This morning we did the shortest passage so far – about a mile and a half across to an anchorage just off Egilsay. The Zodiac was hoisted into the water and we all headed ashore to walk a mile or so to St.Magnus’s Church. Between 1103 and 1117 Orkney was ruled by two Viking Earls – Magnus Erlendsson and Hakon Paulsson. In 1115 Paulsson’s men started some trouble and though a tentative order was restored the two men agreed to meet on Egilsay to confirm their friendship. They had agreed to turn up with a certain number of men and boats, but only Erlendsson stuck to the agreement. Paulsson turned up with far more men and said that the meeting was to sort out which Earl ruled the island. Given the asymmetry of the meeting, it was clear who that was going to be and so Magnus is said to have gone to the church to pray. His men offered to defend him, but he accepted his fate and was beheaded. Although the church that is there is not thought to be the one he prayed in, it nevertheless dates from the 12th century and is unusual in having a round tower. Magnus was canonised in 1136 and his remains were discovered in one of the pillars of St. Magnus Cathedral on mainland Orkney.
After this we headed back on board and made the short passage down to Kirkwall, mooring up in the main fishing harbour. This gave us time to wander a little around the town. One of the most prominent buildings in town is the St. Magnus Cathedral. This spectacular sandstone church was originally founded in 1137 by Earl Rognvald – a nephew of St. Magnus – and was part of the Archdiocese of Nidaros (Trondheim). After the Scottish Reformation in 1560 it was then used for protestant worship and now has a Church of Scotland congregation. It is a spectacular building and a pianist playing an Erik Satie piece just added to the atmosphere. In the cathedral is a memorial to HMS Royal Oak. The Royal Oak was sunk in Scapa Flow by a German U-boat in 1939 and it was this event which prompted the building of the Churchill Barriers to the south to protect the anchorage. The bell which was recovered from the ship by divers forms the centre piece of the memorial and there is a Book of Remembrance to honour those who died. The pages of the book are turned once a week by cathedral staff.
