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All 8 Kirkwall Attractions »

Saint Magnus Cathedral

Corner of Palace Rd. and Victoria, Kirkwall, Scotland
Ranked #1 of 6 attractions in Kirkwall
5.0 of 5 stars 40 Reviews
Type: Historic Sites, Religious Sites
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40 reviews from our community

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Date Rating
Montreal, Canada
Senior Reviewer
8 reviews 8 reviews
Reviews in 4 cities Reviews in 4 cities
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 25, 2012 NEW

Simply spectacular! One of the finest in the UK. This is where St. Magnus' remain were re-buried. Individuals working at the Church will answer any question related to St. Magnus and the Orkneyinga saga. More

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Talkeetna
Top Contributor
102 reviews 102 reviews
Reviews in 50 cities Reviews in 50 cities
48 helpful votes 48 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 23, 2012 NEW

Built by Norwegians from 12th Century and as a Catholic Cathedral eventually came under Scottish rule and Church of Scotland but so many historical graves dating back hundreds of years. A must for anyone who has interest in history and architecture so much history in one place. More

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Worcestershire
Senior Contributor
29 reviews 29 reviews
Reviews in 20 cities Reviews in 20 cities
8 helpful votes 8 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 18, 2012

Fascinating building with a long and intersting history. Try and get a guided tour it will be worth it More

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See 3 more reviews by DeeDeeWorcestershire for Kirkwall
Manchester, United Kingdom
Reviewer
4 reviews 4 reviews
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 16, 2012

Fascinating, especially the memorials. The architecture is early Romanesque and there are several interesting objects including a wooden statue of St Olav and staues of the founders, echoing the early history of the islands. More

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See 3 more reviews by hilfor for Kirkwall
Salisbury, United Kingdom
Senior Reviewer
10 reviews 10 reviews
Reviews in 4 cities Reviews in 4 cities
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 15, 2012

Beautiful stained glass - amazing architecture. Friendly welcome and easily accessible. Lots of information about the cathedral's history available for detailed examination. More

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Orkney
Senior Contributor
21 reviews 21 reviews
Reviews in 10 cities Reviews in 10 cities
14 helpful votes 14 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 11, 2012

The upper floor tours are great value for money and give superb views of Kirkwall. More

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See 4 more reviews by Viking59Orkney for Kirkwall
UK
Senior Contributor
44 reviews 44 reviews
Reviews in 26 cities Reviews in 26 cities
18 helpful votes 18 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 10, 2012

Good proprtions, lovely stone. Shame about how red sandstone gets abraded after a thousand years or so. More

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See 2 more reviews by Jon63 for Kirkwall
Thurso, United Kingdom
Senior Contributor
30 reviews 30 reviews
Reviews in 11 cities Reviews in 11 cities
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 9, 2012

What a place. Fantastic sandstone cathedral full of history and VERY old, make sure you take time to slowly wander round this fantastic tribute to Norse architecture. More

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See 2 more reviews by ac w for Kirkwall
Scotland
Contributor
12 reviews 12 reviews
Reviews in 6 cities Reviews in 6 cities
6 helpful votes 6 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed April 26, 2012

The cathedral was beautiful in its simplicity. I particularly liked the Memorial to the lives lost on The Royal Oak. More

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Scotland
Senior Contributor
27 reviews 27 reviews
Reviews in 10 cities Reviews in 10 cities
12 helpful votes 12 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed April 25, 2012

This wonderful cathedral just oozes history and is so beautiful. We spent ages reading the various tombstones and admiring the stained-glass windows. More

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