Tag: earls palace

  • Earls Palace Birsay

    The massive ruins seem strangely out of place but still dominate Birsay. One can only imagine what Earl’s Palace was like in its full glory. It stood by the shore of Birsay Bay, a proud edifice whose cruel owner oppressed the people of Orkney as long as he ruled them.

  • Earls Palace Kirkwall

    Robert Stewart, the first Earl of Orkney and his son Patrick go down in history as the most tyrannical Earls of Scotland. The two Earl’s Palaces in Birsay and Kirkwall were built by them with slave labor on land partially acquired by force.

  • Kirkwall

    Capital of the Orkney Islands, Kirkwall is a stunning place filled with history. It has been around for many hundreds of years and was perhaps first mentioned in the Orkneyinga saga in the year 1046. The name Kirkwall is loosely derived from the old Norse name ‘Kirkjuvagr’ which meant ‘Church bay’. It is a harbor town situated on the northern coast of Mainland Orkney. Kirkwall is the one ...