Editing Kirkwall (section)

==Culture and community==
[[File:Orkney Library and Archive in Kirkwall.jpg|thumbnail|right|Orkney Library and Archive, Kirkwall]]
The [[Orkney Library and Archive]] is in Kirkwall. Kirkwall also has the most northerly of the world's [[Carnegie libraries]], which was opened by [[Andrew Carnegie]] and his wife in 1909. The building survives, although the library has since moved to a larger building on Junction Road which opened in August 2003.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.orkney.gov.uk/Service-Directory/S/orkney-library-and-archive.htm |title=Orkney Library and Archive |website=Orkney Islands Council |access-date=9 April 2022}}</ref>

The town has two museums, the larger being [[The Orkney Museum]] in Tankerness House, which contains items of local historical interest within one of Scotland's best-preserved 16th-century [[town-houses]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Orkney Museum|url=https://www.orkney.gov.uk/Service-Directory/S/orkney-museum.htm|url-status=live|access-date=2021-08-06|website=Orkney Islands Council|archive-date=7 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210807005717/https://www.orkney.gov.uk/Service-Directory/S/orkney-museum.htm}}</ref> It is a Category A listed building [[Listed building|Scotland]]. The [[prehistoric]], [[Picts|Pictish]] and [[Viking]] collections are of international importance. The other museum is the [[Orkney Wireless Museum]], dealing with the history of radio and recorded sound.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.orkneywirelessmuseum.org.uk/| title=Orkney Wireless Museum| publisher=Orkney Wireless Museum| accessdate=22 August 2009}}</ref> It is located in a Category C listed building, possibly the former [[harbour master]]'s office, on Junction Road.<ref>{{cite web |title=Orkney Wireless Museum, 1 Junction Road, Kirkwall |url=https://britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/200393113-orkney-wireless-museum-1-junction-road-kirkwall-kirkwall |website=British Listed Buildings |access-date=22 April 2023}}</ref>
Orkney Tourist Board is located in an 18th-century Category B listed building on Broad Street.<ref>{{cite web |title=Orkney Tourist Board, 6 Broad Street, Kirkwall |url=https://britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/200381517-orkney-tourist-board-6-broad-street-kirkwall-kirkwall |website=British Listed Buildings |access-date=22 April 2023}}</ref>

There is a [[Royal National Lifeboat Institution]] lifeboat station.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.orcadian.co.uk/kirkwall-lifeboat-called-fishing-vessel-2/|title=Kirkwall Lifeboat called out to fishing vessel – The Orcadian Online|date=2 March 2017|access-date=4 August 2018|archive-date=4 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180804141054/https://www.orcadian.co.uk/kirkwall-lifeboat-called-fishing-vessel-2/|url-status=live}}</ref>

One of the major annual events in the town is the [[Kirkwall Ba game|Ba Game]], held each [[Christmas Day]] and [[New Year's Day]] between the Uppies and the Doonies, each team representing one half of the town.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://blog.washingtonpost.com/why-we-compete/2007/12/tradition.html |title=Tradition: The Old Ba' Game |first=Eli |last=Saslow |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=2007-12-30 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110523093047/http://blog.washingtonpost.com/why-we-compete/2007/12/tradition.html |archive-date=2011-05-23 }}</ref>

===Media and the arts===
The composer [[Peter Maxwell Davies]] was among a group which founded the annual [[St Magnus Festival|St Magnus International Festival]] which is centred on Kirkwall each midsummer.<ref>{{cite web |title=About |url=https://www.stmagnusfestival.com/about |website=St Magnus International Festival, Orkney, Scotland |access-date=2 February 2020 |archive-date=2 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200202132433/https://www.stmagnusfestival.com/about |url-status=live }}</ref> Notable music acts such as [[Jennifer and Hazel Wrigley|the Wrigley Sisters]] and Bryttania formed in Kirkwall.

Orkney Theatre, a 384-seat venue, was opened in 2014 next to Kirkwall Grammar School in The Meadows. It has an orchestra pit which can be made available for use by removing two rows of seats.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.orkneytheatre.co.uk/|title=HOME|website=Orkney Theatre|access-date=10 August 2018|archive-date=11 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180811033423/http://www.orkneytheatre.co.uk/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Kirkwall Harbour can be seen in ''The Highlands and Islands – A Royal Tour'', a 1973 documentary about [[Charles, Prince of Wales|Prince Charles]]' visit to the Highlands and Islands, directed by [[Oscar Marzaroli]].<ref>[http://ssa.nls.uk/film.cfm?fid=2380 "Full record for 'Highlands and Islands – A Royal Tour'"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110725184319/http://ssa.nls.uk/film.cfm?fid=2380 |date=25 July 2011 }} Scottish Screen Archive. Retrieved 21 June 2010.</ref>
Scottish film-maker [[Margaret Tait]] was born in Kirkwall, and many of her films (in particular the ''Aspects of Kirkwall'' series) are set there.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scottishpoetrylibrary.org.uk/poetry/poets/margaret-tait|title=Margaret Tait (1918 - 1999)|publisher=Scottish Poetry Library|access-date=25 August 2018}}</ref>

Long-running [[The Simpsons]] character [[Groundskeeper Willie]] was born in Kirkwall.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thetimes.com/travel/destinations/uk-travel/scotland-travel/groundskeeper-willie-is-from-orkney-and-he-was-torn-apart-by-uppies-and-doonies-3h8khq7dfld|title=Groundskeeper Willie is from Orkney ... and he was 'torn apart' by Uppies and Doonies|date=February 3, 2012|access-date=August 19, 2020|archive-date=21 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210121191852/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/groundskeeper-willie-is-from-orkney-and-he-was-torn-apart-by-uppies-and-doonies-3h8khq7dfld|url-status=live}}</ref>