KIRKWALL, Orkney | 4K Narrated Walking Tour | Let's Walk 2024

Welcome to Kirkwall, the capital of Orkney. Now a part of Scotland, but once upon a time, one of the most important places in the world of the Vikings. Today home to a proud community of some 10,000 people, and an incredible history stretching back around a thousand years, Kirkwall is an absolutely riveting town to explore. And on this walk around the we'll discover everything from Kirkwall's proud maritime history by the harbour, to a wealth of captivating local landmarks along the town's enchanting main street. But above all, we'll explore the rich Scandinavian heritage on display on almost every street corner. From the spellbinding ruins of a 900 year old Norse palace, to the modern day Norwegian consulate building, and of course the spectacular flag of Orkney, a clear indicator of these islands proud Nordic legacy. All of that and much more is to come over the course of the next half hour, as we make our way around the captivating streets of Kirkwall. But we begin with what is surely the most famous landmark in this town, and perhaps all of Orkney, the immense Cathedral of St Magnus. This mighty place of worship, originally founded in the year 1137, is the most complete medieval cathedral in all of Scotland, and it's also the most northerly cathedral in the whole of the United Kingdom, by a great distance. Of course, given its age, St Magnus's Cathedral here was established long before the UK even existed. In fact, the cathedral was founded when Orkney was a part of the Norwegian realm, nominally ruled from across the sea in Scandinavia. Indeed, Orkney remained under Scandinavian control until the 15th century, just over 500 years ago, when it was transferred to Scottish rule. And so today, the capital of Kirkwall here, is home to a fascinating blend of Scandinavian and Scottish stories, culture, and architecture. For example, standing just opposite the Great Norse Cathedral, we can see Kirkwall's Victorian era town hall here, which is designed in a striking Scottish style. This town hall was built in 1886 as the new home for the Council of the Orkney Islands, and it replaced a much older town hall which once stood within the grounds of the cathedral, and which had been haphazardly built using stones from the town's medieval castle and bishop's palace, which we'll be visiting shortly. But the new town hall was still built close by, overlooking this green space in the heart of Kirkwall, which, as we can see from this replica of the town's old mercat cross, is where markets were historically held in Kirkwall. Markets held here were among the most important in all of Orkney, and their venue was known simply as Kirk Green, this being the out in front of the mighty medieval church. From the outside, St Magnus' Cathedral is a truly spectacular landmark, which dominates Kirkwall's skyline. But on the inside, it's just as beautiful, if not even more so. In fact, let's briefly head inside the cathedral now, to marvel at its spectacular stonework. St Magnus' Cathedral may have been founded nearly 900 years ago, but much of the mighty interior as we see it now was actually built over the course of multiple centuries, mostly using striking red and yellow sandstone quarried from the Orkney Islands themselves. Expertly crafted by a long line of stonemasons, some of whom are said to have worked on the immense Durham Cathedral in England too, Kirkwall's Cathedral has very much stood the test of time, not only retaining its beauty and majesty through so many centuries, but also withstanding the many ups and downs of history. After Orkney came under Scottish control in the 15th century, this cathedral was drawn into the world of British politics and conflict. It was attacked by English troops of Queen Mary I and later Oliver Cromwell, as well as Scottish government forces in the early 17th century. Yet the cathedral remains almost perfectly intact, not much different to how it looked when Norwegian bishops, not Scottish, preached within. Returning outside the cathedral once again, this grand place of worship is of course dedicated to St Magnus, a man who was born in Orkney, but who became widely known across Christian Scandinavia. Born Magnus Erlandson, the saint was renowned as a man of great gentleness. He was related to the Norwegian king, and he was taken on Viking raids around Britain, but is said to have refused to partake in their cruelty. Most famously, he sat out a raid on the island of Anglesey in Wales in protest of the Vikings' brutality. Despite this, by the beginning of the 12th century, he had risen to the position of Earl of Orkney, effectively the ruler of these islands. Now the Earls of Orkney can trace their heritage back to the very beginning of Viking settlement here, but over the centuries they became ever more powerful, and by the 17th century an entire palace was constructed for the Earls, that being the ruined buildings which we find just here. Once upon a time a place of great splendour, Kirkwall's Earl's Palace was built over the course of five years, from 1601 to 1606, for