| Kirkwall | |
| Scots: Kirkwaa | |
  Kirkwall shown within Scotland |
|
| Population | 8500 (approx. Scots ( The Scots leid) refers to Anglic varieties derived from early northern Middle English spoken in parts of Scotland and Northern Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology ) |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | |
| Council area | Orkney Islands |
| Lieutenancy area | Orkney Islands |
| Constituent country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | KIRKWALL |
| Postcode district | KW15 |
| Dialling code | 01856 |
| Police | Northern |
| Fire | Highlands and Islands |
| Ambulance | Scottish |
| European Parliament | Scotland |
| UK Parliament | Orkney and Shetland |
| Scottish Parliament | Orkney |
| List of places: UK • Scotland | |
Kirkwall is the largest town and capital of the Orkney Islands, off the coast of northern mainland Scotland. The British national grid reference system is a system of geographic grid references commonly used in Great Britain, different from using Latitude and Longitude For local government purposes Scotland is divided into 32 areas designated as "council areas" which are all governed by unitary authorities designated as Orkney (also known as the Orkney Islands or incorrectly the Orkneys) is an Archipelago in northern Scotland, situated 10 miles (16 km north The Lieutenancy areas of Scotland are the areas used for the ceremonial lord-lieutenants, the monarch 's representatives in Scotland. Orkney (also known as the Orkney Islands or incorrectly the Orkneys) is an Archipelago in northern Scotland, situated 10 miles (16 km north Constituent country is a phrase used often by official institutions in contexts in which a country makes up a part of a larger entity or grouping Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. This list of sovereign states, alphabetically arranged gives an overview of States around the world with information on the extent of their Sovereignty. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located A post town is a required part of all postal addresses in the United Kingdom, and a basic unit of the postal delivery system UK Postal codes are known as postcodes. UK postcodes are Alphanumeric. The, also known as the Kirkwall postcode area, is a group of postal districts around Berriedale, Brora, Dunbeath, Forsinard, The UK Telephone numbering plan, also known as the National Telephone Numbering Plan, is the system used for assigning Telephone numbers in the United There are a number of law enforcement agencies in the United Kingdom. The Northern Constabulary (Poileas a' Chinn a Tuath is the Police force responsible for Northern Scotland, covering the council areas of The fire service in the United Kingdom operates under separate legislative and administrative arrangements in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and The Highlands and Islands Fire and Rescue Service (previously Highland and Islands Fire Brigade ( Scottish Gaelic: Seirbheisean Smàlaidh na Gàidhealtachd 's nan Eilean SASDivmap copyjpg|right|200px]] Helimed5jpg|thumb|right|EC-135 G-SASA "Helimed 5" based at Glasgow City Heliport]] The Scottish Ambulance Service ( Scottish Scotland constitutes a single Constituency of the European Parliament. This is a list of the 646 constituencies currently represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, as at the 2005 general election Orkney and Shetland is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The Scottish Parliament ( Scottish Gaelic: Pàrlamaid na h-Alba; Scots: Scottish Pairlament) is the devlolved national unicameral Orkney is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament ( Holyrood) A Gazetteer of place names in the United Kingdom showing each place's County, Unitary authority or council area and its geographical coordinates This List of places in Scotland is a complete collection of lists of places in Scotland. A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. Orkney (also known as the Orkney Islands or incorrectly the Orkneys) is an Archipelago in northern Scotland, situated 10 miles (16 km north Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. The town is first mentioned in the Orkneyinga saga in the year 1046. The Orkneyinga saga (also called the History of the Earls of Orkney) is a unique historical narrative of the history of the Orkney Islands, Scotland, from It was established as the settlement of Rögnvald II, Earl of Orkney, who was killed by his successor, Thorfinn. Earldom of Orkney The Earl of Orkney was originally a Norse jarl ruling Orkney, Shetland and parts of Caithness and Sutherland Thorfinn may refer to Thorfinn Turf-Einarsson Earl of Orkney (Thorfinn Skullsplitter (floruit 10th century Thorfinn Sigurdsson Earl of In 1486 King James III of Scotland elevated Kirkwall to the status of a royal burgh; road signs still indicate 'The City and Royal Burgh of Kirkwall'. James III (c 1451/1452 &ndash 11 June 1488) was King of Scots from 1460 to 1488 A royal burgh was a type of Scottish Burgh which had been founded by or subsequently granted a Royal charter.
