352 active companies are registered in Kirkwall with Companies House. Out of 393 companies ever registered here, 20 are no longer active — a 90% survival rate. Business formation remains steady, with 44.9% of current companies established since 2020. Over half (51%) of active companies were formed since 2020, making this one of the UK's fastest-growing business locations. The most common industry sector is other letting and operating of own or leased real estate, with 26 companies. Kirkwall is home to 11 FCA-regulated firms. The average company age is 11.1 years. The earliest company registration in Kirkwall dates back to 1941.
Source: Companies House register via UVAGATRON, October 2026
A diverse local economy with no single sector accounting for more than 15% of businesses.
The average active company in Kirkwall is 11.1 years old. There are 11 <Link href="/glossary/fca-financial-conduct-authority">FCA-regulated firms</Link> in the area. 5 registered charities operate locally.
Companies in Kirkwall have been awarded 5 government contracts with a combined value of £0.3M. See the Top Government Contractors report.
There are 352 active companies registered in Kirkwall, out of 393 total. 20 (5%) are no longer active.
The top industries in Kirkwall include Other letting and operating of own or leased real estate (26 companies), Production of electricity (25 companies), Other professional, scientific and technical activities n.e.c. (12 companies).
44.9% of currently active companies in Kirkwall were incorporated since 2020, indicating strong recent growth.
Our database contains 3,358 data signals across 10 categories for active companies in Kirkwall. The largest category is Governance with 1,515 signals from 4 sources.
The oldest company registration in Kirkwall dates back to 1941, spanning over 85 years of business history.