Magnus Cathedral

St Magnus Cathedral dominates the skyline of Kirkwall, the capital of Orkney, and is often described as the 'Light in the North'. Founded in 1137 by the Viking Earl Rognvald in honour of his uncle Magnus Erlendsson, a Norse earl who was murdered on the island of Egilsay and later canonised, it is the most northerly cathedral in Britain and one of the finest examples of Romanesque architecture in Scotland.

The building is constructed from warm red sandstone quarried at Head of Holland, with contrasting yellow stone from Eday, creating the cathedral's distinctive banded appearance. Inside, the massive cylindrical piers, rounded arches and ribbed vaulting reflect the Norman influences of its earliest masters, while later Gothic additions show how the cathedral evolved over centuries of building work.

Visitors can explore the nave, choir and transepts, view medieval grave slabs and memorials to Orcadian seafarers, and find the relics of St Magnus and St Rognvald concealed within the great piers. The cathedral remains an active parish church of the Church of Scotland and a focal point of community life, hosting the annual St Magnus International Festival each midsummer. Its sturdy tower and graveyard sit at the centre of Kirkwall's historic streets, a short walk from the harbour and the ruins of the Bishop's and Earl's Palaces.