The name Kirkwall is derived from the Norse name Kirkjuvagr (Church Bay). Old Norse is the North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age This was later corrupted to Kirkvoe and then Kirkwaa. English cartographers mistook the latter part waa as the Scots wa meaning wall, hence the town became Kirkwall. Scots ( The Scots leid) refers to Anglic varieties derived from early northern Middle English spoken in parts of Scotland and Northern
Situated on the northern coast of Mainland Orkney and with a population of about 8,500, Kirkwall is a port with ferry services to Aberdeen and Lerwick, as well as the principal north islands in the group. St Magnus Cathedral Kirkwall dominates the skyline of Kirkwall, the main town of Orkney, a group of islands off the north coast of mainland Scotland The Mainland is the main Island of Orkney, Scotland. Both of Orkney's Burghs Kirkwall and Stromness, lie on the island Aberdeen ( pronounced; Aiberdeen Obar Dheathain is Scotland 's third most populous city and one of Scotland's 32 local government council For the aircraft see Saro Lerwick Lerwick is the only Burgh and main port of the Shetland Islands At the heart of the town stands St Magnus Cathedral. St Magnus Cathedral Kirkwall dominates the skyline of Kirkwall, the main town of Orkney, a group of islands off the north coast of mainland Scotland It was founded in memory of Saint Magnus Erlendsson, Earl of Orkney 1108-1117 by Earl (later saint) Rögnvald Kali. Saint Magnus, Earl Magnus Erlendsson of Orkney, was the first Earl of Orkney to bear that name and ruled from 1108 to about 1115 Ragnvald Kale Kollsson was a Norwegian Saint. He was born c 1100 and died 20 August 1158. Next to the Cathedral are the ruins of the former Bishop's Palace and Earl's Palace. The Bishop's Palace Kirkwall was built at the same time as the adjacent St Magnus Cathedral in the centre of Kirkwall, Orkney, Scotland, was The ruins of the Earl's Palace Kirkwall lie near St Magnus Cathedral in the centre of Kirkwall, Orkney, Scotland. The town has two museums: Tankerness House Museum, which is contained within one of Scotland's best-preserved sixteenth century town-houses, contains items of local historical interest. Historically in the United Kingdom, Ireland and in many other countries a townhouse (or a "house in town" was a residence of a peer or member of the The prehistoric, Pictish and Viking collections are of international importance. Stone Age Paleolithic See also Paleolithic, Recent African Origin, Early Homo sapiens, Early human migrations "Paleolithic" The Picts were a Confederation of tribes in what was later to become eastern and northern Scotland from Roman times until the 10th century A Viking is one of the Norse ( Scandinavian Explorers Warriors Merchants, and pirates who raided and colonized wide areas The other museum is the small Wireless Museum, dealing with the history of radio and recorded sound.
Kirkwall is one of the most attractive and well-preserved small towns in Scotland. Apart from the main historical buildings, mentioned above, there are many 17th-18th century houses and other structures in the local vernacular style. The 'Kirk' of Kirkwall was not the Cathedral (which was originally at Birsay), but the 11th century church of St. Olaf of Norway. Kirk can mean " church " in general or the Church of Scotland in particular Birsay ( Old Norse: Birgisherað)is a Parish in the north west corner of The Mainland of Orkney, Scotland. One late medieval doorway survives from this church. An aumbry from the original church survives within the late 19th Century structure of the present-day St. Olaf's Church (Episcopal) in the town's Dundas Crescent. The Scottish Episcopal Church (Eaglais Easbaigeach na h-Alba is a Christian denomination in Scotland and a member of the Anglican Communion, although it Kirkwall also once had a medieval castle (destroyed in the 17th century).