perhaps the most controversial Earl in Orkney's history. His name was Patrick Stewart, and while he embellished his own ego with the construction of this palace, he ruled over Orkney, as well as Shetland, with an iron fist, and was reviled by the people who called these islands home. The locals called him Black Patty, and he caused chaos across Orkney for more than 20 years, stealing lands and presiding over widespread violent suppression, and even when he was imprisoned in Scotland for his brutality, he managed to organise a rebellion in Kirkwall that lasted for two months, and led to the destruction of the town's once great castle. The Earl Patrick Stewart was eventually beheaded in 1615, and perhaps because of his association with this palace, no further Earls took up residence inside. In fact, within just a hundred years, the buildings here had fallen into disrepair, quickly becoming entirely uninhabitable. But in the brief period before they fell into ruin, a number of the bishops of Orkney decided to live inside the Earl's Palace, moving from their historic home, just across the road, here. These are the ruins of the Bishop's Palace, a smaller residence which is also much older. It was built in the early 12th century, around the same time as the Cathedral, and it served as the home for the Norwegian bishops of Orkney. Beside the Earl, the position of Bishop of Orkney was the most prestigious on these islands, to the point that even the King of Norway would visit their home. In fact, in the year 1263, none other than King Harkon IV of Norway died inside the Bishop's Palace here. Now, once upon a time, the palace was much more extensive than the ruins we see today. In fact, it was expanded greatly in size after Orkney came under Scottish rule, with this great tower, known locally as the Musitur, added to the palace in the 16th century, as part of its renovations. So, with St Magnus' Cathedral, the Earl's Palace, and the Bishop's Palace all standing in close quarters, this street corner was very much the heart of power, not just in Kirkwall, but all of Orkney, a part of the UK which boasts some truly incredible history. But where exactly in the country would you find Orkney, and its capital here? Well, taking a look at a map, we can see the Orkney Islands situated just off the northern coast of mainland Scotland, with the point of John o' Groats lying just under 10 miles from the archipelago's southernmost point. The capital Kirkwall sits in the heart of Orkney's largest island, itself known as the mainland. And in the heart of Kirkwall, there stands this intriguing building, today the home of the Orkney Museum, but which is historically known as Tankerness House. Originally built in the 1530s, what we see today were once two separate houses, serving the cathedral across the street. But in the 1560s, they were bought by the cathedral's former archdeacon, who enclosed this area into a courtyard and used it as his private residence. The house was later bought by one James Bulkey of Tankerness, which is how it got its name. But it wasn't until the 1950s that the local council bought it, and eventually opened it as a museum in 1968, which nowadays tells the enthralling story of Orkney, from its prehistoric origins, through the Viking era, and up to the present day. Indeed, at nearly 500 years old, Tankerness House is one of the oldest buildings still in use in Kirkwall. Although even with half a millennium of history under its belt, the house is still a relative whippersnapper, especially when compared to the mighty cathedral that stands directly opposite. As we mentioned, St Magnus's Cathedral is dedicated to an early 12th century Earl of Orkney, Magnus Erlandson, who was a much more popular figure among the people of Orkney. But sadly, after falling out with his cousin and co-Earl, Magnus was infamously murdered on the small island of Egglesea, about 10 miles north of Kirkwall here. But it was this tragedy which led the Earl to eventually be known as Magnus the Martyr, and it was just 20 years after his death that a cathedral dedicated to him was founded in the heart of Orkney's most important town. More than 900 years after his death, St Magnus's name can still be found all over Orkney. But speaking of names, what about the name of the Orcadian capital here? Well, like many other places in Orkney, the name Kirkwall is derived from Old Norse, the language of the Vikings, and it was known to them as Kirkjufalgr, literally meaning Church Bay. Notably, however, the church in question was not St Magnus's cathedral. In fact, the Kirk in Kirkjufalgr referred to the much older church of St Olaf, built in the 11th century, once a key landmark for boats searching for Kirkwall's harbour, but of which sadly next to nothing remains today. And it's not the only historic Kirkwall landmark mostly lost to history. Just here on Castle Street we find a plaque which marks the site where the last ruins of Kirkwall Castle once stood. Today entirely wiped away, the castle was originally built in the 14th century, likely as a residence for the earls. But as we know, an