Current Time in Kirkwall, Scotland
The live time in Kirkwall (Orkney), with the GMT or BST status, the next clock change and sunrise and sunset through the year.
About time in Kirkwall
Kirkwall is the main town of the Orkney Islands, with St Magnus Cathedral, begun in 1137. Neolithic sites such as Skara Brae and the Ring of Brodgar are a short drive away and are older than the pyramids. At 59 degrees north, the sun sets at around 22:30 BST at midsummer.
Orkney's summer days are long and the winter days short, so the clock times for sunrise and sunset vary much more than in southern England. The nearest mainland is a short ferry trip across the Pentland Firth from Scrabster.
The islands keep the same time as the rest of the UK. Kirkwall is about three degrees west of Greenwich and has its own airport with flights to Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow.
- St Magnus Cathedral was begun in 1137.
- Skara Brae is a Neolithic village nearby.
- Sunset is around 22:30 BST at midsummer.
About 9,000 people live in Kirkwall. At 58.98 degrees north and 2.96 degrees west of Greenwich, true solar noon here falls about 12 minutes after clock noon. The clock itself always matches the rest of the UK.
Sunrise and sunset in Kirkwall through the year
Times for the 15th of each month in UK local time (GMT or BST). Calculated from the city's latitude and longitude.
| Month | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 08:52 | 15:50 | 6h 58m |
| February | 07:47 | 17:05 | 9h 18m |
| March | 06:29 | 18:13 | 11h 44m |
| April | 05:59 | 20:25 | 14h 27m |
| May | 04:41 | 21:35 | 16h 54m |
| June | 03:58 | 22:25 | 18h 27m |
| July | 04:23 | 22:10 | 17h 47m |
| August | 05:29 | 21:01 | 15h 32m |
| September | 06:39 | 19:33 | 12h 53m |
| October | 07:47 | 18:06 | 10h 18m |
| November | 08:02 | 15:49 | 7h 46m |
| December | 08:59 | 15:14 | 6h 15m |
Kirkwall time compared with the world
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Time in nearby cities
Clock change guides
- What Is Daylight Saving Time (DST)? A Plain-English GuideWhat daylight saving time is, how it works in the UK, Europe and the US, why it exists, its history, who uses it and the argument over scrapping it.
- Why Do the Clocks Go Back in October? The Real ReasonThe clocks go back in autumn to return the UK to GMT, so winter mornings are lighter. The history, the rule, what time it happens and what changes for you.
- When Do the Clocks Go Forward Again After Going Back?When the UK clocks go forward again after the autumn change, how long the UK stays on GMT, when evenings get lighter and how to remember to reset your clocks.
Frequently asked questions
What time zone is Kirkwall in?
Kirkwall is in the UK time zone. It uses Greenwich Mean Time (GMT, UTC+0) in winter and British Summer Time (BST, UTC+1) in summer, the same as the rest of the UK.
When do the clocks change in Kirkwall?
The clocks go forward at 01:00 on the last Sunday of March and back at 02:00 on the last Sunday of October. In 2026 that is Sunday, 29 March 2026 and Sunday, 25 October 2026.
How much daylight does Kirkwall get in summer and winter?
Around 18h 30m at the June solstice and 6h 11m at the December solstice, based on its latitude of 59.0 degrees north.
Is Kirkwall on the same time as London?
Yes. All UK clocks show the same time. Because Kirkwall is 3.0 degrees west of Greenwich, solar noon here is about 12 minutes after clock noon (GMT), but the clocks do not differ.
Are the Orkney Islands on UK time?
Yes. Orkney uses GMT in winter and BST in summer, like the rest of Scotland.
How do you get to Orkney?
By ferry from Scrabster, Aberdeen or Gills Bay, or by air from Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness.