A curved stone apse is all that survives of Scotland’s oldest surviving round church. Orphir Round Church, also called the Round Kirk or St Nicholas’s Church, stands in Orphir Parish on Orkney Mainland.
The church is bound to Orkney’s Norse story as well as medieval architecture. Tradition connects it with Jarl Haakon Paulsson, his killing of Magnus Erlendsson, the Orkneyinga saga, the Earl’s Bu drinking hall, and a round design inspired by the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.
What follows is drawn from published sources, with each claim labelled by how firmly it is established.
History
The church was dedicated to Saint Nicholas. It probably dates to the late eleventh or early twelfth century. The Orkneyinga saga links the area with a large drinking hall and a magnificent church nearby.
The building is associated with Jarl Haakon Paulsson and the killing of Magnus Erlendsson. Almost the whole church survived until 1757, when much of it was demolished for stone. Only the apse and a small part of the nave wall now survive.
The remains have been part of a scheduled monument since 2014 and are in Historic Environment Scotland care.
People
-
Haakon Paulsson
jarl associated with the church tradition.
-
Magnus Erlendsson
co-ruler whose killing forms part of the church tradition.
Connections
-
Earl's Bu
The remains of the Norse drinking hall are nearby.
What to look for
-
Surviving apse
The curved apse is the clearest remaining part of the church.
-
Round plan
The original circular nave made the church unusual in Scotland.
Plan your visit
- Location
- 58.9220°N · 3.1567°W
- Access
- Open access
- Terrain
- Easy going
Opening & admission
The source pack does not provide reliable current admission details; verify before travelling.
- The pack says the site is in Historic Environment Scotland care and open to the public.
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Questions people ask
- What is Orphir Round Church?
- It is the surviving remnant of a medieval round church in Orphir Parish on Orkney Mainland.
- Why is it called a round church?
- The source pack says it had a circular nave with a semicircular apse.
- Who is it associated with?
- Tradition links it with Jarl Haakon Paulsson and the story of Magnus Erlendsson in the Orkneyinga saga.
- What survives today?
- Only the apse and a small segment of the round nave wall survive.
Sources
- Wikipedia article
- Source pack: Orphir Round Church
Explore more: Tomb or burial places · Prehistoric · Orkney Islands
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