List of churches in Orkney

The islands have an estimated 27 active churches for 21,500 inhabitants, a ratio of one church to every 796 people.

Eynhallow Church
Lady Kirk
Magnus Erlendsson, Earl of Orkney was killed by his cousin Haakon Paulsson in April 1116. The building of St. Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall in his honour by Rögnvald Kali commenced in 1137.[1]
St Magnus Church, Birsay

A List of churches in Orkney, Scotland:

The islands were originally divided into 21 civil parishes: Birsay and Harray, Cross and Burness (on Sanday), Eday, Evie and Rendall, Firth, Holm, Hoy and Graemsay, Kirkwall and St Ola, Lady (on Sanday), Orphir, Papa Westray, Rousay and Egilsay, Sandwick, Shapinsay, South Ronaldsay, St Andrews and Deerness, Stenness, Stromness, Stronsay, South Walls & Flotta, and Westray.

Name Civil parish (settlement) Web Founded Denomination Notes
Sanday Church of Scotland Cross & Burness (Broughtown) Church of Scotland[2]
North Ronaldsay Church of Scotland Cross & Burness (N Ronaldsay) 1812 Church of Scotland
Eday Church of Scotland Eday Church of Scotland[2]
Evie Church of Scotland Evie & Rendall Church of Scotland[3] Shares a minister with Firth, Rendall and Rousay
Rendall Church of Scotland Evie & Rendall Church of Scotland[3] Shares a minister with Evie, Firth and Rousay
Firth Church of Scotland Firth Medieval Church of Scotland[3] Shares a minister with Evie, Rendall and Rousay
East Mainland Church Holm [4] Church of Scotland Serves Deerness, Holm and St Andrews parishes
St John's Kirk, Hoy & Walls Hoy & Graemsay (Little Ayre) Church of Scotland[2] Shares a minister with Flotta and Orphir & Stenness
St Magnus Cathedral Kirkwall & St Ola [5] 1137 Church of Scotland Dedicated to St Magnus. Technically no longer a cathedral
Kirkwall East Church Kirkwall & St Ola Church of Scotland[6] Shares a minister with Shapinsay
St Olaf's Episcopal Church Kirkwall & St Ola [7] 1876-1878 Episcopal Church Dedicated to St Olaf. Episcopacy in the islands dates back to C16th
Kirkwall Baptist Church Kirkwall & St Ola [8] Independent
Our Lady & St Joseph, Kirkwall Kirkwall & St Ola [9] Roman Catholic Dedicated to SS Mary & Joseph
Orphir & Stenness Church of Scotland Orphir Medieval Church of Scotland[10] Shares a minister with Flotta and Hoy & Walls
Papa Westray Church of Scotland Papa Westray Church of Scotland[11] Shares a minister with Westray. Building originally Free Church
Rousay Church of Scotland Rousay & Egilsay Church of Scotland[3] Shares minister with Evie, Firth & Rendall. Serves Egilsay & Wyre
Milestone Community Church Sandwick (Dounby) 2011-2012[12] Church of Scotland[13] Serves Birsay & Harray and Sandwick parishes (united 2000)
Dounby United Free Church Sandwick (Dounby) United Free Church[14]
Shapinsay Church of Scotland Shapinsay Church of Scotland[2] Shares a minister with Kirkwall East
South Ronaldsay & Burray CoS S Ronaldsay (St Margaret's Hope) Church of Scotland[15] Also serves Burray
Flotta Church of Scotland South Walls & Flotta Church of Scotland[2] Shares a minister with Hoy and Walls and Orphir and Stenness
Stromness & Graemsay CoS Stromness Church of Scotland[16] Also holds monthly services in a community centre on Graemsay
St Mary the Virgin Episcopal Church Stromness [17] Episcopal Church Dedicated to St Mary
Stromness Baptist Church Stromness [18] Independent
Moncur Memorial Church, Stronsay Stronsay Church of Scotland[2]
Westray Church of Scotland Westray Church of Scotland[11] Shares a minister with Papa Westray. United with Westray UFC 2005
Westray Baptist Church Westray (Pierowall) [19] Independent
Jehovah's Witnesses Kirkwall Jehovah's Witnesses 30 Mill St., Kirkwall KW15 1NL, UK

Defunct churches
Name Civil parish (settlement) Founded Redundant Denomination Notes
St Magnus, Birsay Birsay & Harray Medieval 1996[20] Church of Scotland Rebuilt 1664[21]
Birsay (Twatt) Church of Scotland Birsay & Harray 1875 2008[12] Church of Scotland
St Michael's, Harray Birsay & Harray 1836 2010s[22] Church of Scotland
Cross Church of Scotland Cross & Burness Church of Scotland Ruins remain[23]
St Columba's, Burness Cross & Burness Church of Scotland Now vanished but burial ground remains[24]
Italian Chapel, Lamb Holm Holm 1942-43 Roman Catholic Built by Italian prisoners of war; still in occasional use
Graemsay Kirk Hoy & Graemsay C19th Church of Scotland No longer in use[25]
St Olaf's Kirk, Kirkwall Kirkwall & St Ola Medieval Church of Scotland Ruins remain[26]
Eynhallow Church Medieval pre C16th Ruins only
Lady Kirk, Sanday Lady (on Sanday) Church of Scotland Most recent building 1773. Ruined[27]
Orphir Round Church Orphir Medieval C18th Ruins only
St Boniface, Papa Westray Papa Westray Medieval 1929 Church of Scotland Original CoS building; redundant when CoS, UFC congregations merged[28]
St Magnus, Egilsay Rousay & Egilsay Medieval Church of Scotland Ruins only
Deerness Church of Scotland St Andrews & Deerness 1829[29] Church of Scotland
St Andrews Church of Scotland St Andrews & Deerness (Tankerness) 1801[30] Church of Scotland
St Peter, Sandwick Sandwick 1670 1960s Church of Scotland Current building 1836-1837. Scottish Redundant Churches Trust 1998[31]
Sandwick United Free Church Sandwick 1836 2008 Church of Scotland Joined CoS in 1929. Sold 2008, along with Birsay & Harray churches[12]
St Lawrence's, Burray South Ronaldsay (Burray) Roofless ruin[32]
St Columba's, South Walls South Walls & Flotta 1832 Church of Scotland Active in 2002 listing but not listed on Orkney Presbytery's website
Stenness Parish Church Stenness Medieval 2000s Church of Scotland Rebuilt 1760, 1774. Recently sold[33]
Lady Kirk, Westray Westray (Pierowall) Medieval Rebuilt 1674. Ruins only
Westside Church Westray (Tuquoy) Ruins only