infamous rebellion, launched in 1614 by the Earl Patrick Stewart, Black Patty, led to the castle's destruction, after his supporters captured it and held it for two months, while being bombarded by Scottish forces. After they were eventually defeated, the Scottish government ordered that the castle here be slighted, deliberately damaged, so that no similar rebellion could use its defences again, and over the following centuries its stones were gradually stripped away by locals, with the castle vanishing entirely by the late 19th century. Before its complete destruction, the castle ruins were neighboured by this 17th century house, known as the Ridgeland, which served for a period as the town hall and jail, and which now overlooks this narrow alleyway, which is known simply as the Strind. Its name comes from a Scots word, simply meaning a line or stretch of something, but which can also be used metaphorically to refer to a person's lineage or forebears. And indeed the Strind here is a good example of the kind of street many of the ancestors of many locals would have once walked along. It's one of Kirkwall's oldest closes, small alleyways which branch off the town's main street, which winds its way from Kirk Green by the cathedral towards the harbour. And that, as we look up at the historic Ridgeland house, is the route that we're now going to follow, making our way towards Kirkwall's historic harbour along what is now the town's busiest thoroughfare, known in this stretch as Albert Street. Albert Street is well known for its wide collection of shops, but its most famous landmark is actually a tree, which stands here in the middle of the pavement. To the people of Kirkwall, this is known simply as the Big Tree, a sycamore which is thought to have been planted more than in a garden belonging to a local chemist. It was once one of a trio, but its two neighbours were chopped down when the chemist sold the land to be used as shopfronts. Yet this one was saved after an outcry from the townspeople, who had come to use it as a handy meeting place. In fact, even today, if you're meeting a local in the town centre, there's a good chance they'll say they'll see you at the Big Tree. Now, as we walk between the shops of Albert Street today, you'll see plenty of Kirkwall's 10,000 residents out enjoying the sunshine, always a welcome treat on these windswept and often cloudy islands. But alongside the many Kirkwallians going about their business, in the summer season, the town streets are also busy with tourists, many of whom are exploring Kirkwall on a brief excursion from a cruise ship. In fact, Kirkwall here is the UK's most popular cruise ship destination of all, greeting more than 100 ships every year into its harbour. For visitors disembarking onto Kirkwall's streets, beautiful historic buildings like the 17th Century House here at 35 Albert Street will immediately catch the eye, alongside many of the town's oldest landmarks that we've already visited. Excursions to natural and prehistoric sites further afield around Orkney are especially popular too for cruise passengers spending the day in port here, before they then make their way back to the ship. And unlike Once Upon a Time, there's no need for them to pass through the historic Customs House, which we find standing on Albert Street here. As Orkney's main port, Kirkwall has long been the place through which goods and people have flowed in and out of these islands, and as such the government sought to keep tabs and raise taxes on the produce which was travelling through the port here. For that reason, a Customs House was built here on the town's main street in 1830, as part of a wider modernisation of Kirkwall's harbour, which until the 19th Century had been left as a fairly rudimentary port, with few dedicated facilities. As we'll see when we reach the harbour, things have certainly changed, but the truth is that people have been arriving into Kirkwall by sea for as long as the town has existed, dating all the way back to the first arrival of Viking settlers around a thousand years ago. Scandinavian peoples first began settling in Orkney to make use of the island's natural resources, but over time this archipelago became a crucial part of the Kingdom of Norway, lying roughly in the middle of the realm's vast territories, which stretched as far as Greenland to the north and Dublin in Ireland to the south. In no small part because of this, Orkney held great significance, and the events which unfolded on these islands, while largely controlled by the earls, were also dictated at Orkney's Parliament, which was once upon a time held right here on this street corner. This lane is now known as Parliament Close, in memory of the Norse era parliament, which was actually called a thing. Now things were found all over the Viking world, they were meeting places where local people of influence would assemble and create the laws that governed a society. Within the Kingdom of Norway, the people of Orkney lived under Norse law, a different style of legal system to that in Great Britain, and even when Orkney passed from