Six thousand visitors due off liners tomorrow

Two large cruise liners are due in Kirkwall tomorrow, Sunday.

The arrival of the MSC Magnifica and the Ruby Princess will see around 6,000 passengers, plus crew members, coming ashore.

Barriers will be in place on both sides of Broad Street to enable the Riding of the Marches to start and finish safely. At those times there will be a continuous row of barriers between the riders and spectators. During the rest of the day, gaps will be opened up to allow pedestrians to cross the street.

Street cleaning will take place after the start and finish of the event and council staff will be emptying litter bins throughout the day.

Michael Morrison, business development manager with Orkney Marine Services, said: “Ensuring that a major event like the Riding of the Marches runs smoothly on such a busy day for Kirkwall has required a lot of hard work and tremendous co-operation between everyone involved.

“It’ll be a spectacular sight for the many visitors from the cruise ships – we’re expecting that the Vintage Rally will be a big draw as well.

 “As you’d expect, a number of road closures will be needed in and around the town on Sunday. If you’re thinking of driving in the Kirkwall area, please check these out before hand.”

Full details of the road closures are available here.

During Sunday’s visit, the MSC Magnifica will tie up alongside Hatston Pier while the Ruby Princess will be at anchor in Kirkwall Bay.