The Kirkwall Ba’ - Orkney’s Most Famous Game
If you’ve been to Orkney, chances are you’ve probably heard of, or even seen the Ba’!
If you’re not quite sure what the Ba’ is and haven’t heard of it before, don’t worry. We at CRC have put together a summary of everything you need to know about the Ba’ in Orkney.
The Ba’ is a traditional, football-like game held right here in the heart of Kirkwall. The game is made up of two teams known as the Uppies and the Doonies. Centuries ago, when the Ba’ was first created, the teams were decided based on which end of town you were from – “Up the Gates” being the south end and “Down the Gates” being the north. Nowadays, people tend to decide based on where in Orkney they were born, whether they have family ties to a certain team, or even how they first arrived in Kirkwall.
The Boys Ba' starts at 10am, and the Mens Ba' starts at 1pm on both Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, directly in front of the Mercat Cross on Broad Street. Once the Uppies and the Doonies hear the strike from the Cathedral clock, the Ba' gets thrown into the pack and the competitive battle begins between the two teams.
The Ba’ is quite a brutal game, as it has no written or set rules, other than the core principle that the Ba’ must either touch a specific wall at Mackison’s Corner or be thrown into the sea (the Basin) at the Kirkwall Harbour for a team to win. How the Ba’ gets to either point in town is a complete free-for-all and can sometimes lead to aggressive and rugby like behaviour.
The match doesn’t stop until the Ba’ reaches either the Uppie or Doonie goal. Games can last until late in the evening and may move all around Kirkwall, and occasionally beyond, depending on where the teams take the Ba’. As there are very few rules in place, there is no real “cut-off point” for how far the Ba’ can travel or how long the game can take. Once the Ba’ has been won and the winning team declared, the team members decide among themselves which player is most deserving of keeping the Ba’, this too can take a long time to decide
A Personal Connection to the Ba’
Our team member Brogan has a long-standing connection to the Ba’, which he shares below:
“My love of the Ba’ started at a young age after hearing my Grandad’s stories. He won the Christmas 1984 Ba’ and had the honour of throwing up the Christmas 2009 Ba’. I played in the Boys Ba’ from the age of 8, but unfortunately missed my last Boys Ba’ due to Covid. I then went straight into the Men’s Ba’ at 16, and I have played every game since.”
CRC, the Ba’, and Our Laing Street Home - The Ba' barricades are up
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The Ba’ is such an important part of Kirkwall life that it directly affects us here at CRC too. Now that CRC is based in the Old Library on Laing Street, we have to put up Ba’ barricades every Christmas Day and New Year’s Day to protect the building during the game.
Because of this close connection, and as a small nod to a tradition that means so much to our town and our community, we’ve chosen to give Ba’-themed gifts to our clients this festive season. It’s our way of celebrating local heritage, sharing a bit of Orkney culture, and marking our place right in the heart of Kirkwall during one of its most iconic events.