Norse to Scottish control, it remained under that same Norse law, until as recently as the year 1611. But after the chaotic tenure of the Earl Patrick Stewart, the Scottish government began to bring Orkney and Shetland further north, more closely under their control, and today these islands are very much a part of Scotland, and more widely, the United Kingdom, with plenty of typically British symbols to be found on the streets of Kirkwall and beyond. But how did these islands, once ruled from Scandinavia, end up becoming a part of Scotland? Well, it happened back in the late 15th century, when Orkney and Shetland were transferred from Scandinavian rule to Scottish rule, to make up for the fact that the family of Princess Margaret of Denmark had failed to pay the money included in a dowry to James III of Scotland, to whom she had been married. In the centuries since, Scottish and British influence have played an ever larger role in day-to-day life in Orkney. Yet the legacy of the Norse era has never been forgotten, and the people over in Scandinavia haven't forgotten Orkney either. Just here we find a building which is flying the Norwegian flag, and that's because it's the Norwegian Honorary Consulate in Kirkwall. Newly reopened in 2024, this Honorary Consulate serves the role of promoting Norway's historic bond with Orkney, sponsoring a number of cultural events and exchanges that tell the story of Norwegian people on these islands. Indeed, even after Norway's medieval power waned, and Orkney eventually became part of Scotland, there has always been a close link between the two societies on opposite sides of the North Sea. Kirkwall here is twinned with the Norwegian county of Vestland, home to the major city of Bergen, and there are plenty more things shared in Orkadian and Norwegian culture. One example are the many saints which are venerated in both. We know the story of Saint Magnus, but perhaps more famous, especially in Norway, is Saint Olaf, who lends his name to this small lane, or wind. Saint Olaf was once King Olaf II of Norway, who ruled for 13 years in the early 11th century. But in this short period he gained great acclaim among the Norwegian people, to the point that he was not only canonised as a saint after his death, but also given the title of Norway's Eternal King, and he's still celebrated by Norwegians to this day. Olaf's link to Orkney comes through a man named Røgenvold, an early Earl of Orkney and the foster son of the King. Later on, Røgenvold fought alongside the Eternal King at the Battle of Stiklestad in the year 1030, one of the most important in Norway's history. Olaf was killed in the battle, but Røgenvold survived, and he later came to Orkney here, where he established a church in honour of his foster father. That was Saint Olaf's Church, the church which lends its name to Kirkwall, and Røgenvold helped to develop Kirkwall as the central place of activity in the Orkney Islands, helping the town on its way to becoming Orkney's capital. As the capital, Kirkwall attracted many famous names through the years. This pink Indian restaurant was once the Ship Inn, which in 1814 hosted none other than Sir Walter Scott, the famous Scottish author, when he was visiting Orkney and Shetland. Originally from Edinburgh, Scott travelled widely across Scotland, and he was able to visit Orkney here by joining the lighthouse builder, Robert Stevenson, on a voyage of the Northern Isles. Now the journey was meant to inspect lighthouses around Orkney and Shetland, but it allowed Scott to experience these far-flung islands up close, and when visiting Kirkwall, he almost certainly would have made landfall just here, at the town's historic harbour. For so long a crucial link between Orkney and the outside world, the harbour at Kirkwall has been in use since the first Viking settlers arrived more than a thousand years ago, and very possibly even before then. For centuries, this harbour was visited by trading ships from ports all across the North and Baltic seas, as well as fishing fleets on their way to or back from the waters of the Arctic Ocean further north. With all this busy waterborne traffic, it was here at Kirkwall where local Orcadians would trade their goods with international merchants. Agricultural produce from Orkney's fertile farmlands, including beef, lamb, wool, grains and more, would often be sold and would make their way onto ships bound for cities in mainland Europe. But this vibrant trade didn't come without its downsides. Kirkwall's harbour was often a target for enemies. In the 16th century, for example, the harbour here fell victim to a number of raids carried out by English fishermen, the worst coming in the year 1557, in what came to be known as the Battle of Papdale, when an English fishing fleet burst into the town's streets, managed to occupy the cathedral and burned scores of houses. They were eventually defeated though, when thousands of locals, probably nearing half of Orkney's entire population, came to drive them out, and Kirkwall recovered well. In fact, today the waterfront here is home to some especially grand