We know this area
Dog walks near Kirkwall
We have measured 700 walks that start within 8 km of the middle of Kirkwall, each against the same public map data. This page says what they are like, beside Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles as a whole, and how many pass the checks we run for five kinds of dog.
Three walks near Kirkwall
Three of the 700 walks near Kirkwall, from those that start nearest its middle: a 10.7 km loop, a 4.1 km there and back and a 1.5 km one-way walk. How we pick them
Where these go is in the app
Create an account- Near Kirkwall (longest)10.7 km · 184 min · A loop
- Near Kirkwall (in between)4.1 km · 69 min · There and back
- Near Kirkwall (shortest)1.5 km · 26 min · One way
Walks near Kirkwall for your dog
When you tell us what your dog finds hard, the app checks every walk against it before you see one. These are five of those checks, run over the walks near Kirkwall, and the share that pass each.
- 28%A dog who is nervous of other dogs and of livestock28% near Kirkwall for a nervous or reactive dog, against 8% near the typical town we cover.2.5 to 8 km long, a busy or fast road beside no more than 15% of the way, at most one busy road to cross and pasture beside no more than 30% of the way.That is 190 walks or more within 8 km that pass our checks for a nervous or reactive dog.Walks for a nervous or reactive dog near Kirkwall
- 28%A dog frightened by traffic28% near Kirkwall for a dog scared of traffic, the same as near the typical town we cover.2.5 to 8 km long, a busy or fast road beside no more than 15% of the way and at most one busy road to cross.That is 190 walks or more within 8 km that pass our checks for a dog scared of traffic.Walks for a dog scared of traffic near Kirkwall
- 38%A big dog, or two on the lead at once38% near Kirkwall for a big dog, against 42% near the typical town we cover.2.5 to 8 km long and at most one stile, gate or cattle grid.That is 270 walks or more within 8 km that pass our checks for a big dog.
- 52%An older dog, on a short walk52% near Kirkwall for an older dog, against 28% near the typical town we cover.1 to 2.5 km long and at most one stile, gate or cattle grid.That is 360 walks or more within 8 km that pass our checks for an older dog.
- 49%A short walk from the car49% near Kirkwall for a short walk from the car, against 47% near the typical town we cover.1 to 4.5 km long and starting where you can park, at a car park or on a minor road.That is 350 walks or more within 8 km that pass our checks for a short walk from the car.Short dog walks from the car near Kirkwall
The app searches further than 8 km when it has to, and it weighs what you tell it about your own dog, so these are a starting point rather than your answer.
What the walks near Kirkwall are like
Each bar is the share of the 700 walks near Kirkwall the sentence is true of. The upright mark on each bar, and the small number beside it, is the same share for Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles as a whole.
How far they go
Under 3 km: 59% of the walks near Kirkwall, against 52% across Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles.
Where the walks fall by length. The five bars add up to the whole, give or take the rounding.
| Walks that | Share of walks measured | Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles |
|---|---|---|
| Under 3 km | 59% | 52% |
| 3 to 5 km | 20% | 21% |
| 5 to 8 km | 10% | 14% |
| 8 to 12 km | 6% | 7% |
| Over 12 km | 2% | 4% |
What shape they are
A loop: 6% of the walks near Kirkwall, against 3% across Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles.
A loop brings you back without repeating a step. There and back retraces the way out.
| Walks that | Share of walks measured | Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles |
|---|---|---|
| A loop | 6% | 3% |
| There and back the same way | 68% | 71% |
| One way, ending somewhere else | 25% | 25% |
What is beside the path
Through a park or green space for a third or more: 39% of the walks near Kirkwall, against 13% across Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles.
Shares of walks where the ground beside the path is a given kind for the stated part of the way.
| Walks that | Share of walks measured | Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles |
|---|---|---|
| Under trees for a third or more of the way | 1% | 1% |
| Beside water for a tenth or more | 32% | 51% |
| On open access land for a third or more | <1% | <1% |
| Through a park or green space for a third or more | 39% | 13% |
| Beside crop fields for a third or more | 83% | 60% |
| Beside farm grassland for half or more | 3% | 9% |
| No farm grassland at all | 91% | 75% |
| Off road for four fifths or more | 16% | 28% |
| On roads or lanes for half or more | 73% | 57% |
| Through built-up streets for half or more | 4% | 10% |
What might stop you
No stile, gate or cattle grid: 99% of the walks near Kirkwall, against 76% across Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles.
Shares of walks with none of each thing on the way. A road counts when it runs within about fifteen metres of the path.
| Walks that | Share of walks measured | Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles |
|---|---|---|
| Never beside a fast road | 94% | 98% |
| Never beside a busy road | 82% | 92% |
| No busy road to cross | 82% | 92% |
| No stile, gate or cattle grid | 99% | 76% |
| No steps | 94% | 96% |
What is on the way
Start where you can park, at a car park or on a minor road: 66% of the walks near Kirkwall, against 54% across Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles.
Shares of walks that start by, or pass, each of these.
| Walks that | Share of walks measured | Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles |
|---|---|---|
| Start where you can park, at a car park or on a minor road | 66% | 54% |
| Pass a pub | 1% | <1% |
| Pass a dog-waste bin | 16% | 5% |
| Pass a public toilet | 8% | 8% |
| Pass a drinking-water tap | 2% | 1% |
| Pass a busy beauty spot | 21% | 28% |
Measured on 12 October 2026 from the map. Scotland has no crop map, so farm grassland here is read from the Habitat Map of Scotland, which is not directly comparable with England's figures. How these figures are made
Walks near Kirkwall, for your dog
If you live in Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles, it is your home county, and every walk in it is free, for good. Tell the app what your dog finds hard and it shows you walks that suit, with anything that might stop you shown first.
Anywhere in Great Britain, even with no signal.
Further is the Trekosa subscription: walks beyond your home county, and help on the walk itself. The OS Explorer map, 1:25,000, on any walk while you have signal. Press Offline on a walk and its map stays on your phone until you remove it, for when the signal goes. Drift off the path and you get a quiet buzz.
The first 250 households have it for good. After that, £4.99 a month or £34.99 a year.
The rules around Kirkwall
In Scotland the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 gives you a right of responsible access to most land, so the question is less where you may walk than what is on the way. We measure Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles's walks for livestock, roads, woodland and water, as we do everywhere.
We have not yet listed the councils in Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles or read their dog rules, so a walk here says the rules are unknown rather than absent.
We checked Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles for military live-firing ground and hold 3 areas of it: Cape Wrath Firing Range, Tain Air Weapons Range and MOD Hebrides (Range Head). A walk is checked against them before we show it.
Every council in Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles, and what its orders say