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The largest town in Orkney, Kirkwall also serves as the capital of the island county. Its first historical mention is in the Orkney Saga of 1046. In 1486 James III of Scots made Kirkwall a Royal Burgh, a fact still noted by modern road signs. On the outskirts of Kirkwall is an Iron Age souterrain, the Grain Earth House, attesting to the ancient occupation of the area.
Attractions and Activities
St. Magnus's Cathedral was built for the Bishop of Orkney in 1137. It is the northernmost cathedral in the British Isles and one of the few with its own dungeon. The nearby Bishop's Palace was built for its first bishop, William the Old, at a time when the diocese was under the Norwegian Archbishop of Nidaros. It is named for Magnus, one of the contending twelfth century Earls of Orkney whose cousin had him killed with an axe. The building uses local red sandstone and yellow sandstone from Eday. Fourteenth century additions introduced Gothic elements to the Romanesque structure. During renovations in 1917 a niche was found in the base of one pillar containing human remains, including a skull with an injury consistent with a blow from an axe.
The Bishop's Palace was built in the tradition of Norwegian palaces of the period. It had a rectangular hall sitting atop ground floor storerooms with a tower at one end containing living quarters. It was here that King Haakon IV of Norway died after the Battle of Largs in 1263. By the middle of the fourteenth century the palace was an empty ruin.
The nearby Earl's Palace was built in the seventeenth century by the second Stewart Earl of Orkney, the earlier title having fallen void. Its turrets and decorations give something of the air of a French chateau to the ruined palace. The structure is now in the care of Historic Scotland.
Tankerness House sits across from St. Magnus's. The two buildings were built as manses for the Choirmaster and Archdeacon of St. Magnus's, but were consolidated into a residence for Kirkwall's first Protestant clergyman in 1574. It now houses the Orkney Museum with its collection of artifacts from the prehistory and history of the Kirkwall area. Another fascinating collection is that of the Orkney Wireless Museum, containing an assortment of domestic and military equipment related to communication by radio. The Museum operates an amateur radio station at times and has a fine collection of QSL cards recording its contacts all over the world.
Access and Places to Stay
Kirkwall is the site of Orkney's airport, which has regular flights to major Scottish cities where further connections can be made. There is of course no road or rail access to the mainland of Great Britain, but ferries from Kirkwall reach Aberdeen and Lerwick as well as the northern outlying islands in the Orkneys.
There are plentiful accommodation options in the town, from historical hotels to bed and breakfast establishements, from hostels to modern chains. A large variety of takeaway food is available in Kirkwall, ranging from fish shops to Indian and Chinese establishments. More upscale facilities include Scottish and European cuisine as well as Dil Se, a full service Indian establishment.
Accommodation in Kirkwall
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