buildings, including the major Kirkwall Hotel here, which was built back in 1890. It's one of a number of storied lodgings overlooking the harbour. Just a couple of doors down is the slightly smaller, but much older, St Ola Hotel, known locally as the Ola, which is said to have a history stretching back some 500 years, having originally opened as an inn in the 15th century, during the early years of Orkney's period under Scottish rule. When control of Orkney transferred to Scotland, the impact on day-to-day life in Kirkwall was relatively insignificant, but over time, as these islands became more closely linked to the Scottish mainland, the capital here began to be reshaped. Just in front of us here, for instance, there stands a long stone building known as the Gurnell, which was built back in the 17th century. The building takes its name from an old Scots word meaning a chest or barrel used for storing meal, and it served a similar purpose. It was used as a warehouse by the Earls of Orkney to store grain, which they collected from locals as a form of tax. This grain added to the Earls' already vast wealth, and in fact the Gurnell here was once bigger than what we see today, incorporating a kiln as well, used for drying grain before it was sold on, and it stood until 1933. Now that was of course just six years before the outbreak of the Second World War, a conflict which is detailed in part inside this small building, the home of the Orkney Wireless Museum. During the war, Orkney was home to the base for the British Home Fleet. Situated far from German airfields, and therefore out of range of many bombing raids, the vast natural bay of Scapa Flow, in between Orkney's largest islands, was a key haven for British naval ships defending the nation, and despite being located far from the centre of power in London, they were kept in play by a pioneering network of radio communication systems, today on display inside the museum in Kirkwall. Indeed Scapa Flow was also the base for the Home Fleet during the First World War, and after Germany's defeat in 1918, it was the place where the German fleet was scuttled, or deliberately sunk. The waters in between Orkney's largest islands today, home to a number of wrecked German ships from the era. That is one of many captivating tales from the lengthy history of the Orkney Islands, a part of the world which is today symbolised by this iconic flag, a red, yellow and blue Nordic cross which pays tribute to Orkney's Scandinavian and Scottish heritage. Interestingly, this flag is actually very new. It only became Orkney's official banner after a competition in 2007, and it was designed by a local postman named Duncan Tullock, who is said to have sketched the design using his grandchildren's crayons. Within the flag, Tullock incorporated the historic red and yellow cross of Saint Magnus, the symbol of the Orkney-born man who was martyred on nearby Egglesea, and to whom Kirkwall's magnificent cathedral is dedicated. That having been the landmark that we started our walk with more than 25 minutes ago. And sadly, here on the waterfront, we're approaching the end of our tour of Kirkwall. But before we finish, note the name of the hotel across the road. The Eyre Hotel's history dates back to 1791, and its name comes from an old word for the shoreline here, the Eyre. It derives from the old Norse word Eyr, and refers specifically to a shingle beach. And for most of history, before Kirkwall's harbour was redeveloped in the 19th century, people arriving into this harbour on large ships would have had to first step onto smaller boats, which could then ferry them to the Eyre here. This remained the case until 1811, when Kirkwall Harbour's east pier was opened, allowing passengers to simply step off ships and into the town centre. A town centre which, as we've seen, is absolutely full of history and things to see and do. As the capital of Orkney, Kirkwall is a real cradle of the rich heritage to be found on these islands. But there is of course much more to be seen in Orkney than the few urban streets we've seen today. And if you venture beyond the town's boundaries, you'll be spoiled with gorgeous scenery of low rolling hills, among which there lie some of the UK's most spectacular historic treasures. From the stunningly preserved remains of Skara Brae, a roughly 5,000 year old prehistoric village, to the mesmerising standing stones of Stenness and the Ring of Brodgar. Not to mention a wide array of similarly ancient cairns and stone structures in the most unlikely of locations. Boasting 20 inhabited islands, Orkney plays home to a scattering of tiny rural settlements and a couple of other modestly sized towns. But it is Kirkwall here which is by far the biggest. And as we take in a view of the town's historic seafront here, I hope you've enjoyed exploring the Orkadian capital on this delightful summer's day and discovering the rich heritage on display. All that remains for me to say is thank you so much for watching. I hope this brief insight into the town of Kirkwall has made you eager to plan your own trip here sometime soon.