Postcode · Orkney Islands

KW16 3BL area guide

Who lives in KW16 3BL, what homes sell for, and how it compares on crime, schools and transport.

Neighbourhood: Stromness, Sandwick and Stenness
Council: Orkney Islands
Region: Scotland
Neighbourhood population: 892 (2024)

KW16 3BLOrkney Islands

At a glance

What KW16 3BL is like

KW16 3BL is a postcode in the Stromness, Sandwick and Stenness area of Orkney Islands. Because census and crime data isn’t published for single postcodes, the figures here cover the surrounding neighbourhood of about 892 people. 60.2% of households own their home, 7.3% rent privately and 28.7% are in social housing. The largest age group is 70–74, and 51.3% of adults are in work. On deprivation, it sits near the middle of the scale for Scotland.

Scores

How KW16 3BL compares

Headline figures for KW16 3BL, set against Scotland as a whole.

AffluenceMore

7.0/ 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

1.8/ 10

Poor: 0 stations within a mile, 11 bus stops within 800m.

SchoolsMore

6 schools nearby. None has a published inspection grade.

What stands out

Worth knowing before you invest

Where KW16 3BL differs most from the national average.

01
An older population
32.8% of residents are 65 or over, against 20% across Scotland.
02
Few private renters
Only 7.3% of households rent privately, against 12.9% across Scotland.

Questions

KW16 3BL FAQs

Is KW16 3BL a good place to live?

Deprivation, crime, schools and transport at a glance.

It scores 7.0 out of 10 on the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation 2020, where 10 is the least deprived in Scotland. Transport connectivity scores 1.8 out of 10 (poor).

Is KW16 3BL 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 KW16 3BL?

Age, home ownership and housing from the census.

The largest age group is 70–74, at 8.1% of residents. 60.2% of households own their home. The most common property type is detached (55.2%).

Which council covers KW16 3BL?

The local authority for KW16 3BL is Orkney Islands.

KW16 3BL comes under Orkney Islands in Scotland. Council tax, planning applications and bin collections are handled there.

How well connected is KW16 3BL?

Connectivity scores 1.8 out of 10.

There are 11 bus stops within 800m and 0 stations and tram stops within a mile, scoring 1.8 out of 10 (poor). The nearest station is Stromness Orkney Ferry Terminal, 0.5 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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