Postcode · Orkney Islands

KW15 1DF area guide

Who lives in KW15 1DF, what homes sell for, and how it compares on crime, schools and transport.

Neighbourhood: West Kirkwall
Council: Orkney Islands
Region: Scotland
Neighbourhood population: 628 (2024)

KW15 1DFOrkney Islands

At a glance

What KW15 1DF is like

KW15 1DF is a postcode in the West Kirkwall area of Orkney Islands. Because census and crime data isn’t published for single postcodes, the figures here cover the surrounding neighbourhood of about 628 people. 32.6% of households own their home, 29.9% rent privately and 34.1% are in social housing. The largest age group is 25–29, and 60.4% of adults are in work. On deprivation, it sits near the middle of the scale for Scotland.

Scores

How KW15 1DF compares

Headline figures for KW15 1DF, set against Scotland as a whole.

AffluenceMore

4.0/ 10

Around the middle. Scored from 1 (most deprived in Scotland) to 10 (least deprived).

CrimeMore

24per 1,000

Recorded crimes per 1,000 residents in Orkney Islands a year, against 57 across Scotland.

TransportMore

3.0/ 10

Limited: 0 stations within a mile, 42 bus stops within 800m.

SchoolsMore

3 schools within 1 mile. None has a published inspection grade.

What stands out

Worth knowing before you invest

Where KW15 1DF differs most from the national average.

01
A big private rental marketPositive
29.9% of households rent privately, against 12.9% across Scotland. Tenant demand is established here.
02
A young populationPositive
27.3% of residents are aged 20 to 34 (the peak renting age), against 19% across Scotland.
03
A lot of social housingLook closer
34.1% of homes are social housing, against 22.5% across Scotland.

Questions

KW15 1DF FAQs

Is KW15 1DF a good place to live?

Deprivation, crime, schools and transport at a glance.

It scores 4.0 out of 10 on the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation 2020, where 10 is the least deprived in Scotland. Transport connectivity scores 3.0 out of 10 (limited).

Is KW15 1DF safe?

How recorded crime here compares with the national average.

Police Scotland publishes crime by council area only. Orkney Islands recorded 24 crimes per 1,000 residents in 2025-26, against 57 across Scotland.

Who lives in KW15 1DF?

Age, home ownership and housing from the census.

The largest age group is 25–29, at 10.5% of residents. 32.6% of households own their home. The most common property type is purpose-built flat (31.6%).

Which council covers KW15 1DF?

The local authority for KW15 1DF is Orkney Islands.

KW15 1DF comes under Orkney Islands in Scotland. Council tax, planning applications and bin collections are handled there.

How well connected is KW15 1DF?

Connectivity scores 3.0 out of 10.

There are 42 bus stops within 800m and 0 stations and tram stops within a mile, scoring 3.0 out of 10 (limited). The nearest station is Kirkwall Shapinsay Ferry Terminal, 0.2 miles away.

Sources: Scotland's Census 2022 (NRS); ONS mid-year population estimates; police recorded crime; the English, Welsh and Scottish indices of deprivation; ONS small area income estimates; ONS private rents; DfE, Welsh and Scottish school registers and Ofsted; DfT NaPTAN; ORR estimates of station usage; HM Land Registry Price Paid Data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right.

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