For a short walk from the car
Short dog walks from the car near Kirkwall
350 or more of the walks within 8 km of the middle of Kirkwall pass the checks the app runs for a short walk from the car. That is 49% of the 700 or more we measured.
To pass, a walk has to be 1 to 4.5 km long and starting where you can park, at a car park or on a minor road. Tell the app about your own dog and it runs the checks that fit them, and looks further than 8 km when it has to.
| Walks | How many | Share of every walk measured |
|---|---|---|
| Every walk we measured within 8 km | 700 or more | 100% |
| 1 to 4.5 km long | 530 or more | 76% |
| And pass the check | 350 or more | 49% |
Each bar is a share of every walk we measured. Counts are rounded down to ten.
What stops the rest
Near Kirkwall, 34% of the walks that are 1 to 4.5 km long have nowhere we know of to park at the start, so they do not pass.
- Somewhere to park
- A short walk is only short if you can leave the car where it starts.
Measured on 12 October 2026 from the map. A walk we hold no parking for does not pass. How these figures are made
What the walks that pass are like
Each bar is the share of passing walks the sentence is true of. The upright mark on each bar, and the small number beside it, is the same share for every walk near Kirkwall.
The 350 walks or more that pass
Off road for four fifths or more: 5% of the walks that pass, against 16% of every walk near Kirkwall.
| Walks that | Share of walks measured | Every walk near Kirkwall |
|---|---|---|
| A loop | 6% | 6% |
| Under trees for a third or more of the way | 2% | 1% |
| Beside water for a tenth or more | 33% | 32% |
| Through a park or green space for a third or more | 45% | 39% |
| Off road for four fifths or more | 5% | 16% |
| No stile, gate or cattle grid | 100% | 99% |
| No steps | 95% | 94% |
| Pass a dog-waste bin | 19% | 16% |
| Pass a public toilet | 10% | 8% |
| Pass a busy beauty spot | 16% | 21% |
Walks near Kirkwall for a short walk from the car
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 you want a short walk from the car, and it looks for walks that start where you can park, 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.
Questions people ask
- How many walks near Kirkwall pass the checks for a short walk from the car?
- 350 walks or more: 49% of the 700 or more we measured within 8 km of the middle of Kirkwall. Of the 530 or more that are 1 to 4.5 km long, 65% pass.
- What stops the rest near Kirkwall?
- Somewhere to park: 34% of the walks near Kirkwall that are 1 to 4.5 km long have nowhere we know of to park at the start.
- Does it say whether the parking is free?
- No. It says the walk starts at a car park or on a minor road near the start, as the map shows it. It does not know the charges, the opening hours or whether there will be a space.
The same checks, near the nearest towns
Nearest first. The share is of every walk measured near each town.