Brough of Birsay

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Great Britain,scotland,brough of birsay, License Type: media, Download Time: 2026-04-17T20:09:01.000Z, User: LP_NGMcElroy, Editorial: false, purchase_order: 65050 - Digital Destinations and Articles, job: Digital destinations Lonely Planet, client: Digital destinations LP, other: Nicole McElroy

At low tide (check tide times at any Historic Environment Scotland site) you can walk out to this windswept island, which is the site of extensive Norse ruins, including a number of longhouses and the 12th-century St Peter’s Church. There’s also a replica of a Pictish stone found here. This is where St Magnus was buried after his murder on Egilsay in 1117, and the island became a pilgrimage place. The attractive lighthouse has fantastic views. Take a picnic, but don't get stranded…

The Brough features heavily in George Mackay Brown's excellent novel Magnus.

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