Scotland Scotland

SCOTLAND · PEOPLE, PLACES & SERVICES

Orkney Islands · Council area

Population, health and education provision and council administration for Orkney Islands, Scotland, with dated sources and counting notes.

Open Orkney Islands on the map →

Population and demographics

Mid-2025 population estimate: 21,920 people.

Population by age and sex
Age groupMaleFemaleTotal
0–5577 (2.6%)506 (2.3%)1,083 (4.9%)
6–231,984 (9.1%)1,772 (8.1%)3,756 (17.1%)
24–665,776 (26.4%)6,119 (27.9%)11,895 (54.3%)
67+2,452 (11.2%)2,734 (12.5%)5,186 (23.7%)
All ages10,789 (49.2%)11,131 (50.8%)21,920 (100.0%)

Every percentage is a share of the total area population. Percentages are rounded and may not sum to 100%. Age endpoints are inclusive. Council and health-board figures describe the same population and must not be added together.

Source: NRS population estimates via Public Health Scotland

Population projections, 2022–2047

The 2022-based principal projection is a trend-based scenario, not a prediction. Its 2022 base is separate from the mid-2025 estimates above; the series are not joined. Published 2025-09-30.

Source: National Records of Scotland projections
Projected population: selected years
YearMaleFemaleTotal
202210,81811,21222,030
203010,73411,35222,086
203510,57911,36721,946
204010,38911,32421,713
204710,11111,26421,375
All annual projections, 2022–2047
2022-based projected population
YearMaleFemaleTotal
202210,81811,21222,030
202310,84511,26522,110
202410,85111,28622,137
202510,84811,30722,155
202610,84311,32022,163
202710,82011,32122,141
202810,79511,33222,127
202910,76411,35022,114
203010,73411,35222,086
203110,70311,36222,065
203210,67511,36122,036
203310,64811,35922,007
203410,61211,36221,974
203510,57911,36721,946
203610,54211,36321,905
203710,50111,35521,856
203810,46411,34821,812
203910,42211,33521,757
204010,38911,32421,713
204110,34811,31621,664
204210,31211,31121,623
204310,26711,29921,566
204410,22511,29621,521
204510,18511,28721,472
204610,14811,27421,422
204710,11111,26421,375

Health and care services

Counts describe listed practices or services at their recorded locations, not the number of buildings, staff or available appointments. The categories are separate and are not combined into a health-services grand total.

GP practices

Listed records: 7.

Source: Public Health Scotland · 2026-07-01

Original publication

Practices counted once at their published main address; branch surgeries are not separately counted. Registered patients may live outside this council. Types describe the GP contract. Practice websites are not supplied in this release.

Browse GP practices (7)
  • Daisy Villa

    GMS

    Daisy Villa, St. Margaret's Hope, Orkney, KW17 2SN

  • Dounby Surgery

    GMS

    Dounby Surgery, Dounby, Orkney, KW17 2HH

  • Heilendi Practice

    GMS

    Heilendi Practice, The Balfour, Foreland Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1NZ

  • Islands View Surgery

    2C

    Islands View Surgery, Rousay, Orkney, KW17 2PU

  • Orcades Practice

    2C

    Orcades Practice, Primary Care Department, The Balfour, Foreland Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1NZ

  • Skerryvore Practice

    GMS

    Skerryvore Practice, The Balfour, Foreland Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1NZ

  • Stromness Surgery

    GMS

    Stromness Surgery, John Street, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3AD

NHS dental practices

Listed records: 4.

Source: Public Health Scotland · 2026-03-31

Original publication

Active NHS dental practices at the snapshot date; may also offer private care. Counts practices, not individual dentists. Inclusion does not mean the practice is accepting new NHS patients. Registration counts are not council resident counts.

