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Kathedrale
St Magnus Cathedral
Red and yellow sandstone cathedral founded in 1137 by Earl Rognvald for St Magnus; open daily April to September, Monday to Saturday in winter.
Ein Mini-Guide zu
Kirkwall & central Mainland
Orkney's main town: St Magnus Cathedral, the palaces, the Orkney Museum and Neolithic tombs close by
Fotos
1 / 6Willkommen in der Gegend
Orkney's main town: St Magnus Cathedral, the palaces, the Orkney Museum and Neolithic tombs close by
Kirkwall is Orkney's largest town and its administrative centre, a port and historic royal burgh with a population of 9,293 in 2011. St Magnus Cathedral, founded in 1137 and built from local red and yellow sandstone, stands at its heart, beside the Bishop's Palace, where King Haakon IV of Norway died in 1263, and the Earl's Palace of the early 1600s.
The Orkney Museum, in Tankerness House opposite the cathedral, tells the islands' story from prehistory to the present. Within a short drive are the Grain and Rennibister earth houses, the Wideford Hill and Cuween Hill cairns, the Highland Park and Scapa distilleries and the round church at Orphir. NorthLink ferries from Aberdeen berth at Kirkwall, and the airport is about 5 km south-east of the town.
Highlights
Hier starten
Wenn Sie nur wenige Stunden haben, beginnen Sie am besten hier.
Palaces
Bishop's and Earl's Palaces
The Norse-era Bishop's Palace, where King Haakon IV of Norway died in 1263, beside Earl Patrick Stewart's Renaissance palace of the early 1600s.
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Museum
The Orkney Museum
Orkney's story from prehistory to today in Tankerness House, a museum since 1968, with Pictish stones and grave goods from the Scar Viking boat burial.
Whisky distillery
Highland Park Distillery
Distillery and visitor centre on the southern edge of Kirkwall, described as the northernmost single malt Scotch whisky distillery.
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Whisky distillery
Scapa Distillery
Whisky distillery on the shore of Scapa Flow, half a mile south of Highland Park, with a visitor centre offering tastings.
Jungsteinzeitliches Grab
Wideford Hill Chambered Cairn
Well-preserved tomb about 5,000 years old with a high central chamber and three cells, entered through the roof; inside is rare Neolithic scratch art.
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Orientierung
Auf der Karte
The map shows Kirkwall & central Mainland and the streets around it. The Getting there page lists nearby stops and stations.
Insidertipps
Vor der Reise
1
Check the cathedral before you go
Orkney Museums says St Magnus Cathedral may occasionally close for weddings or funerals, and staff may limit access when it is busy.
2
Book the big two early
Maeshowe and Skara Brae are sold as timed tickets on the Historic Environment Scotland website; book before you travel in summer.
3
Watch for weather warnings
Mainland buses are suspended for the length of any Met Office amber warning and may be cancelled at short notice in a yellow warning.
4
The Ba' at Christmas
On Christmas Day and New Year's Day the Ba' game fills the streets around the cathedral; expect crowds and closed streets.
Tipps der Britlens-Redaktion
Diesen Guide erkunden
Everything for Kirkwall & central Mainland
Orkney
More areas to explore
21 sights · 12 places to eat
Stromness & the West Mainland
Skara Brae, Maeshowe and the stone circles, Stromness harbour and the cliffs of Birsay and Yesnaby
Mini-Guide öffnen →
13 sights · 7 places to eat
Scapa Flow, the South Isles & Hoy
The Italian Chapel and Churchill Barriers, St Margaret's Hope, and Hoy's hills, Old Man and wartime Lyness
Mini-Guide öffnen →
17 sights · 5 places to eat
North Isles: Rousay, Westray & beyond
Rousay's tombs, Westray's castle and cliffs, the Knap of Howar and the lighthouses of the outer isles
Mini-Guide öffnen →Fotonachweise
- Kirkwall & central Mainland (area photo): Robert Scarth, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- St Magnus Cathedral: Mike Pennington, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Bishop's and Earl's Palaces: Van de Beek at nl.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- The Orkney Museum: Andrew Abbott, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Highland Park Distillery: Mark Crook, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Scapa Distillery: Lakeworther, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Wideford Hill Chambered Cairn: David Wyatt, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Cuween Hill Chambered Cairn: adrazahl, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Grain Earth House: Otter at Dutch Wikipedia (Original text: Hopmans), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Rennibister Earth House: Otter at Dutch Wikipedia (Original text: Hopmans), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Orkney Wireless Museum: G J Coyne, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Brough of Deerness: Colin Smith, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Earl's Bu and Church, Orphir: David Wyatt, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Stromness & the West Mainland: Dr. John F. Burka, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Scapa Flow, the South Isles & Hoy: Gregory J Kingsley, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- North Isles: Rousay, Westray & beyond: MichaelMaggs, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Photos from Wikimedia Commons, used under the licences shown. All photo credits