III.

Population and Administration

The population of the Orkney Islands is about 19,245 (2001). The inhabitants are of partly Scots and partly Scandinavian descent, and few speak Gaelic. Kirkwall (population, 1991, 6,469) is the largest town as well as the administrative centre for the islands. It is also the seat of the sheriff court. Kirkwall has a strong resemblance to Norwegian towns, with its narrow streets of thick-walled houses with small windows and stepped gables; its cathedral is similar to that of Trondheim. The port of Stromness (1991, 1,890), also on Mainland, is the other major settlement and is the main ferry terminal for services to the Scottish mainland.

Orkney is administered by an all-purpose unitary authority, the Orkney Islands Council, which was established under the local government reforms implemented in 1975. The council was not affected by the administrative changes implemented on April 1, 1996, under the Local Government Etc. (Scotland) Bill 1994, which introduced a unitary system of local government to the Scottish mainland.