Orkney, also known as the Orkney Islands, is an archipelago located off the north coast of mainland Scotland. It is situated approximately 10 miles (16 km) north of Caithness and forms part of the Northern Isles along with Shetland.
The archipelago consists of about 70 islands, 20 of which are inhabited. The largest island is the Mainland, which covers an area of 523 square kilometres (202 sq mi). This makes it the sixth-largest Scottish island and the tenth-largest island in the British Isles. Kirkwall serves as the administrative centre and the largest settlement within Orkney.