Sporting

The Kirkwall Ba': Orkney's Historic Christmas Football Game

4 August 2026

Jamie Russell

Most people spend Christmas Day with family, enjoying a roast dinner or watching a film. In Kirkwall, Orkney, Christmas looks rather different. Shopfronts are boarded up, players pull on old rugby shirts and hundreds of people gather in the streets for one of Scotland's oldest and most remarkable traditions.

The Kirkwall Ba' is far more than a football match. Played through the streets of the town every Christmas Day and New Year's Day, it is a centuries-old contest that combines history, folklore and fierce local pride. At its heart is a handcrafted leather ball, an object that becomes part of Kirkwall's history long after the final goal is scored.

Quick answer: The Kirkwall Ba' is a medieval street football game played every Christmas Day and New Year's Day in Kirkwall, Orkney. Dividing the town into two teams, the Uppies and the Doonies, it is one of Scotland's oldest surviving traditions, with the winning player receiving the leather Ba' itself as a lasting symbol of honour.

Illustrated below: New Year's Day Men's Ba' 2015 by Ian Balcombe, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons | Jamie Russell of Lyon & Turnbull with the 1907 Youth's Ba | The Men's Ba 1906, Unknown author. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons | Kirkwall Ba' Plaque, C1614, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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What Is the Kirkwall Ba'?

The Kirkwall Ba' is one of several traditional Ba' games once played across Scotland, surviving today as one of the country's best-known examples of medieval street football.

The game divides Kirkwall into two sides: the Uppies ("Up-the-Gates") and the Doonies ("Doon-the-Gates"). Traditionally, allegiance depended on where a player lived within Kirkwall and St Ola, although today participants travel from across Orkney to take part.

Unlike modern football, the Ba' has no referee, no fixed pitch and no written rulebook. Instead, the game is governed by a long-established code of honour, respected by generations of players and allowing the contest to regulate itself.

How Is the Kirkwall Ba' Played?

The Men's Ba' begins when the bell of St Magnus Cathedral strikes one o'clock. From the Merket Cross in the centre of Kirkwall, the Ba' is thrown into a waiting scrum that can number more than 300 players. From that moment, the objective is simple but anything but easy.

The Doonies attempt to carry the ball to the harbour, where it must be immersed in the salt water of Kirkwall Bay. The Uppies must force it to the old town boundary at Mackinson's Corner, the historic site of Kirkwall's former town gates.

Hours of pushing, surging and tactical play follow as the two sides battle through the streets, watched by thousands of spectators.

How Old Is the Kirkwall Ba'?

The origins of the Kirkwall Ba' are uncertain, although records show the game was already established by the mid-seventeenth centuy.

Local folklore tells a more dramatic story. According to tradition, the game began after a tyrannical Viking known as Tusker was killed by a young Orcadian. His severed head was carried into Kirkwall and kicked through the streets in celebration, giving rise to the annual contest. Whether fact or legend, the story has become part of the Ba's lasting identity, linking the modern game to Orkney's Norse heritage.

Winning the Ba'

Scoring the winning goal is only part of the story. Once the Ba' reaches its destination, another tradition begins. Players from the victorious side decide who deserves to receive the ball itself.

The honour is rarely awarded simply to the player who scored. Instead, it often recognises decades of commitment, sportsmanship and contribution to the game. Many recipients have participated for twenty years or more before finally receiving a Ba', making each surviving example a deeply personal piece of Orkney's history.

The Youths' Kirkwall Ba'

Unlike the Men's and Boys' games, the Youths' Ba' was only played between 1892 and 1910, making surviving examples exceptionally scarce.

This ball, offered at auction in August 2026, also carries remarkable provenance, having belonged to the respected historian and collector John D. Robertson. A lifelong supporter of the Ba', Robertson won the coveted trophy himself on New Year's Day 1966 and later documented the game's history in The Kirkwall Ba': Between the Water and the Wall. His research remains one of the most important sources on the tradition and helped preserve its history for future generations.

Every mark on the leather tells part of the story. The scrapes, dents and worn surface are not imperfections but evidence of one extraordinary day's play, preserving a tradition that has united the people of Kirkwall for centuries.

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Specialist

Jamie Russell

General Valuer

Frequently Asked Questions

The Kirkwall Ba' is a traditional medieval football game played through the streets of Kirkwall, Orkney, every Christmas Day and New Year's Day.

The two competing teams represent different parts of Kirkwall. Traditionally, players joined the side associated with where they lived.

The game is recorded as early as the seventeenth century, although local tradition suggests its origins are much older.

For the people of Kirkwall, the Ba' is more than a sporting event. It is a centuries-old tradition that celebrates community, local identity and Orkney's cultural heritage.

The winning team selects one player to receive the Ba' in recognition of their contribution to the game, often after many years of participation.

The Kirkwall Ba': Orkney's Historic Christmas Football Game

Got Something to Sell?

What Is the Kirkwall Ba'?

How Is the Kirkwall Ba' Played?

How Old Is the Kirkwall Ba'?

Winning the Ba'

The Youths' Kirkwall Ba'

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Jamie Russell

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Kirkwall Ba'?

Who are the Uppies and Doonies?

How old is the Kirkwall Ba'?

Why is the Ba' so important?

Who keeps the Ba' after the game?