A LITTLE PLANNING. A BETTER DAY.
Choose a few island stories, a short town walk or a suitable film instead of a long sequence of heritage stops. Keep stairs, attention spans and onward travel in the plan from the start.
The Orkney Museum can introduce children to island life without needing a long formal tour. Choose a few objects or periods that interest them and check current family activities, leaving the rest for another visit. The historic house has uneven surfaces and upper galleries, so ask about the garden entrance and stairlifts if using a buggy or needing an accessible route. A short museum visit with food afterwards can be a complete outing rather than only the first item in an ambitious schedule. At St Magnus Cathedral, look for a small number of architectural details and stories, respecting worship and other visitors. Ordinary entry is free, while upper-level tours are a separate decision with their own requirements. The current chapel restriction also means not every area is available. The palace ruins may suit children who enjoy history and can manage steps carefully, but the 15–16 September 2026 closure and seasonal calendar must be checked first. The exposed rooms and staircases are not a playground or an easy all-weather option. For a change of pace, choose an age-appropriate Phoenix Cinema screening. Check the certificate and running time, arrange suitable seats and allow time to reach Pickaquoy. A general leisure-centre listing should not lead you to promise swimming, because its wet facilities are currently listed as closed. A short public harbour-and-streets walk can fit around food, with children supervised near traffic and water. For a shorter family visit, choose one museum or film and keep walking modest. If there is a ferry or cruise deadline, confirm the right return point and leave a comfortable margin rather than trying to fit in one more attraction. A small number of enjoyable stops will work better than a rushed tour of every historic building.
FIND YOUR KIND OF DAY
Step inside the red-and-yellow sandstone cathedral for architecture and stories at the heart of Kirkwall. This remains a place of worship, so ordinary sightseeing works around services and occasional ceremonies. Take time to look at the building and memorials rather than treating it only as a photograph from Broad Street.
Explore Orkney’s story from early settlement to more recent island life through the museum’s collections and changing exhibitions. The historic house setting adds character, with a garden nearby for a short outdoor pause. A focused visit gives context for wider island travel without requiring a full day of reading every display.
Explore the surviving halls, courtyards and architectural details of Kirkwall’s neighbouring palace ruins. Their different eras reveal the town’s Norse and later Scottish connections. These are partly exposed historic remains with substantial steps, not furnished indoor houses or a dependable all-weather shelter.
Choose a film or a screened performance from the Phoenix programme for a seated indoor outing. The cinema provides a useful change of pace from heritage visits and exposed island weather. Pick a screening that genuinely interests the group, then arrange a meal and the journey to Pickaquoy around its actual time.
Follow the public waterfront and the linked streets of Bridge, Albert, Broad and Victoria for a sense of Kirkwall’s everyday life and historic shape. Heritage panels and independent shops give you reasons to pause, while the harbour remains a working place. Choose a short route rather than treating the whole town as an attraction circuit to complete.
PLAN YOUR DAY
Yes. Choose a few objects or displays and plan a food break rather than expecting children to cover the whole collection.
Plan a family museum visit →No. Entry and internal routes involve steps and historic stairs; check access before deciding whether the visit suits your group.
Read palace access →No. Check the film certificate, running time and any relaxed-screening arrangements for the chosen showing.
Choose a suitable film →HELP IMPROVE THIS GUIDE
Tell us what helped, what is missing or what needs correcting. Your feedback goes to the editor.
ThingsToDo