St Magnus Cathedral – an Hour Inside and a Scone Over the Road
A few hours.
The route
St Magnus Cathedral was begun in 1137 by the Viking earl Rognvald in honour of his uncle Magnus, and its red and yellow sandstone still towers over Kirkwall's Broad Street.
Spend an unhurried hour inside, then cross the road to the Real Food Café at the back of Judith Glue's shop for an Orkney coffee and something baked that morning. It works in any weather, and there's no need for the car.
Before you go
Book accommodation nearby
If you are staying over: here are ours nearest where the day starts and ends.
None of ours is close by: the nearest is House of the Northern Gate, 29 miles away. Sleeps 18.
To climb into the cathedral's upper levels, book the Upper Levels tour with the custodians inside or on 01856 874894: from October to March it runs on Thursdays and Saturdays at 11am and 2pm.
The day
Kirkwall
A slow morning in the middle of Kirkwall, all of it within a few steps of Broad Street. An hour among the sandstone pillars and carved gravestones of the cathedral, then a warm seat and a scone across the road.
About an hour and a half
St Magnus Cathedral
An attraction
St Magnus Cathedral stands on Broad Street, and you go in by the great west doors that face it. Entry is free. From October to March it opens Monday to Saturday, 9am to 1pm and 2pm to 5pm; from April to September it opens every day, Sundays from 1pm. Inside, huge round pillars of red sandstone carry the nave, the walls are lined with 17th-century gravestones carved with skulls and hourglasses, and a bell from HMS Royal Oak hangs in the north choir aisle. Pick up the leaflet for the graffiti trail, from the masons' marks to the names of wartime sailors, and bring a torch. Wheelchair users go in by the Bishop's door on the south side. The light is low and the floors are uneven, with steps throughout. There are toilets inside, one of them accessible, and only assistance dogs may come in.
The Real Food Café
Coffee and cake
Judith Glue's shop is just across Broad Street from the cathedral doors, and the Real Food Café is at the back of it. Have an Orkney coffee with a cheese scone, a bere bannock (an Orkney barley bread) or a slice of Dark Island beer cake, or stay on for soup and a Westray crab roll on the days the crab comes in. It opens Monday to Saturday from 9am, with shorter hours on Sundays. Children and well-behaved dogs are welcome. If it's full, Lucano on Victoria Street, a few minutes' walk south, serves coffee and Italian food every day.
If it rains
All of it is under a roof, and the cathedral and the café are a few steps apart across Broad Street.
Helgi’s, a restaurant in Kirkwall.
Photograph by Christian via Google