Historic churches · Scottish Islands
Round Kirk, Orphir
Round Kirk, Orphir — church on Mainland, Orkney Islands, Scotland, UK.
Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 30 min–1 h
About
Round Kirk, Orphir is a historic church in the United Kingdom. Heritage designation: part of a Scheduled Monument. Named after Saint Nicholas. Part of St Nicholas' Church, settlement and mill, Orphir. Wikidata describes it as: "church on Mainland, Orkney Islands, Scotland, UK". Coordinates: 58.9219°, -3.1567°.
Photo gallery
Heritage listing
The remains of the Orphir Round Church (or Round Kirk), also St Nicholas's Church, are located in Orphir Parish on the Mainland, Orkney, Scotland. It has been part of a scheduled monument since 2014.
From Historic Environment Scotland under OGL v3.
From the Wikipedia article
The remains of the Orphir Round Church (or Round Kirk), also St Nicholas's Church, are located in Orphir Parish on the Mainland, Orkney, Scotland. It has been part of a scheduled monument since 2014.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
It is thought to have been built by jarl (earl) Haakon Paulsson (Earl of Orkney from 1103 to 1123) as penance for murdering his cousin and co-ruler Magnus Erlendsson (later Saint Magnus) in the late 11th or early 12th century. According to the Orkneyinga saga, earl Haakon took sole power in 1117 after the killing of Magnus, and the round kirk was later rededicated to St Magnus. The saga refers to a "large drinking-hall" with a "magnificent church" nearby. The remains of the drinking hall, known as the 'Earl's Bu', can still be seen, as well as an 11th-century Norse horizontal watermill. The building's design was inspired by the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem and the circular…
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 58.9219, -3.1567
- District
- Orkney Islands
- Postcode
- KW17 2RD
- Parliamentary constituency
- Orkney and Shetland
Sources
- wikidata: Q1440963 (CC0)
- wikipedia: Orphir Round Church (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- commons: Orphir - round church - geograph.org.uk - 400899.jpg (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Other places nearby
Loading nearby places…
Nearby
📷 3Historic churches · Scottish Islands
St Nicholas's Church (ruins) aka Orkney Round Church C12
St Nicholas's Church (ruins) aka Orkney Round Church C12 — a church in scotland-islands, United Kingdom.
📷 3Archaeological sites · Scottish Islands
Earl's Bu - Horizontal Mill (Norse), Settlement (Norse)
Earl's Bu - Horizontal Mill (Norse), Settlement (Norse) — a archaeological in scotland-islands, United Kingdom.
📷 3Watermills · Scottish Islands
Norse Water Mill
Norse Water Mill — a watermill in scotland-islands, United Kingdom.
📷 3Museums · Scottish Islands
Orkneyinga Saga Centre
Orkneyinga Saga Centre — a museum in scotland-islands, United Kingdom.
📷 3Burial mounds & barrows · Scottish Islands
Site of tumulus (Lavacroon)
Site of tumulus (Lavacroon) — a burial mound in scotland-islands, United Kingdom.
📷 3Islands · Scottish Islands
Orphir
Orphir in Orkney + Shetland, United Kingdom.
More places in this region
📷 3Historic churches · Scottish Islands
Balnakeil Church
Balnakeil Church — church building, ruined, in Balnakeil, Highland, Scotland, UK.
📷 3Historic churches · Scottish Islands
Bressay Kirk
Bressay Kirk — church building and cemetery on Bressay, Shetland Islands, Scotland, UK.
📷 3Historic churches · Scottish Islands
Cross Kirk
Cross Kirk — church, now ruined, on Esha Ness, Northmavine, Shetland Mainland, Scotland, UK.
📷 3Historic churches · Scottish Islands
Dunnet Church
Dunnet Church — church building in Highland, Scotland, UK.
Frequently asked questions
- Where is Round Kirk, Orphir?
- Round Kirk, Orphir is in the Scottish Islands, United Kingdom (postcode KW17 2RD).
- Is Round Kirk, Orphir a listed building?
- Round Kirk, Orphir is officially recognised as part of a Scheduled Monument listed.
- How do I get to Round Kirk, Orphir?
- Drivers can navigate to postcode KW17 2RD. It sits within the Orkney and Shetland parliamentary constituency.