"City of Kirkwall" Kirkwall by lnalba

Kirkwall is the city in Orkney. It has a population of about 8,000, which is quite small, but has all you need, and more. It has one main street, and there are lots of lovely craft shops to visit, as well as the more regular city shops. Recommended are the jewellery shops, such as Sheila Fleet, Ortak, Aurora, and The Longship which sells Ola Gorie jewellery.

There are also museums to visit, such as the Orkney Wireless Museum, which is open from April to September.

Another excellent museum to visit is the extensive Orkney Museum. You could spend the whole day here if you wanted to. It takes you step by step through the history of Orkney, from the very beginnings right through to the present day. It's open all year, Monday to Saturday and Sunday afternoons as well, from May to September. It also has a lovely garden which you can walk round or just sit and enjoy the peace.

St Magnus Cathedral

You cannot miss St Magnus Cathedral whilst in Kirkwall. It stands proudly on the main street, and has a large open space in front of it, which opens up the whole road.

It was founded in 1137 by Earl Rognvald Kolson in memory of St Magnus - his uncle. It is free to get in, and has a visitor centre behind it, where you can see an introductory video about the cathedral, and a small area where you can have a cup of tea or coffee and look out of the large window at this beautiful building. It's built of red and yellow sandstone, and is the most northerly cathedral in the UK.

Opposite the Cathedral is the Bishop's Palace, which was built in the mid 12thC for Bishop William the Old, and the Earl's Palace beside it which was built by the Earl Patrick Stewart in 1600. Both include an entrance fee, but if you are interested in the history of Orkney and Kirkwall, are well worth a visit. Both are closed during the winter months.

Highland Park Distillery, Orkney

For all you whisky lovers out there! There is a distillery in Kirkwall called Highland Park, and of course you get a sample after your excellent tour and video introduction.

It's well worth a visit even if you are not that fond of whisky, as it is very interesting, and the buildings are very picturesque, as you can see.

• Pros:It's the only city in Orkney
• Cons:It's the only city in Orkney!
• In a nutshell:As above...