Castles · Scottish Islands
Bishop's Palace
In or near Finstown.
Bishop's Palace — palace in Kirkwall, Scotland.
Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 1.5 h–3 h
- Paid entry
- Family-friendly
- Limited wheelchair access
Getting there & planning your visit
To visit Bishop's Palace, you can use the postcode KW15 1QW for sat-nav directions. Entry is paid, and wheelchair accessibility is limited.
About
Bishop's Palace is a castle in the United Kingdom — fortified architecture from the medieval, Tudor, or Victorian-revival period. Built in the Romanesque architecture style. Heritage designation: scheduled monument. Owned by Historic Environment Scotland. Managed by Historic Environment Scotland. Wikidata describes it as: "palace in Kirkwall, Scotland". Coordinates: 58.9803°, -2.9569°.
Photo gallery
Heritage listing
The Bishop's Palace, Kirkwall is a 12th-century palace built at the same time as the adjacent St Magnus Cathedral in the centre of Kirkwall, Orkney, Scotland. It housed the cathedral's first bishop, William the Old of the Norwegian Catholic Church who took his authority from the Archbishop of Nidaros (Trondheim). The ruined structure now looks like a small castle.
From Historic Environment Scotland under OGL v3.
Summary from the official site
Bishop's and Earl's Palaces in Kirkwall are historic structures that showcase the architectural evolution from Norse to Renaissance styles. The Bishop's Palace is notable for being the only episcopal palace built in Norse Scotland, while the Earl's Palace represents a significant example of Renaissance architecture in Scotland.
Read more on the official property page.
From the Wikipedia article
The Bishop's Palace, Kirkwall is a 12th-century palace built at the same time as the adjacent St Magnus Cathedral in the centre of Kirkwall, Orkney, Scotland. It housed the cathedral's first bishop, William the Old of the Norwegian Catholic Church who took his authority from the Archbishop of Nidaros (Trondheim). The ruined structure now looks like a small castle.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
Originally, it is thought to have been like a typical Royal Norwegian palace, with a large rectangular hall above store rooms and a tower house as the Bishop's private residence. King Haakon IV of Norway, overwintering after the Battle of Largs, died here in 1263, marking the end of Norse rule over the Outer Hebrides. The neglected palace had fallen into ruins by 1320. In 1468, Orkney and Shetland were pledged by Christian I of Denmark and Norway for the payment of the dowry of his daughter Margaret, betrothed to James III of Scotland, and as the money has never since been paid, their connection with the crown of Scotland has been perpetual. In 1526, the palace came briefly into the…
Visiting
The palace is open to the public. It is administered by Historic Environment Scotland as a scheduled monument. The palace and the nearby Earl's Palace were closed to the public from October 2023 through March 2024, during which time high level masonry inspections were being carried out as part of the building's conservation.
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 58.9803, -2.9569
- District
- Orkney Islands
- Postcode
- KW15 1QW
- Parliamentary constituency
- Orkney and Shetland
- Official site
- www.historicenvironment.scot
Sources
- wikidata: Q4917434 (CC0)
- wikipedia: Bishop's Palace, Kirkwall (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- commons: Bishops palace orkney.jpg (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Other places nearby
Paterson Church, School Place, Kirkwall
Historic churches · 0.1 km
Kirkwall Earl's Palace
Cathedrals · 0.1 km
Kirkwall Sheriff Court and Former Police Station, Watergate
Gardens · 0.1 km
St Olaf's Episcopalian Church and Rectory, 12 Dundas Crescent, Kirkwall
Historic churches · 0.2 km
Kirkwall
Cathedrals · 0.2 km
St Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall
Cathedrals · 0.2 km
Kirkwall and St. Ola War Memorial
Memorials & monuments · 0.2 km
Church Of Scotland, King Street, Kirkwall
Historic churches · 0.2 km
Covenanters' Fountain
Memorials & monuments · 0.2 km
War Memorial, St Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall
Memorials & monuments · 0.2 km
St Magnus Cathedral
Cathedrals · 0.2 km
Albert Kinema
Theatres · 0.2 km
Nearby
📷 5Historic churches · Scottish Islands
Paterson Church, School Place, Kirkwall
Paterson Church, School Place, Kirkwall — category B listed building-listed church in scotland-islands, United Kingdom.
📷 4Cathedrals · Scottish Islands
Kirkwall Earl's Palace
Kirkwall Earl's Palace in Orkney + Shetland, United Kingdom.
📷 4Gardens · Scottish Islands
Kirkwall Sheriff Court and Former Police Station, Watergate
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📷 5Historic churches · Scottish Islands
St Olaf's Episcopalian Church and Rectory, 12 Dundas Crescent, Kirkwall
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Kirkwall
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★ Iconic📷 5Cathedrals · Scottish Islands
St Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall
St Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall — cathedral in Kirkwall, Orkney, Scotland.
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📷 3Frequently asked questions
- Where is Bishop's Palace?
- Bishop's Palace is in the Scottish Islands, United Kingdom (postcode KW15 1QW).
- What is Bishop's Palace?
- Bishop's Palace — palace in Kirkwall, Scotland.
- How do I get to Bishop's Palace?
- Drivers can use postcode KW15 1QW.
- Who runs Bishop's Palace?
- Bishop's Palace is operated by Historic Environment Scotland.
- Is Bishop's Palace a listed building?
- Bishop's Palace is officially recognised as scheduled monument listed.
- Does Bishop's Palace charge admission?
- Bishop's Palace typically charges admission. Check the official site for current ticket prices and opening hours.
- How do I get to Bishop's Palace?
- Drivers can navigate to postcode KW15 1QW. It sits within the Orkney and Shetland parliamentary constituency.