Earl’s Palace, Kirkwall, Orkney

We had another day taking in the sites of Kirkwall. We’d managed only half the museum at Tankerness House on Monday so we picked up where we’d left off, at the Vikings. The house was home to the Baikie family for three centuries until 1968 when it opened as a museum. Part of the museum shows the Baikie library and drawing room. There is a superb and well known portrait of George Mackay Brown by Sandy Moffat on display.

Opposite the museum are St Magnus Cathedral, the Bishop’s Palace and the Earl’s Palace. The cathedral is Britain’s most northerly one and was founded in 1137 by the Viking Earl Rognvald in honour of his uncle St Magnus who was martyred in Orkney.

The Bishop’s Palace dates from Norse times and was built around the same time as the cathedral.

The Earl’s Palace was built by Earl Patrick Stewart, the 2nd Earl of Orkney, in 1606. He was the son of the illegitimate brother of Mary Queen of Scots. He was executed for treason in 1615.

The palace has been described as a Scottish renaissance masterpiece.

A bit wet and windy again today although you can see from the photo that it had brightened up by late afternoon.