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St Magnus Cathedral in Kirkwall from its kirkyard, red and yellow sandstone above old gravestones.
Orkney

St Magnus Cathedral

Begun in 1137 for a murdered earl, and still the centre of Kirkwall.

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Welcome

St Magnus Cathedral was begun in 1137, when Orkney belonged to Norway rather than Scotland, and it was raised by Earl Rognvald in honour of his uncle Magnus, killed on the orders of his cousin Hakon, and a saint within a generation because of the miracles reported afterwards.

It is built of the local sandstone, red banded with yellow, and it is Romanesque almost throughout: round arches, heavy piers, a nave that is far taller than the town around it has any right to. The bones of both Magnus and Rognvald were later found in the piers, and are there still. It opens Monday to Saturday all year and on Sunday afternoons from April to September, and entry is free.

Close byHelgi’sA small Viking-themed pub on the Kirkwall harbour front, with home-cooked food and a good run of malts; over 18s only.1 min by roadSee itA plate of seared scallops with asparagus and potato at Helgi's.
Before you go
How long
Three quarters of an hour to two hours
Cost
Free to walk in
Their website
orkneymuseums.co.uk
Telephone
01856 874894

Opening hours

Their website
Monday
9am–1pm, 2pm–5pm
Tuesday
9am–1pm, 2pm–5pm
Wednesday
9am–1pm, 2pm–5pm
Thursday
9am–1pm, 2pm–5pm
Friday
9am–1pm, 2pm–5pm
Saturday
9am–1pm, 2pm–5pm
Sunday
Closed
Where it is

Kirkwall, Orkney.

Close byThe rest of Orkney, near at hand.
  1. The children's corner of the Orcadian Bookshop, shelves of picture books above small chairs and a table.The Orcadian BookshopThe Orcadian newspaper's bookshop on Albert Street, Kirkwall, for Orkney books, maps and gifts.Under a mile1 min by road
  2. Orkney Wireless MuseumRadio, radar and wartime listening on Scapa Flow, at Kiln Corner.Under a mile1 min by road
  3. The Orkney DistilleryKirkjuvagr gin, made on the Kirkwall waterfront.Under a mile3 min by road
  4. Highland Park Distillery's stone buildings and cobbled yard lit by lamps at dusk.Highland Park DistilleryOrkney's whisky distillery on the edge of Kirkwall since 1798, with tours, tastings without booking and a shop.1 mile2 min by road
  5. A chocolate and redcurrant dessert with honeycomb, drawn in chocolate on a white plate, the Lynnfield.Lynnfield HotelA small country-house hotel above Kirkwall, with a peat fire, over 300 malts and a restaurant built on Orkney produce.1 mile2 min by road
Directions
A plate of seared scallops with asparagus and potato at Helgi's.RestaurantsHelgi’s0.4 miles
The Foveran's dining room, tartan chairs at laid tables and big windows onto the fields and Scapa Flow.RestaurantsThe Foveran3.1 miles
ShoppingSheila Fleet Kirk Gallery6.0 miles
A barrier of stone blocks and its road from directly above, a rusting blockship in the green water beside it.AttractionsChurchill Barriers7.4 miles
The white and red front of the Italian Chapel on Lamb Holm, a path leading up to it under a stormy sky.AttractionsItalian Chapel7.9 miles
Wooden steps down through the dunes to the beach at Glimps Holm, the barrier and the sea beyond.AttractionsGlimps Holm Beach9.0 miles
Maeshowe, a great grassy mound in green fields under a grey sky.AttractionsMaeshowe Chambered Cairn9.9 miles
The tall, thin Standing Stones of Stenness on green grass, the loch and the hills of Hoy behind.AttractionsStanding Stones of Stenness11 miles
Fursbreck Pottery, a stone cottage with a red-edged roof and a garden of pots and benches, Harray.AttractionsThe Harray Potter11 miles
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