We visited St. Magnus’ Cathedral in September ’23 when we went to see ‘The Sun’ as part of the Orkney International Science Festival
and the place was full of noise and people
http://www.spanglefish.com/berniesblog/blog.asp?blogid=16484
January ‘24, in the morning – there was just me and a man painting a picture of one of the stained glass windows, and it was once again a wonderfully peaceful place to be.
I’ve been in St. M’s many times, and taken many pictures
https://theorkneynews.scot/?s=St.+Magnus+Cathedral+Bernie+Bell
This time, I had the space and peace to notice details which hadn’t registered before.
Coming in through the main doors – through the ‘Vessel of Light’ – I turned left with the intention of going round the cathedral, taking photos along the way.
Simply a pleasing shape
An Orkney Wall of Fame….
Top row – left to right – George MacKay Brown, Robert Rendall, Margaret C. Tait
Second row – left to right – Edwin Muir, John Mooney, J. Storer Clouston
Third row – left to right – Stanley Cursitor, Hugh Marwick, Eric Linklater.
…..with Orkney’s own Arctic explorer John Rae reclining elegantly before it…
Arches
“In this pillar lie the remains of Magnus Erlend’s son, Earl of Orkney who on 16th April 1115 (?), was slain on the island of Egilsay * Canonised on 13th Dec 1133 ** To his memory Rognvald built this cathedral.”
Look out for the plaque and you’ll find the pillar
The Man Himself
Information about the St. Magnus Way
The cheeriest skeleton I’ve ever seen!
Symbolic carvings on the ends of pews (the Gospels)
A spider’s web – life in the hard stones
The last of the old prayer chairs, which I much preferred to the new ones
There’s always something more to see.