Area Profiles - Orkney

Orkney is an archipelago of 70 or so islands and skerries, of which 17 are currently inhabited. Orkney can be found off the northern tip of Scotland, lying on latitude 59° North, where the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean meet.

The Islands cover an area of 974 square kilometres, of which more than half is taken up by the Mainland, which is the group’s largest island.The islands are about 85 km from north to south and 37 km from east to west. Approximately 20,000 people live in Orkney, the majority of which live in the main towns of Kirkwall and Stromness.

The islands are low-lying, gently sloping and richly fertile with the exception of the island of Hoy, which is high and rugged.

Orkney is a hothouse for renewable energy being abundant in wind, wave and tidal resources. It is also home to the European Marine Energy Centre and a venue for a number of ground-breaking wind power developments, such as those at Burgar Hill, Stronsay, Sanday and Burray, ground heat and hydrogen projects.

How to export renewable energy from Orkney is a question that is as yet unresolved. Meantime, every effort is being made to ensure home grown renewable energy can meet a bigger share of local electricity needs.

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