Sights in Kirkwall
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St Magnus Cathedral
Founded in 1137 and built out of local red sandstone and yellow Eday stone, fabulous St Magnus Cathedral is Kirkwall’s centrepiece. The powerful atmosphere of an ancient faith pervades the impressive interior. During summer, 40-minute tours of the cathedral’s upper levels start at 11am and 2pm on Tuesday and Thursday and cost £6 per person.
Earl Rognvald Brusason commissioned the cathedral in the name of his martyred uncle, Magnus Erlendsson, who was killed by Earl Hakon Paulsson on Egilsay in 1117. Work began in 1137, but the building is actually the result of 300 years of construction and alteration. The bones of St Magnus and St Rognvald are interred in the rectan…
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Highland Park Distillery
Among Scotland’s more respected whiskymakers, this distillery, where they malt their own barley, is great to visit. You can see the barley and the peat kiln used to dry it on the excellent, well-informed hour-long tour (hourly when open, and weekdays at 2pm in winter).
The standard 12-year-old is a soft, balanced malt, great for whisky novices and aficionados alike; the 18-year-old is among the world’s finest drams. These and others can be tasted on more specialised tours (£15), which you can prearrange.
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Tankerness House & Orkney Museum
This fine restored merchant’s house gives an intriguing glimpse into Orkney’s archaeological treasure chest, starting from the first settlers, who arrived over 5000 years ago. Exhibits include Pictish stones, ‘bone’ pins and Iron Age jewellery. The highlight is the photo archive downstairs, which offers snapshots of a technologically distant past. Keep an eye out for the temporary exhibitions.
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Orkney Museum
Opposite St Magnus Cathedral, in a former merchant’s house, is this labyrinthine display. It has an overview of Orcadian history and prehistory, including Pictish carvings and a display on the Ba’. Most engaging are the last rooms, covering 19th- and 20th-century social history; the earlier sections could do with a bit of a facelift (but then again, it’s free).
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Earl's Palace
Across the road from the Bishop's Palace is the ruin of the Earl’s Palace, built by the tyrant Earl Patrick Stewart in 1600 (though the earl ran out of money and the palace was never completed). It's said to be the finest example of French-Renaissance architecture in Scotland.
Both palaces were repossessed by Bishop James Law in 1615 and the earl and his son were publicly executed. Remarkably, the despotic Patrick was found to be so ignorant that he was unable to recite even the Lord’s Prayer; his execution had to be delayed by a day while priests taught him the words.
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Bishop's Palace
The Bishop's Palace was built in the mid-12th century to provide comfortable lodgings for Bishop William the Old. The floors have collapsed but the outer walls are remarkably intact, and you can climb Bishop Reid’s Tower, added in the 16th century, for wonderful views of the cathedral. On the outside of the tower is a small statue of Earl Rognvald.
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Orkney Wine Company
The Orkney Wine Company produces handmade wines made from berries, flowers and vegetables, all naturally fermented. Get stuck into some strawberry-rhubarb wine or carrot-and-malt-whisky liqueur – unusual flavours but surprisingly addictive.
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Earl's Palace & Bishop's Palace
Near the cathedral, these two ruined palaces are worth poking around. The better of the two, Earl's Palace, was once known as the finest example of French Renaissance architecture in Scotland. One room features an interesting history of its builder, Earl Patrick Stewart, who was executed in Edinburgh for treason. He started construction in about 1600, but he ran out of money and it was never completed.
The Bishop's Palace was built in the mid-12th century to provide comfortable lodgings for Bishop William the Old. There's a good view of the cathedral from the tower, and a plaque showing the different phases of the cathedral's construction.
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Orkney Wireless Museum
This museum houses a collection of more than 100 wireless and transistor radio sets from the earliest Phillips radios to the 1960s, plus a fascinating jumble of communications equipment dating from around 1930 onwards, much of it relating to the Scapa Flow naval base.
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