Discover 8 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Kirkwall (United Kingdom). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: St Magnus Cathedral, Bishop's Palace, and Earl's Palace. Also, be sure to include Unstan Chambered Cairn in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Kirkwall (Scotland).
Table of Contents
St Magnus Cathedral
Striking, 12th-century place of worship. St Magnus Cathedral dominates the skyline of Kirkwall, the main town of Orkney, a group of islands off the north coast of mainland Scotland. It is the most northerly cathedral in the United Kingdom, a fine example of Romanesque architecture built for the bishops of Orkney when the islands were ruled by the Norse Earls of Orkney. It is owned not by the church, but by the burgh of Kirkwall as a result of an act of King James III of Scotland following Orkney's annexation by the Scottish Crown in 1468. It has its own dungeon.
Construction began in 1137, and it was added to over the next 300 years. The first bishop was William the Old, and the diocese was under the authority of the Archbishop of Nidaros in Norway. It was for Bishop William that the nearby Bishop's Palace was built.
Before the Reformation, the cathedral was presided over by the Bishop of Orkney, whose seat was in Kirkwall. Today, it is a parish church of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland, and therefore technically no longer a cathedral.[1]
Address: Broad Street, KW15 1NX Kirkwall
Bishop's Palace
Stately remains of 2 historic castles. The Bishop's Palace, Kirkwall is a 12th-century palace built at the same time as the adjacent St Magnus Cathedral in the centre of Kirkwall, Orkney, Scotland. It housed the cathedral's first bishop, William the Old of the Norwegian Catholic church who took his authority from the Archbishop of Nidaros. The ruined structure now looks like a small castle.[2]
Address: Palace Rd., KW15 1PD Kirkwall
Earl's Palace
Palace. The Earl's Palace is a ruined Renaissance-style palace near St Magnus's Cathedral in the centre of Kirkwall, Orkney, Scotland. Built by Patrick, Earl of Orkney, its construction began in 1607 and was largely undertaken via forced labour. Today, the ruins are open to the public.[3]
Address: Palace Rd, Kirkwall
Unstan Chambered Cairn
Historical place in Scotland. Unstan is a Neolithic chambered cairn located about 2 mi north-east of Stromness on Mainland, Orkney, Scotland. The tomb was built on a promontory that extends into the Loch of Stenness near the settlement of Howe. Unstan is notable as an atypical hybrid of the two main types of chambered cairn found in Orkney, and as the location of the first discovery of a type of pottery that now bears the name of the tomb. The site is in the care of Historic Environment Scotland as a scheduled monument.[4]
Orkney Wireless Museum
Museum in Kirkwall, Scotland. The Orkney Wireless Museum in Kirkwall, Orkney, Scotland, houses a collection of domestic and military wireless equipment. It developed from the private collection of the late Jim MacDonald from St Margaret's Hope and marks the importance of wireless communications in Orkney during World War II.[5]
Address: 1 Junction Rd, KW15 1LB Kirkwall
Cuween Hill Chambered Cairn
Historical landmark in Scotland. Cuween Hill Chambered Cairn is a Neolithic chambered cairn on Mainland, the main island of Orkney, Scotland, about 6 miles west of Kirkwall. It dates to around 3,000 BCE, and is similar in design to Maeshowe, but on a smaller scale. It was constructed by Neolithic farmers as a burial place.
The cairn was excavated in 1901 and the remains of several humans and dogs were found, including skulls. In the 1990s, excavations uncovered the remains of a small Neolithic settlement at Stonehall, at the foot of Cuween Hill, and in 2019 images of a forensic model of one of the dog skulls were published.[6]
Address: Cuween Hill, KW Kirkwall
Orkney Library & Archive
Orkney Library and Archive is a Scottish public library service based in Kirkwall, Orkney. Founded in 1683, Orkney Library is the oldest public library in Scotland. Its rules date from 1815. It has become known for its popular, humorous Twitter account.[7]
Address: Orkney Library & Archive 44 Junction Road, KW15 1AG Kirkwall
Scapa distillery
Distillery. Scapa distillery is a Scotch whisky distillery on The Mainland of Orkney, Scotland on the shore of Scapa Flow near the town of Kirkwall. Scapa is the second-northernmost whisky distillery in Scotland, 1⁄2 mile south of the Highland Park Distillery.[8]