A recent visit to Kirkwall
It was founded by Earl Rognvald in the 12th century and given to the people of Kirkwall by King James 111 of Scotland in 1486. Along with Glasgow Cathedral it is one of the oldest cathedrals in Scotland.
compact town of Kirkwall
It is not difficult to reach Kirkwall by public transport and sailing from Aberdeen takes around 6 hours, then a local taxi from the Port to your destination. Ferries sail from Kirkwall Harbour to
the outlying islands and they are well worth visiting, as is the rest of mainland Orkney with its villages and historical sites such as The Italian Chapel, Ring of Brodgar, Skara Brae and Scapa Flow.
Although damaged to a certain extent during the Reformation it survived not too badly and, during the 19th century, the interior was restored for the new congregation. Further refurbishment took place in the 20th century and the plain glass windows were replaced by beautiful stained glass. Local sandstone of both red and yellow make for an attractive outward appearance although, over the years, some erosion
has taken place and bits have been sympathetically replaced.
The Cathedral was the final resting place for the relics of St Magnus and the history of the building is an interesting one. It is still a lively, active church and services take place each Sunday at 11.15am with the option of following on-line
It is not difficult to reach Kirkwall by public transport and sailing from Aberdeen takes around 6 hours, then a local taxi from the Port to your destination. Ferries sail from Kirkwall Harbour to the outlying islands and they are well worth visiting, as is the rest of mainland Orkney with its villages and historical sites such as The Italian Chapel, Ring of Brodgar, Skara Brae and Scapa Flow.
