St Magnus Cathedral

St Magnus Cathedral, built from red and yellow sandstone, is dedicated to Magnus Erlendsson, Earl of Orkney. The foundations were laid in 1137 and it took about 300 years to build. It is a fine example of a Romano-Gothic Cathedral.

St Magnus Cathedral was founded in 1137 by Earl Rognvald, nephew of St Magnus. When first built, the cathedral was part of the Archdiocese of Nidaros (Trondheim) in Norway. Orkney became part of Scotland in 1468, and a few years later, the cathedral was given to the people of Kirkwall by the Scots king, James III.

Restoration works took place in the 1850s and again from 1913-1930 following a large bequest from Sheriff George Thoms, when the present floors, woodwork, stained glass windows and spire were installed.

The cathedral structure is constantly monitored to safeguard this beautiful building for future generations. After the Scottish Reformation in 1560 the cathedral was used for Protestant worship. Today, the cathedral belongs to the people of Orkney and is looked after by Orkney Islands Council. It has a Church of Scotland congregation, and by arrangement can be used by any Christian denomination.

Free tours of the Upper Levels (normal cost £7.75) on Saturday 3 September 2016 ONLY

3 tours, each lasting 2 hours. 6 places on each tour. TOURS MUST BE BOOKED IN ADVANCE; participants need to be able to climb stairs and negotiate confined spaces, AND MUST BE AGED 12 YRS OR OVER.

Please telephone for details 01856 874894