St Magnus Cathedral, Orkney

A poster for an event in the cathedral. Sunday 14 Dec at 7.30pm. Music by Elgar, Britten and others. Featuring various Orkney choirs.

In our case, the first stone courses were laid onto the soft ground, and allowed to sink. The walls were levelled off, and more courses added...then they let it sink. That continued until the lowest stone course hit the bedrock, then they just kept building. The walls are their own foundations 🤷‍♀️

Black and white photo of a crowd of people in front of a stone arch, with cathedral behind.

Today, and every day, we remember them.

Unveiling of Kirkwall and St Ola war memorial, 17 October 1923. Photograph by Tom Kent.

We’re a bit behind with #31daysofgraves but here’s a ‘mistake’ from Day 18. Do you know anyone else who died on 30 February? 🤨

St Rule’s Tower in St Andrews.

Oct 17: Feast of Regulus (Rule) (C4th). Greek who followed an angel’s request to bear some of St Andrew’s relics into ‘northern parts’. Arriving in Fife, the angel brought him to a halt. There Rule built a church to house the relics, which was later called St Andrews. #medievalsky

Carved stone head from Skaill farm dig was an unexpected but spectacular find A carved stone head was the last thing diggers at the UHI Archaeology Institute excavation at Skaill farm, Rousay, were expecting to unearth. But that’s exactly what happened!

Here’s a link to an article about the Rousay discovery: www.uhi.ac.uk/en/media/new...

Earlier this year, an excavation in Rousay by @uhiarchaeology.bsky.social uncovered an expressive carved stone face. We have a similar fellow in the cathedral, so archaeologists visited today to examine them side by side!

YouTube video by Orkney Islands Council HMS Royal Oak Talk - Fran Flett Hollinrake

Last year our curator wrote and delivered a talk on the cathedral's memorial to HMS Royal Oak. Here's the link if you want to find out more: www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOrb...

On this day in 1939, HMS Royal Oak sank in Scapa Flow with the loss of 835 men and boys. Today, and every day, we remember them.

Squeezing this in before the end of the day! #31DaysofGraves - Day 13, Skeleton. Of course, it had to be this cheery and dynamic fellow from the gravestone of Kirkwall merchant Patrick Prince.

A black and white photo of a seated couple.

A gravestone next to a red sandstone cathedral.

Catching up with #31DaysofGraves, and prompt 12, Notable Woman. Not buried here, but mentioned on her grandparents' stone - Inga Peace. Orcadian, graphic and theatre designer, wife of black artist and rugby player Eddie Oxley. Thanks to Inga Drever for letting me sharing this family photo.

Day 11 and today’s #31DaysofGraves prompt is ‘military’. We have five @cwgc.bsky.social graves but this photo is from St Olaf’s Cemetery and features Flight Officer Harry Reid who died in the ‘Salford Lancaster’ crash in 1944. Pictured with two of his relatives, @sweynh.bsky.social and Freya.

It’s Day 10 of #31DaysofGraves, and the prompt is ‘urn’. This is the grave of late 19th-early 20thC merchant and entrepreneur Robert Garden, who built a trading and manufacturing empire throughout the islands.

A carved gravestone depicting skull and crossbones, a bell, clock, candle and other symbols of memento mori.

*** Skulls and Dancing Skeletons tour rescheduled***

We are pleased to confirm that this special curator tour is going ahead tomorrow, Saturday 11 October. The tour explores the symbolism of hourglasses, candles, bells, skulls and more, and it's all inside! Starts at 10am, costs £15, lasts 1 hour.

The inscription below reads: ‘I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. Henceforth is laid up for me a crowne of righteousness.’

Day 9 of #31DaysofGraves - and the prompt is ‘hand’! Here’s a little prototype emoji from the 1600s - a hand pointing towards a Bible. This stone commemorates Kirk Minister Thomas Baikie, who died aged 42.

That's beautiful🧡

A wooden cross surrounded by stone grave markers and green grass.

A sepia photo of a grave covered in glass domes that are filled with ceramic flowers.

Today is Day 8 of #31DaysofGraves and the prompt is 'glass'. This is a 1911 postcard by Tom Kent, showing the grave of RN rating Arthur Sartin covered in glass 'immortelles' - domes filled with ceramic flowers. The other image is the same spot today.

Catching up with #31DaysofGraves - Day 4’s prompt was ‘Languages’. Here’s a stone from St Magnus with a Greek inscription meaning ‘Behold the end of life’ ☠️

We’re very sorry - Orkney is about to experience Storm Amy and there is an Amber Weather Warning for tomorrow morning. So unfortunately we have made the decision to postpone this tour until a later date.

A stone arch set into the wall of a church with a pointed pitched canopy above.

Day 3 of #31DaysofGraves, and the prompt is 'tomb'. So here's a wall-set tomb from the south nave aisle. It's thought to date from the 14th century, and was possibly the burial place of the Paplay family.

A wooden grave marker for J Thompson, ship’s carpenter.

A gravestone featuring an anchor and a flag at half mast.

It’s Day 2 of #31DaysofGraves, and the theme is ‘nautical’. So here are two from our graveyard - a wooden marker for a ship’s carpenter, and a stone ensign at half mast for a captain… 🫡

A corner of a carved stone showing a woman's head and a rose, under an arch with stars.

It's a wet, windy day in Orkney but it's also the first day of October, and that means... #31daysofgraves! The prompt for today is 'Flower', so here's a lovely carved rose from the gravestone of one Elizabeth Cuthbert who died in 1685. Follow @annaandthedead.bsky.social if you want to join in ☠️🪦

A carved gravestone showing a skull-and-crossbones, a candle, and other symbols of mortality.

☠️Skulls and Dancing Skeletons - Saturday 4 October!☠️
This weekend sees the return of this popular cathedral tour, exploring the symbolism of the skull-and-crossbones, the candles, hourglasses, and much more. Meet your guide inside at 10am; the tour lasts 1 hour approximately, and costs £15pp.

Tomorrow (Monday 29 Sept) sees the last 🪦 historic graveyard tour🪦 of the season. It starts at 2pm inside, next to the custodian’s office - costs £10pp and lasts an hour.

Yesterday we said goodbye to our Team Leader for Heritage, Meredith. She joined us as cathedral conservator in 2019, and has transformed care of the cathedral building over the past 6 years. Here she is on her final day with Peter, technician, and Fran, curator. Good luck for the future, Meredith!

***cough***

We are looking forward to once again taking part in the #31daysofgraves!

Gravestones on green grass. A wooden cross with gold writing.

***Please remember*** there is no tour of the historic cathedral graveyard today (Monday 15 September). The next tour will be on Friday 19 September at 2pm.

A person in a striped jumper standing in a stone archway.

Huge thanks to everyone who came along on our special Graffiti Tours, put on as part of the Orkney Festival of Archaeology. Here's Curator Fran Flett Hollinrake in full flow! (Thank you to Valeria for the photo) ⛪