Browse NHS dental practices (4)
  • DAISYBANK CLINIC

    NHS dental practice

    BERSTANE ROAD, KIRKWALL, KW151NA

  • ORKNEY DENTAL

    NHS dental practice

    62-64 VICTORIA STREET, KIRKWALL, KW151DN

  • ORKNEY DENTAL

    NHS dental practice

    22 JOHN STREET, STROMNESS, KW163AD

  • THE BALFOUR

    NHS dental practice

    FORELAND ROAD, KIRKWALL, KW151NZ

Care homes

Listed records: 7.

Source: Care Inspectorate · 2026-08-31

Original publication

Active registered Care Home Services, including adult and children’s services. Counts are services, not necessarily separate buildings. Registered places are capacity, not occupancy. Contact details withheld by the source remain withheld. Individual website links are not supplied in the export.

Browse Care homes (7)
  • Aurrida House

    Local Authority · Children & Young People

    Contact details withheld by the source.

  • Enable Scotland (Leading the Way) - Old Scapa Road

    Voluntary or Not for Profit · Learning Disabilities

    11 Old Scapa Road, Kirkwall, KW15 1GU

  • Hamnavoe House

    Local Authority · Older People

    Coplands Road, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3BW

  • Kirkjuvagr House

    Local Authority · Older People

    Kirkjuvagr, Soulisquoy Loan, Kirkwall, KW151BY

  • Rendall Road

    Local Authority · Children & Young People

    Contact details withheld by the source.

  • Short Breaks, 32/34 Pickaquoy Loan

    Local Authority · Learning Disabilities

    St. Colm's Complex, Pickaquoy Road, Kirkwall, KW15 1RP

  • Smiddybrae House

    Local Authority · Older People

    Vetquoy Road, Dounby, Orkney, KW17 2HH

NHS hospitals

Listed records: 1.

Source: Public Health Scotland · 2026-09-03

Original publication

Current NHS hospital-location records, including non-acute hospitals and specialist/resource centres classified in this reference file. Private hospitals are excluded. Hospital types and individual websites are not supplied in this release.

Browse NHS hospitals (1)
  • The Balfour

    Foreland Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW151NZ

Within NHS Orkney.

Education provision

Schools: state and independent provision

45 age-stage provisions. Each nursery, primary and secondary provision counts separately, including when they share a school.

School provision counts
Age-stage provisionCount
Nursery / pre-school20
Primary20
Secondary5
Total age-stage provisions45

Source: Scottish Government · 2026-01-31

Original publication

Publicly funded schools open at 31 January 2026 plus the independent register at 13 August 2026. Each nursery, primary and secondary provision is counted separately, even when sharing a school. Special schools form a separate view and are not added to the age-stage total. Source school records are counted once per council; independent school addresses may cover multiple sites.

Independent schools register · 13 August 2026
Nursery / pre-school provision (20)
Primary provision (20)
Secondary provision (5)

Special schools — separate view

0 special schools. Special is a characteristic, not an additional age stage, so this count is not added to the provision total. Some special-school records do not specify their age stages.

No records listed in this snapshot. This does not establish that no provision exists.

Nurseries & childcare services

Listed records: 20.

Source: Care Inspectorate · 2026-08-31

Original publication

Active registered Day Care of Children services: includes nurseries, playgroups and out-of-school care. The export does not reliably distinguish nursery-only services. Childminders excluded. Local authority, private and voluntary sectors are shown separately; private providers may offer funded places. These services may overlap with school pre-school departments, so do not add the two lists.

