Kirkwall Earl's Palace
Kirkwall Earl's Palace is one of the finest examples of Renaissance architecture in Scotland, and arguably the most impressive secular building in the Northern Isles. Located in the heart of Kirkwall, the capital of Orkney, this roofless but largely intact ruin stands as a powerful testament to the ambition and tyranny of Patrick Stewart, the second Earl of Orkney, who commissioned its construction in the early seventeenth century. It is a scheduled ancient monument managed by Historic Environment Scotland, and entry is free to the public. Few visitors to Orkney leave without pausing before its grand façade, which looms with an almost theatrical grandeur over the town centre.
The palace was built around 1607 by Patrick Stewart, a man notorious in Orcadian history for his brutal and exploitative rule over the islands. Known locally as "Black Patie," Stewart is said to have forced local men to labour on his grand residence without pay, extracting both materials and muscle through coercion. His tyranny eventually caught up with him: he was arrested, and his son Robert led an ill-fated armed rebellion in 1614, briefly occupying the Earl's Palace and the nearby St Magnus Cathedral in a final act of defiance before being captured. Both father and son were executed in Edinburgh in 1615. The palace thereafter fell into disuse and gradual ruin, its lead roof removed in 1700 for other purposes, but its walls proved so solidly built that they have endured for four centuries.
Standing before the Earl's Palace in person is a striking experience. The building's main façade features an unusually sophisticated arrangement of oriel windows, corbelled turrets, and decorative stonework that reflects the influence of French Renaissance design, likely introduced through Scottish court culture of the period. The masonry is warm-toned sandstone, the same material used throughout Kirkwall, and it glows amber in the low-angled light typical of Orkney's long summer evenings. Swallows often nest in the upper reaches of the walls, and the sound of wind threading through the open windows and ruined chambers adds a melancholy beauty to the experience of walking through the roofless interior.
The palace sits directly adjacent to the Bishop's Palace, another medieval ruin of considerable historical importance where King Haakon IV of Norway died in 1263 following the Battle of Largs. Together, the two palaces form a remarkable heritage cluster. Immediately to the north rises the magnificent red sandstone tower of St Magnus Cathedral, founded in 1137, which dominates the Kirkwall skyline and remains a functioning place of worship. These three buildings are within a few minutes' walk of each other, making this corner of Kirkwall one of the most historically dense small areas anywhere in the British Isles.
Visiting is straightforward. Kirkwall is easily reached by ferry from the Scottish mainland via Scrabster to Stromness or Aberdeen to Kirkwall, and also by regular flights from Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Inverness into Kirkwall Airport, which is less than two miles from the town centre. The Earl's Palace is in the town centre itself, on Watergate, and can be reached on foot from virtually anywhere in Kirkwall within ten minutes. Historic Environment Scotland provides access to the interior, and entry is free of charge. The site is open year-round, though visiting hours may vary seasonally, so checking the Historic Environment Scotland website in advance is advisable, particularly outside the summer months.
The best time to visit is late spring through early autumn, when Orkney's famously long days — midsummer brings nearly continuous daylight — allow extended exploration of the ruins and surrounding area. Even on overcast days, which are common in Orkney, the pale sky gives the sandstone a moody, atmospheric quality that photographers find particularly rewarding. The palace is also within easy walking distance of Kirkwall's shops, cafés, and the Orkney Museum, making it a natural centrepiece for a full day spent in the town.
One of the more poignant and curious details of the Earl's Palace is how thoroughly its builder has been condemned by history. Patrick Stewart is one of the most reviled figures in Orkney's collective memory, yet the building he forced into existence is now one of the islands' most treasured landmarks. A 1633 account by Sir William Brereton described the palace as "the most stately and costly building in Scotland," and that assessment, made just a generation after its construction, suggests it was recognised as exceptional from the very beginning. Its survival in such good structural condition, despite four centuries of roofless exposure to Orkney's fierce Atlantic weather, is itself something of an architectural miracle and a tribute, however uncomfortable, to the craftsmanship of the men who built it.