St Magnus Cathedral in Kirkwall is magnificent. It’s origins are in Viking times, when Orkney was ruled by Viking Earls. It’s the best preserved medieval cathedral in Scotland with massive Norman pillars built by the masons of Durham Cathedral.
Towering above the Kirkwall landscape, St. Magnus Cathedral, with its distinctive sandstone hues, is one of Orkney’s most significant landmarks. Parts of this impressive building have stood for more than 850 years and its attractive appearance owes much to the polychromatic effect of the alternating stonework, comprising red sandstone quarried from Head of Holland, north of Kirkwall, and yellow sandstone which is believed to have been quarried on Eday, one of Orkney’s northern isles.