Citations
  1. Crawford, Barbara E. "Orkney in the Middle Ages" in Omand (2003) p. 69-70
  2. "Presbytery of Orkney | Church Links". www.orkneycommunities.co.uk. Retrieved 2017-06-20.
  3. "Evie, Firth, Rendall and Rousay Churches | Home". www.orkneycommunities.co.uk. Retrieved 2017-06-20.
  4. "East Mainland Church". www.eastmainlandchurch.co.uk. Retrieved 2017-06-20.
  5. "St. Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall, Orkney". www.stmagnus.org. Retrieved 2017-06-20.
  6. "Kirkwall East Church | Home". www.orkneycommunities.co.uk. Retrieved 2017-06-20.
  7. "Home". www.stolafs.org.uk. Archived from the original on 2017-07-29. Retrieved 2017-06-20.
  8. "Kirkwall Baptist Church". www.kirkwallbaptistchurch.org.uk. Retrieved 2017-06-20.
  9. "Our Lady & St Joseph, Kirkwall". www.catholicchurchorkney.org.uk. Retrieved 2017-06-20.
  10. "Orphir and Stenness Churches | WELCOME". www.orkneycommunities.co.uk. Retrieved 2017-06-20.
  11. "Westray and Papay Parish Kirks | Home". www.orkneycommunities.co.uk. Retrieved 2017-06-20.
  12. "Milestone Community Church | Parish Profile". www.orkneycommunities.co.uk. Retrieved 2017-11-02.
  13. "Welcome to Milestone Community Church". www.orkneycommunities.co.uk. Retrieved 2017-06-20.
  14. "Orkney – United Free Church of Scotland". ufcos.org.uk. Retrieved 2017-06-20.
  15. "South Ronaldsay and Burray Church | Home". www.orkneycommunities.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2017-11-07. Retrieved 2017-06-20.
  16. "Stromness Church of Scotland | Home". www.orkneycommunities.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2016-08-29. Retrieved 2017-06-20.
  17. "St Mary-the-Virgin Church,: Stromness". stmarysstromness.aodiocese.org.uk. Retrieved 2017-06-20.
  18. "Stromness Baptist Church". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2017-06-20.
  19. "Welcome - Westray Baptist Church". www.westraybaptist.org. Retrieved 2017-06-20.
  20. "Birsay Heritage Trust - Main Details". www.birsay.org.uk. Retrieved 2017-11-02.
  21. https://www.stmagnusway.com/resources/st-magnus-church-birsay-historical-information_document
  22. "St Michael's Church, Harray, Orkney Islands, KW17 2LD - Novaloca.com". www.novaloca.com. Retrieved 2017-11-02.
  23. "Sanday, Cross Parish Church | Canmore". canmore.org.uk. Retrieved 2017-11-02.
  24. "Sanday, St Columba's Church | Canmore". canmore.org.uk. Retrieved 2017-11-02.
  25. Stuff, Good. "Graemsay Kirk, Hoy And Graemsay, Orkney Islands". www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk. Retrieved 2017-11-02.
  26. "Orkneyjar - St Olaf's Kirk, Kirkwall". www.orkneyjar.com. Retrieved 2017-11-02.
  27. [email protected], Undiscovered Scotland. "Lady Kirk, Sanday, Feature Page on Undiscovered Scotland". www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk. Retrieved 2017-11-02.
  28. "Geograph:: St Boniface Kirk, Papa Westray (C) Lis Burke". www.geograph.org.uk. Retrieved 2017-11-02.
  29. "Deerness Parish Church - St Andrews and Deerness, Orkney - Places of Worship in Scotland | SCHR". www.scottishchurches.org.uk. Retrieved 2017-11-02.
  30. "St Andrews Parish Church (North Church) - St Andrews and Deerness, Orkney - Places of Worship in Scotland | SCHR". www.scottishchurches.org.uk. Retrieved 2017-11-02.
  31. Administrator. "St Peter's Kirk, Skaill". www.srct.org.uk. Retrieved 2017-11-02.
  32. "Saints in Scottish Place-Names - St Lawrence's Church, S. Ronaldsay (Burray)". saintsplaces.gla.ac.uk. Retrieved 2017-11-02.
  33. "Check out this commercial property on Rightmove!". Rightmove.co.uk. Retrieved 2017-11-02.

References
  • Graham-Campbell, James and Batey, Colleen E. (1998) Vikings in Scotland: An Archaeological Survey. Edinburgh University Press. ISBN 978-0-7486-0641-2
  • Omand, Donald (ed.) (2003) The Orkney Book. Edinburgh. Birlinn. ISBN 1-84158-254-9

Further reading

Media related to Churches in the Orkney Islands at Wikimedia Commons (contains photographs of several churches)

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