Old, old story

Boot worn and mudded after six thrilling days of Orkney exploration, we forwent Easter morning services at St. Magnus Cathedral.  The decision hinged more upon humility, being unfit for decent company, beggared and tired.  

We did visit the open cathedral later that afternoon, however.  A remarkable edifice.  Its timeline is difficult to wrap one's head around; after all, St. Magnus has been home of Kirkwall's faithful for some 900 years.  It gave Kirkwall its name.  

Further, being constructed by Vikings in penance of a murder it is said, St. Magnus Cathedral does not neatly "fit" stereotypes of the war like Norse...their long-ships (lang skip), raiding and bloodletting, death to monks and all manner of hurt.  

As ancient cathedrals go, St. Magnus is something.  Perhaps, when compared to Italian Renaissance cathedrals on the Continent, the hewn sandstone of St. Magnus may seem rough, rustic.  But we are unqualified to make such a critical distinction.       

St. Magnus' hewn sandstone is said to have been quarried on the Isle of Eday.  An aside, we attempted to find this quarry while we were on Eday, but were not successful.  The main reason was that the single track near where the quarry is apparently located, had no obvious parking anywhere along it. 

We mentioned this to a local lady who was out walking on south Eday.  She sought out conversation, curious as to our nationality.  She mentioned that it would have been okay to just park "anywhere".  But we were reticent to block the roadway since a few homesteads were served by the track, to say nothing of traipsing through fenced ground around those houses.    

Built of hewn sandstone or no, as the most northerly cathedral in the British Isles (and thus on the edge of the world in its day), St. Magnus has its share of ornateness, of finery.  Rest assured.

Its stained glass is certainly the equal of continental houses of worship.  

From the ethereal stained glass above to the ornate inlaid floors below, St. Magnus Cathedral does what it was doubtlessly intended to do by the Viking Lords who built it so many centuries ago--it conveys majesty and projects might.

It also yields a pensiveness, quiet reflection.  The cathedral's congregants (and simply visitors as we were) doubtless wonder at the lives long past, and yet still monumentalized in the commemorative burial stones in its walls.  

In an island realm that is literally filled with Neolithic cairns, St. Magnus lends perspective on resurrection, a poignant reminder of mortality and yet eternal life as well.  From Matthew 13:17, "For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see."...Matthew referred to the ancient ones, those of the Neolithic, who longed to see eternal life.  

And similarly those in our own present modern day who equally long to see. 

As the old Gospel hymn (published 1879; lyrics by Katherine Hankey and put to music by William Doane) goes: 

"Tell me the old, old story,
Of unseen things above,
Of Jesus and His glory,
Of Jesus and His love"

Unseen things.  Magnus himself was also interred in the walls of the cathedral. For centuries long forgotten, an ancient and truly humble pine box was uncovered during cathedral preservation work in the 1930s.

The box, found within one of the hewn sandstone columns, was the reliquary of St. Magnus.  Far from ornate, the ancient reliquary is truly humble.  His bones were re-interred in the cathedral.

St. Magnus' simple reliquary box is presently preserved and exhibited in the Kirkwall Museum in the shadow of the cathedral.        

 

A plug for Three Mile

 

Vinquoy Hill--spectacular weather

Standing Stone of Setter--April 14, 2022

Assuming one gets off main tourist trodden ways in Orkney and actually ventures a little further afield in these remarkable islands, one would be hard pressed afterwards to declare what the "best" walk was.

Rousay, known as the Egypt of the North, is of course chock full of historical sites at Midhowe, running from Neolithic to Viking to Medieval.  It's certainly a candidate.  So too the Neolithic Ring of Brodgar on Mainland Orkney.  Nothing short of stunning.  And there's Sanday, with its miles of white sand beaches. 

Still, if we (and perhaps I should say I, since the missus is partial to white sands) had to cast a ballot for the most awesome hiking experience during our 2022 Easter sojourn to Orkney, then hands down that must go to Vinquoy Hill on the Isle of Eday.  Its vistas and seascapes are not to be excelled anywhere in Orkney.

Gray Head, Calf of Eday--April 14, 2022

 

Better, the Vinquoy hike also touches a large number of Neolithic cairns (most ruined by heavy handed "antiquarians" during the Victorian and Edwardian eras).  The Vinqouy hike includes a Bronze Age "Fold of Setter" as well.  Its purpose is not exactly understood.  Locals have long assumed it to have been a ancient pen for sheep...or at least that's what Eday's much later pastoralists used it for.  