On the west edge of the town, surrounded by Hatston Industrial Estate, is a prehistoric ancient monument, Grain Earth House (Historic Scotland), a short low stone-walled passage deep underground leading to a small pillared chamber. Historic Scotland is an Executive agency of the Scottish Government, responsible for historic monuments in Scotland. This is the form of earth house or souterrain characteristic of the Northern Isles (though Grain is unusually deep below ground). Souterrain (from French 'sous terrain' meaning 'under ground' is a name given by Archaeologists to a type of underground structure associated mainly with the Atlantic Iron The Northern Isles ( Old Norse: Norðreyjar) are a chain of Islands off the north coast of mainland Scotland. It was originally connected to a surface dwelling which has since disappeared. The original purpose of these Iron Age structures is unknown. This article is about the archaeological period known as the Iron Age for the mythological Iron Age see Ages of Man. Key for the monument from Ortak Visitor Centre and Factory.
One of the main annual events in the town is the Ba Game, held each Christmas Day and New Year's Day between the Uppies and the Doonies; each team representing one half of the town. The Kirkwall Ba Game (also spelled ba') is one of the main annual events held in the town of Kirkwall, in Orkney, Scotland. New Year's Day is the first day of the Year. On the modern Gregorian calendar, it is celebrated on January 1, as it was also in ancient Rome (though
Kirkwall also has the most northerly of the English speaking worlds's Carnegie libraries, which was visited and opened by Andrew Carnegie and his wife in the early years of the 20th century. For other uses see Carnegie Library (disambiguation, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Free Library and Carnegie Public Library Andrew Carnegie (properly kɑrˈneɪgi but commonly /ˈkɑrnɨgi/ or /kɑrˈnɛgi/ (25 November 1835 – 11 August 1919 was a Scottish -born American Industrialist It has been replaced by a new, larger library and archive on Junction Road.
Parliamentary burgh
Kirkwall was a parliamentary burgh, combined with Dingwall, Dornoch, Tain and Wick in the Northern Burghs constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1708 to 1801 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1918. In the United Kingdom (UK, each of the electoral areas or divisions called constituencies elects one or more members to a parliament or assembly Dingwall ( Inbhir Pheofharain in Gaelic) is a town and former Royal burgh in the highlands of Scotland. Dornoch ( Gaelic: Dòrnach, d̪̊ɔːɾnəx is a town and Seaside resort, and former Royal burgh in the Highlands of Scotland Tain ( Gaelic Baile Dhubhthaich, Duthac's town is a former Royal burgh in the Committee area of Ross and Cromarty, in Wick ( Inbhir Uige in Gaelic) is an Estuary Town and a former Burgh in the north of the Highland council area Tain Burghs, was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1708 to 1801 and of the Parliament of the United A constituency is any cohesive corporate unit or body bound by shared structures goals or loyalty The House of Commons' is the Lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords The Parliament of Great Britain was formed in 1707 following the ratification of the Acts of Union by both the Parliament of England and Parliament of Scotland The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories Cromarty was added to the list in 1832. The Royal Burgh of Cromarty ( Cromba in Gaelic) is a Burgh in Ross and Cromarty, Highland, Scotland.
The constituency was a district of burghs known also as Tain Burghs until 1832, and then as Wick Burghs. The Act of Union 1707 and Pre-Union Scottish legislation provided for 14 Members of Parliament (MPs from Scotland to be elected from districts of Tain Burghs, was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1708 to 1801 and of the Parliament of the United Wick Burghs, sometimes known as Northern Burghs, was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from It was represented by one Member of Parliament. A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a Parliament. In 1918 the constituency was abolished and the Kirkwall component was merged into the county constituency of Orkney and Shetland. In the United Kingdom (UK, each of the electoral areas or divisions called constituencies elects one or more members to a parliament or assembly Orkney and Shetland is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.
External links
- Orkneyjar - The Royal Burgh of Kirkwall
- Kirkwall pictures from www.orkneycommunities.co.uk
- Undiscovered Scotland illustrated feature on Kirkwall
- Listen to recordings of a speaker of Kirkwall Scots
- Virtual Orkney: A directory of Orkney
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