St Magnus Cathedral
| St Magnus Cathedral | |
|---|---|
| 58°58′56″N 2°57′32″W / 58.98222°N 2.95889°W | |
| Location | Kirkwall, Orkney |
| Country | Scotland |
| Denomination | Church of Scotland |
| Previous denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Website | www |
| History | |
| Founded | 1137 |
| Founder(s) | Earl Rögnvald |
| Dedication | Saint Magnus |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Category A listed |
| Specifications | |
| Height | 50 metres (160 ft) |
| Number of towers | 1 |
| Number of spires | 1 |
| Materials | Sandstone |
| Clergy | |
| Minister(s) | The Revd Fraser MacNaughton |
St Magnus Cathedral dominates the skyline of Kirkwall, the main town of Orkney, a group of islands off the north coast of mainland Scotland. Originally Roman Catholic, it is the oldest cathedral in Scotland and the most northerly cathedral in the United Kingdom – a fine example of Romanesque architecture built when the islands were ruled by the Norse Earls of Orkney. The building is owned by Orkney Islands Council as successor of the burgh of Kirkwall as a result of an act of King James III of Scotland following Orkney's annexation by the Scottish Crown in 1468.
Construction began in 1137 and it was added to over the next 300 years. The first bishop of Orkney was William the Old and it was for Bishop William that the nearby Bishop's Palace was built. Before the Scottish Reformation, the cathedral was presided over by the Bishop of Orkney. Today, it is a parish church of the Church of Scotland (with a presbyterian system of Church governance). As of 2024, the congregation of St Magnus Cathedral is part of Orkney Islands Church of Scotland – a single Church of Scotland ecclesiastical parish. The cathedral is listed at Category A, the highest grade of listed building in Scotland.
The cathedral has its own dungeon. People accused of witchcraft in Orkney from 1594–1708 were usually incarcerated in the cathedral, with their trials also held here.