And then there's the viewscape of Carrick House on Calf Bay, with its lore from the age of pirates (late 1600s - early 1700s).  Arrrgh! 

Carrick House was the target of John Gow, the infamous pirate.  Gow was pirating British waters, before trying to hide out in Orkney.  Many pirates, being English, had issues with hitting up English shipping.  Not Gow.  Apparently becoming short of money, Gow began raiding coastal estates in Orkney where he was also trying to hide out...not exactly a wise move.  He sailed from Stromness, Mainland Orkney (where he was pretending to be a gentleman since the authorities were hot on his trail) to raid Carrick House, the home of one of Gow’s early school day chums.  Loyalty was not a strong suit with Gow.

 

Carrick estate on Calf Bay, Eday--April 14, 2022

The current between Eday (Red Head to left) and Calf of Eday (Gray Head to right) is quick and difficult without a pilot.  Gow’s ship (the Revenge) grounded in Calf Bay opposite Carrick House, which led to his arrest February 17, 1725.  He refused to plead.  And the court ordered him to torture until he did plea. To avoid torture, Gow pled not guilty, and was found guilty in a fast trial.  He was hung in London with seven of his crew on June 11, 1725. 

Actually, Gow was hung twice.  He asked for a speedy dispatch.  To comply with Gow’s request, the hangman grabbed and pulled down on Gow’s legs and...the rope broke.  Gow, semi-conscious was said to have been able to climb the gallow stairs (more like was pushed back up).  And the King hung the gentleman again...successfully this second time.

Gow's history lived on.  Sir Walter Scott, the consummate Scottish writer, visited Orkney and took the Gow story into the novel, The Pirate, in 1814.  Another interesting note is that the author Daniel Defoe was the reporter at Gow's trial in 1725.  Defoe, of course, penned Robinson Crusoe in part from that experience.   

Calm morning at Kirkwall--April 14, 2022

Better still (and not to be overlooked in the 2022 balloting of "best walk" because it may be the key determinant) was the absolutely glorious April weather.  It came together on Eday.  

Weather wise, it mirrored our tour of the Holy Isle of Iona at Easter 2018, a day which the park ranger at Iona declared had to be among the year's top 8 most spectacular days in Scotland.  

What a treat of blue skies and blue ocean.  Even the ferry from Kirkwall out to Eday was itself a delight.   We boarded MV Vagagen (a roll through ferry) early morning with our intrepid little Hyundai rental.  

Thursday's morning sailing, incidentally, was the only ferry timetable that provided sufficient time on the island...i.e. more than two hours.  Unless one is "island bagging," and their principal interest is simply to check been-there boxes--two hours is barely time enough to take in a complex site like Vinquoy Hill, much less rush back to catch the ferry.
 

 

A Thursday day trip out of Kirkwall was about the only realistic choice for Eday.  Travellers should take note that Eday has few if any accommodations.  Generally speaking there are no travel services on Eday, including a pub or restaurant.  Or rather, no services that are actually open for business. 

Square wake leaving Kirkwall--April 14, 2022

One B&B and a small youth hostel are said to operate.  We did not find it so.  The youth hostel may not even be operational.  Presumably, it is volunteer staffed through the Eday Heritage Museum which is located in a repurposed old Baptist church.  We looked forward to visiting the museum to gather more information about the island.  It was closed when we stopped by. 

Bottom line, if one wants to see the whole of Eday more or less dependably...or at least the prime parts of the isle...a car rental is necessary.  It's almost an insurance in a way.

The north isles of Orkney are exposed, basically heath land and/or peat where it is not farmed for grass.  Had the weather been rough, our day trip could have been less than optimal without having the car's protection against the weather.  

MV Varagen at Eday--April 14, 2022

Like several Orkney isles, Eday is deceptive in size, especially if one is entirely afoot.  North-south Eday is some 8 1/2 miles; it's ten square miles in area, much of it rough heath.  So, if going over on foot, and without dependable services, that will require packing it.

 Presumably, one can take a bicycle rental, but that assumes one can be found for rent in Kirkwall in a business that is open and doing trade.  A big if.

 In any case, the weather we enjoyed on Eday was spectacular.  More on the Vinquoy cairns next post.