Portree of MacNab's Inn, the last meeting place of Flora MacDonald and Bonnie Prince Charlie in 1746. The town plays host to the Isle of Skye's shinty club, Skye Camanachd. They play at Pairc nan Laoch above the town on the road to Struan. Around 939 people (37.72% of the population) can speak Scottish Gaelic. The A855 road leads north out of the town, passing through villages such as Achachork, Staffin and passes the rocky landscape of the Storr before reaching the landslip of the Quiraing. The current name, ' translates as 'king's port', possibly from a visit by King James
Vadsø (town) from the island Vadsøya, since that was the original townsite. The Old Norse form of the name was "Vatnsøy". The first element is the genitive case of "vatn" which means "water" and the last element is "øy" which means "island". Therefore the meaning of the name is "the island with drinking water". The European route E75 highway goes through the town. The Hurtigruten coastal express boats regularly stop at the pier on Vadsøya island in the town. Vadsø Airport is located just east of the town in the village of Kiby. The newspaper "Varangeren" was published in Vadsø from 2007