Nurseries & childcare services (20)
  • Burray Primary School Nursery

    Local Authority · Day Care of Children (over 3s)

    Burray Primary School, Burray, Orkney, KW17 2SS

  • Dounby Community School Nursery

    Local Authority · Day Care of Children (under 3s)

    Dounby Community School, Dounby, Orkney, KW17 2JA

  • Eday Primary School Nursery

    Local Authority · Day Care of Children (under 3s)

    Eday Primary School, Eday, Orkney, KW17 2AA

  • Evie Primary School Nursery

    Local Authority · Day Care of Children (under 3s)

    Evie Primary School, Evie, Orkney, KW17 2PE

  • Firth Primary School Nursery

    Local Authority · Day Care of Children (under 3s)

    Firth Primary School, Finstown, Orkney, KW17 2ES

  • Glaitness School Nursery

    Local Authority · Day Care of Children (under 3s)

    Pickaquoy Road, Kirkwall, KW15 1RP

  • Hope Primary School Nursery

    Local Authority · Day Care of Children (under 3s)

    Hope Primary School, St. Margaret's Hope, Orkney, KW17 2TN

  • North Walls Community School Nursery

    Local Authority · Day Care of Children (under 3s)

    North Walls Community School, Lyness, Stromness, KW16 3NX

  • Orphir Community School

    Local Authority · Day Care of Children (over 3s)

    Orphir Primary School, Orphir, Orkney, KW17 2RB

  • Papa Westray School Nursery

    Local Authority · Day Care of Children (under 3s)

    Papa Westray Primary School, Papa Westray, Orkney, KW17 2BU

  • Papdale Primary School Nursery

    Local Authority · Day Care of Children (over 3s)

    Papdale Primary School, Willow Road, Kirkwall, KW15 1PJ

  • Rousay Primary School Nursery

    Local Authority · Day Care of Children (under 3s)

    Rousay Primary School Nursery, Rousay, Orkney, KW17 2PR

  • Sanday Community School

    Local Authority · Day Care of Children (under 3s)

    Sanday Community School, Sanday, Orkney, KW17 2AY

  • Shapinsay Primary School Nursery

    Local Authority · Day Care of Children (under 3s)

    Shapinsay Primary School, Balfour, Orkney, KW17 2DY

  • St. Andrews Primary School Nursery

    Local Authority · Day Care of Children (under 3s)

    St. Andrews Primary, Toab, Orkney, KW17 2QU

  • Stenness Community School Nursery

    Local Authority · Day Care of Children (over 3s)

    Stenness, Stromness, KW16 3LB

  • Stromness Primary School Nursery

    Local Authority · Day Care of Children (under 3s)

    Stromness Primary School, Cairston Road, Stromness, KW16 3JS

  • Stronsay Junior High Nursery

    Local Authority · Day Care of Children (under 3s)

    Stronsay Junior High School, Stronsay, Orkney, KW17 2AE

  • The Strynd Nursery

    Local Authority · Day Care of Children (under 3s)

    13 Burnett Brae, Kirkwall, KW15 1GS

  • Westray Junior High School Nursery

    Local Authority · Day Care of Children (under 3s)

    Pierowall, Westray, Orkney, KW17 2DH

Universities & higher education

Listed records: 0.

Source: Universities Scotland / institutions · 2026-09-15

Original publication

19 member higher-education institutions, placed using verified contact or campus locations from their own websites. Includes specialist HE institutions and the Open University’s Scottish office. This is not an exhaustive campus inventory; an institution may appear in multiple councils. Absence does not establish that no campus exists.

No records listed in this snapshot. This does not establish that no provision exists.

Colleges & further education

Listed records: 1.

Source: Colleges Scotland / institutions · 2026-09-15

Original publication

24 colleges from the directory updated 20 August 2026, using verified contact/campus locations. SRUC is listed once under higher education. Colleges may teach both FE and HE; no duplicate count by course level. Not an exhaustive campus or private training-provider inventory; an institution may appear in multiple councils.

Colleges & further education (1)
  • UHI Orkney

    College / further and higher education

    Verified contact/campus postcode: KW15 1NY

    Locations listed by the institution. Additional campuses or learning centres may exist; this is not a complete campus inventory.

Representation

Snapshot checked 2026-09-14. This is not a live feed. Governing administration, including minority administrations; not largest party or seat majority.

Council administration: Independent

Source: Open Council Data UK / Lawson Data Services