The population of the Orkney Islands is about 19,245 (2001). The inhabitants are of partly Scots and partly Scandinavian descent, and few speak Gaelic. Kirkwall (population, 1991, 6,469) is the largest town as well as the administrative centre for the islands. It is ... the seat of the sheriff court. Kirkwall has a strong resemblance to Norwegian towns, with its narrow streets of thick-walled houses with small windows and stepped gables; its cathedral is similar to that of Trondheim. The port of Stromness (1991, 1,890), also on Mainland, is the other major settlement and is the main ferry terminal for services to the Scottish mainland.