Kirkwall Walking Tours
Explore the Old Town on foot, with an experienced local guide
Town Walk and Cathedral £10 Per Person
Town Walk, Cathedral and Palaces £20 Per Person
Kirkwall Ba Game Tour £15 Per Person
Sorry, Cash Only, no Cards. Euros and US Dollars accepted (Rates On Request)
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Other Days By Arrangement
Tours Are In English, Other Languages Could Be Made Available By Arrangement
Group And Family Rates Available On Request
TOWN WALK & CATHEDRAL
£10/per person
The Town walk and Cathedral tour, starts at the harbour, moving up through the historic City and Royal Burgh of Kirkwall. You will follow the narrow, winding streets, that made up Kirkwall’s medieval coastline, listening to stories of the notorious Pressgang and of Orcadian wedding traditions. Hear about the fearsome Kirkwall Ba Game, that divides the town in half, at Christmas and New Year. Then get a guided tour around the magnificent 12th century St Magnus Cathedral. The tour ends in Tankerness House Gardens, with the story of Orkney’s very own Pirate Gow.
POPULAR
TOWN WALK, CATHEDRAL & PALACES
£20/per person
If you decide to take the longer tour, you will then go on to visit Kirkwall’s two palaces (Admission included). Firstly, the Bishop's Palace, the construction of which begun in the 12th century, at the same time as St Magnus Cathedral. Finally you will move on to the early 17th century Earl's Palace, which in its’ day, was one of Scotland's finest Renaissance buildings. You will hear stories about its’ builder the tyrannical Earl Patrick Stewart, whose nickname was ‘Black Patie’.
KIRKWALL BA GAME TOUR
£15/per person
The ‘Kirkwall Ba Game’ is a traditional game of football, played on Christmas and New Years day, in the streets of Kirkwall, by two teams the ‘Uppies’ and the ‘Doonies’. This tour will give you a flavour of the game, as your guide himself played the game for over thirty years. The tour will start outside the Cathedral in Broad Street, where the Ba or ball is thrown up. You will then travel up the street to the ‘Uppies’ goal at ‘Mackison’s Corner’, on the southern edge of the old town. Finally the tour will go down the street to the ‘Doonies’ goal at the harbour. Your guide will tell you some of the stranger Ba stories and terms such as ‘Chains’, ‘Dummies’ and ‘Smuggles’ will be explained to you.