinclair, 5th Lord Sinclair complained that James Sinclair's men took the castle at Easter 1528, and it was said that at the time of the Battle of Summerdale, relatives of James Sinclair were captured at Kirkwall Castle and executed. The castle and town were defended by Edward Sinclair of Strom against an…
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 58.9823, -2.9605
- District
- Orkney Islands
- Postcode
- KW15 1DF
- Parliamentary constituency
- Orkney and Shetland
- Phone
- 01856 873191
- Established
- 1379
- Opening
- Monday to Saturday 10:30am – 5:00pm; closed Jan-Feb
- Official site
- www.orkneymuseums.co.uk
Sources
- wikidata: Q6415871 (CC0)
- wikipedia: Kirkwall Castle (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Other places nearby
The Big Tree, Kirkwall
Natural landmarks · 0.1 km
War Memorial, St Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall
Memorials & monuments · 0.1 km
Kirkwall and St. Ola War Memorial
Memorials & monuments · 0.1 km
Town Hall, 23 Broad Street, Kirkwall
Historic houses · 0.1 km
Orkney Museum
Museums · 0.1 km
St Magnus Cathedral
Cathedrals · 0.1 km
Covenanters' Fountain
Memorials & monuments · 0.1 km
St Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall
Cathedrals · 0.1 km
Kirkwall
Cathedrals · 0.1 km
Albert Kinema
Theatres · 0.2 km
Church Of Scotland, King Street, Kirkwall
Historic churches · 0.2 km
Kirkwall Earl's Palace
Cathedrals · 0.2 km
Nearby
📷 4Natural landmarks · Scottish Islands
The Big Tree, Kirkwall
The Big Tree, Kirkwall in Orkney + Shetland, United Kingdom.
📷 5Memorials & monuments · Scottish Islands
War Memorial, St Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall
War Memorial, St Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall — category A listed building-listed memorial in scotland-islands, United Kingdom.
📷 3Memorials & monuments · Scottish Islands
Kirkwall and St. Ola War Memorial
Kirkwall and St. Ola War Memorial — a memorial in scotland-islands, United Kingdom.
📷 4Historic houses · Scottish Islands
Town Hall, 23 Broad Street, Kirkwall
Town Hall, 23 Broad Street, Kirkwall in Orkney + Shetland, United Kingdom.
📷 4Museums · Scottish Islands
Orkney Museum
Orkney Museum — Museum in Orkney Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom.
📷 5Cathedrals · Scottish Islands
St Magnus Cathedral
St Magnus Cathedral — a other in scotland-islands, United Kingdom.
Where to eat & stay near Kirkwall Castle
Places to stay
📷 6
📷 7
📷 7
📷 7📷 5
📷 5Caravan parks · Scottish Islands
Orkney Caravan Park at the Pickaquoy Centre
Orkney Caravan Park at the Pickaquoy Centre — a caravan park in scotland islands.
Places to eat & drink
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Rochester Castle
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📷 5Castles · South East England
Arundel Castle
Arundel Castle — castle in West Sussex, England, UK.
More castles in this region
📷 3
📷 5Castles · Scottish Islands
Borve Castle
Borve Castle — castle ruins in Benbecula, Scotland.
📷 3Castles · Scottish Islands
Cairnburgh Castle
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📷 3Frequently asked questions
- Where is Kirkwall Castle?
- Kirkwall Castle is in the Scottish Islands, United Kingdom (postcode KW15 1DF).
- What is Kirkwall Castle?
- Kirkwall Castle — castle in Orkney Islands, Scotland, UK.
- How do I get to Kirkwall Castle?
- Drivers can use postcode KW15 1DF.
- When was Kirkwall Castle built?
- Built or established in 1379.
- Does Kirkwall Castle charge admission?
- Kirkwall Castle typically charges admission. Check the official site for current ticket prices and opening hours.
- How do I get to Kirkwall Castle?
- Drivers can navigate to postcode KW15 1DF. It sits within the Orkney and Shetland parliamentary constituency.