Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ORKNEY
KIRKWALL
Broch of Gurness
Evie • April-Sept daily 9.30am-5.30pm • £5.50; HS •
T
01856 751414
he best-preserved broch on Orkney is the
Broch of Gurness
, on the north coast, still
surrounded by a remarkable complex of later buildings. As at Birsay, the sea has eaten
away half the site, but the broch itself, from around 100 BC, still stands, its walls
reaching 12ft in places and its inner cells intact. Clustered around the broch, the
compact group of homes has survived amazingly well, complete with their original
stone shelving and fireplaces. he best view of the site is from the east, where you can
make out the “main street” leading towards the broch.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
BROCH OF GURNESS
By bus
Bus services from Kirkwall get you to Evie
(Mon-Sat 4-5 daily; 30min), from which it's a 30min walk
to the broch. There's also the Octobus service from
Finstown, (pre-book the day before
T
01856 871536).
ACCOMMODATION
Castlehill
Evie
T
01856 751228,
W
castlehillorkney
.co.uk.
This modern crofthouse under Burgar Hill looks
nothing special from the outside but it's well decked out
inside, with pleasant wooden furnishings and
qual
ity
bedding. Great views and top-notch home cooking.
£85
15
Eviedale
Campsite Evie
T
01856 751270,
W
creviedale.orknet.co.uk.
In a sheltered spot by the
junction of the road to Dounby, this is a small, simple
campsite among a h
an
dful of self-catering cottages.
Free wi-fi.
April-Oct.
£7
/person
Kirkwall
Initial impressions of
KIRKWALL
, Orkney's capital, are not always favourable. It has
nothing to match the picturesque harbour of Stromness, and its residential sprawl is far
less appealing. However, it does have one great redeeming feature - its sandstone
cathedral
, without doubt the finest medieval building in the north of Scotland. In any
case, if you're staying any length of time in Orkney you're more or less bound to find
yourself in Kirkwall at some point, as the town is home to the islands' better-stocked
shops, and is the ferry terminal for most of Orkney's northern isles.
St Magnus Cathedral
Broad St • April-Sept Mon-Sat 9am-6pm, Sun 2-5pm; Oct-March 9am-1pm & 2-5pm • Free • Guided upper level tours Tues & Thurs
11am & 2pm • £6.85 •
T
01856 874894,
W
stmagnus.org
Standing at the very heart of Kirkwall,
St Magnus Cathedral
is the town's most compelling
sight. his beautiful red-sandstone building was begun in 1137 by the Orkney Earl
Rögnvald (aka St Ronald), spurred on by the growing cult surrounding the figure of his
uncle Magnus, killed by his cousin Håkon in 1117 (see p.545). When Magnus's body
was buried in Birsay, a heavenly light was said to have shone overhead, and his grave soon
drew pilgrims. When Rögnvald took over the earldom, he moved the centre of religious
and secular power from Birsay to Kirkwall, before he himself was murdered.
Today much of the detail in the soft sandstone has worn away - the capitals around
the main doors are reduced to artistically gnarled stumps - but it's still an immensely
impressive building. Inside, the atmosphere is surprisingly intimate, the bulky
sandstone columns drawing your eye up to the exposed brickwork arches, while around
the walls is a series of mostly seventeenth-century tombstones, many carved with a
skull and crossbones and other emblems of mortality, alongside chilling inscriptions
calling on the reader to “remember death waits us all, the hour none knows”. In the
square pillars on either side of the high altar, the bones of Magnus and Rögnvald are
buried. In the southeastern corner of the cathedral lies the tomb of the Stromness-born
Arctic explorer John Rae, who tried to find Sir John Franklin's expedition; he is
depicted asleep, dressed in moleskins and furs, his rifle and bible by his side. Beside
